Tobar an Dualchais - Kist O Riches

Title - Stanley Robertson discusses stories about disfigurement.
Contributors - Stanley Robertson
Reporters - Barbara McDermitt
Item Person - Moore, Thomas

Summary - Stanley Robertson discusses stories about disfigurement.

Stanley Robertson gives an account of a play, possibly called 'Mary Ugly', that he saw and only partly remembers. A beautiful girl went into a circle to escape the Devil, but when she came out, he made her face hideous. The girl wore a heavy veil. A young man fell in love with her and made her a golden mask to wear. When seven years were up, the young man came for her, she removed the mask, and her face was beautiful again.

Barbara McDermitt and Stanley discuss what cured the girl's ugliness: harmlessness and purity, and somebody else's help.

Stanley draws a parallel with the true story of Thomas Moore's wife, who was disfigured by smallpox while he was away from home. He wrote for her 'Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms'.


Track Duration (h:m:s) - 00:04:02
Date Recorded - 1982.02.13
Language - English, Scots
Genre - Story, Information
Collection - School of Scottish Studies

Track ID - 50244
Original Tape ID - SA1982.029
Original Track ID - SA1982.29.2
Audio Quality - Good
Audio Format - R2R


Item Notes - Thomas Moore's wife is one on a number of women identified in different sources as the addressee of the song.

Permanent Link - http://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/fullrecord/50244/1


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