Prince Buster's Ghost Dance ... in draft

i didn't properly know what Ghost Dance was about, yet i've loved the delicate musicality of this track for DECADES ... so I looked it up at last ... and with a better understanding, so that tears soon came to my eyes ... prince buster's charm and delicacy as he addresses the ghosts of lost friends are in complete contrast to the roaring swashbuckling humour of his dance hall songs ... instead he shows his abiding sense of brotherhood ... how badly we miss our friends, and how badly we come to miss even those we never properly knew ... in my view it is as when old paintings fade and the colours bleach out, and then their varnish darkens ... i suppose these momentary tears might wash some of those dusty memories clean and bright again ... possibly, maybe ?

https://thebluemoment.com/.../09/08/prince-buster-1938-2016/

Ghost Dance lyrics with English Translations

Lyrics Translations

Ghost dance
Dear Keithus, my friend, good dayHoping you're keeping the best of health
How is the music down there in bone yard?I hear that Busby have a sound systemAnd that Nyah Keith is disc-jockeyBut them can't get no Red Stripe beerFi sell in the dance at night
Tell Zacky, the High PriestWho used to lead the toughestOne who could go, baah toughestGive him my regardsTell him Prince Buster says hello

Baah, toughest
And Keith, if you should see RashiYou know Rashi from Back'o'Wall?Give him my regards
And if you should see, the two brothersStinky Pommells and Herbman, we grew togetherTell them Prince Buster says, so long,Sorry they had to go so soon
Since music be the food of love, I'll forever sing onAnd Forresters Hall, we'll soon get back on shape
Baah, toughest
Ghost danceGhost dance
Baah, toughest

MICHELANGELO'S MARBLE CARVING OF THE JEWISH HERO DAVID

 

The Wikipedia article gives a detailed account of the circumstances surrounding the original commission, and then what is known of the work itself and its subsequent history.

I'd never thought about HOW & WHY it was carved, only about the finished object and its effect on modern viewers, such as myself.  

Pity my superficial frivolity, if you will.

David (Michelangelo) - Wikipedia

THE VERNAL EQUINOX ... the time in Tenby will be 1446 when the sun is crossing the equator from

This morning, I asked ChatGPT about the Vernal Equinox ...

The star charts are from Jamieson's celestial atlas of 1822

https://archive.org/details/celestial-atlas/page/n17/mode/2up

KUNG FU HUSTLE ... directed by Stephen Chow

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kung_Fu_Hustle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Chow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixeHttmdsZY

Rubens' re-invention of Saint Jerome

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome

just about every painter in the history of christian art depicts jerome as an emaciated and sad-faced ascetic, determinedly translating the scriptures even whilst death approaches ... rubens turns him into hercules ... and gives him two cherubs for company ... jerome famously advocated virginity ... the cherubs are usually agents of love and all of its conjoining forces ( think venus & mars ) ... so i'm guessing rubens was giving jerome's beliefs a light-hearted dismissal ... ( rebuttal ? )

robert rauschenberg ... worked big ... his art was already familiar and almost commonplace when i was a teenager, yet i never engaged with it ... maybe i was put off because it seemed so messy & chaotic ... so i'm taking a few minutes to look again !

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Rauschenberg

https://www.rauschenbergfoundation.org/art/artwork/estate

and you can find MARY LYNN KOTZ' big ( as in epic ) book at archive.org

https://archive.org/details/rauschenbergartl00unse/mode/2up

it is full of wonders

white witches ... i was looking at these china welsh women who were almost certainly a Victorian era import from germany ... and i wondered about why they were white ... so i asked ChatGPT an indirect question

i asked them ... do white witches occur in germanic mythology or folklore ?

 

You said:

do white witches get mentioned in Germanic mythology or folklore ?

ChatGPT said:

Yes — but not in the way modern fantasy uses the term “white witch.”

In historical Germanic mythology and folklore, you don’t find a formal category called “white witches.” However, there are figures associated with benevolent or protective magic.

Here’s how it breaks down:

---

1. Magic in Norse / Old Germanic Mythology

In Old Norse sources like the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, magic is described mainly through:

Seiðr

A form of sorcery associated with prophecy, fate-weaving, and spiritual influence.

