Lizie Wan
Encyclopedia
Synopsis
The heroine—Lizie, Rosie, Lucy—is pregnant with her brother's child. Her brother murders her. He tries to pass off the blood as some animal he had killed—his greyhound, his falcon, his horse—but in the end must admit that he murdered her. He sets sail in a ship, never to return.Parallels
This ballads, in several variants, contains most of the ballad "EdwardEdward (ballad)
Edward is a traditional murder ballad existing in several variants. In English its versions were collected by Francis James Child as Child ballad number 13.-Synopsis:...
", Child 13.
Other ballads on this theme include "Sheath and Knife
Sheath and Knife
"Sheath and Knife" is a folk ballad.-Synopsis:A woman is pregnant with her brother's child. He takes her to the greenwood to have her child, but she dies...
", "The King's Dochter Lady Jean
The King's Dochter Lady Jean
-Synopsis:The heroine goes to the woods. A man meets her, tries to woo her, and rapes her. He asks her name, and they learn that they are brother and sister...
", and "The Bonny Hind
The Bonny Hind
-Synopsis:A squire persuades a maiden to lie with him. Afterward, she asks his name, and he reveals that he is a lord's son. She calls him a liar: she is that lord's daughter. The horror-struck son reveals that he was long at sea. She stabs herself to death, and he buries her...
".
Cultural references
The Ballad of Lizie Wan was the inspiration for the title song from English recording artist Kate BushKate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
's album The Kick Inside
The Kick Inside
-Personnel:*Kate Bush: Piano, Composer, Keyboards, Vocals, Background Vocals*Ian Bairnson: Guitar, Vocals, Background Vocals, Bottle*Paddy Bush: Harmonica, Mandolin, Vocals*Barry DeSouza: drums*Stuart Elliott: Drums...
. It is directly referenced in an early demo recording of the song in the second verse: "You and me on the bobbing knee / Welling eyes from identifying with Lizzy Wan's story." The final version of the song replaces the direct reference and describes the ballad as "old mythology."