• Strongly associated with the goddess Freyja

• Also practiced by Odin

• Practitioners were called völur (seeresses)

Seiðr wasn’t labeled “good” or “evil.” It could be:

• Protective

• Prophetic

• Manipulative

• Harmful

Morality depended on context — not on a “white vs black” distinction.

---

2. Völur (Seeresses)

The völva (plural: völur) were traveling prophetesses who:

• Foretold the future

• Performed ritual magic

• Advised kings and warriors

They were often respected and even feared — but not considered inherently evil. If you’re looking for something closest to a “white witch,” this would be it.

---

3. Germanic & Scandinavian Folk Traditions

In later medieval and early modern folklore (especially in rural Germany and Scandinavia), you find:

🟢 Cunning Women (wise women)

• Healers

• Herbalists

• Charm-makers

• Midwives

• Protective magic practitioners

These women were sometimes seen as beneficial members of the community. In German-speaking areas, they might be called:

• weise Frau (wise woman)

• Hexe (witch — though this term became negative during witch hunts)

But again — no formal “white witch” category existed. That moral distinction (white vs black magic) developed later under Christian influence.

---

4. Witchcraft in German Folklore

By the time of the witch trials (15th–17th centuries), influenced by texts like the Malleus Maleficarum, witches were generally portrayed negatively.

Earlier Germanic belief, however, had more ambiguity:

• Magic was powerful

• It could protect or harm

• It wasn’t automatically “satanic”

---

5. White Witches as a Modern Concept

The idea of a clearly “good witch” vs “evil witch” is largely:

• A post-medieval Christian moral framework

• Popularized further in modern fantasy literature

• Reinforced by 19th–20th century occult revival movements

It’s not a native Germanic mythological category.

---

Summary

Were “white witches” mentioned?
No — not as a formal category.

Were benevolent magical women present?
Yes:

• Völur (seeresses)

• Wise women / healers

• Folk charmers

Germanic tradition saw magic as morally neutral power — not divided cleanly into white vs black.

---

If you’d like, I can also compare this to Celtic folklore or Slavic traditions — they handle “good witches” a bit differently.

You said:

yes please

ChatGPT said:

Great — let’s compare Germanic, Celtic, and Slavic traditions and how each treated benevolent magical women (what we might loosely call “white witches”).

---

🌲 1. Germanic Traditions (Norse & Continental)

Core idea: Magic = morally neutral power.

Key Figures

• Freyja – Taught seiðr (sorcery).

• Odin – Practiced ecstatic magic and rune wisdom.

• Völur (seeresses) – Prophets and ritual specialists.

Characteristics

• Magic could heal, bless, curse, foretell.

• No formal “white vs black” distinction.

• Social suspicion existed (especially toward male practitioners).

• Later Christian influence reinterpreted magic as demonic.

Closest equivalent to a “white witch”:

Wise woman / völva who performed healing and prophecy.

---

🍀 2. Celtic Traditions (Ireland, Scotland, Wales)

Core idea: The supernatural world is interwoven with everyday life.

Celtic lore preserves more explicitly positive magical women.

The Bean Feasa (Ireland)

• Literally “woman of knowledge.”

• Healer, herbalist, diviner.

• Community-respected figure.

• Often seen as a continuation of pre-Christian druidic roles.

The Banshee

• Bean Sídhe

• Not evil — a supernatural herald of death.

• Shows how female supernatural power wasn’t automatically malicious.

Morgan le Fay

• Morgan le Fay

• Sometimes healer and priestess.

• Later portrayed as villain under Christianized retellings.

Distinctive Celtic Pattern

Celtic tradition preserved:

• Sacred feminine magic

• Fairy women with ambiguous but not purely evil roles

• Strong association between land, sovereignty, and magical women

Closest equivalent to “white witch”:

Bean feasa / fairy healer attached to the Otherworld.

---

🌾 3. Slavic Traditions

Core idea: Magic is embedded in village life and nature spirits.

Slavic folklore has a clearer split between benevolent and dangerous practitioners.

Baba Yaga

• Baba Yaga

• Wild forest witch.

• Can help or destroy.

• Tests the worthy.

• Represents liminal wisdom.

Znakharka (Cunning Woman)

• Folk healer.

• Charm-worker.

• Protector against curses.

• Often tolerated or respected in rural communities.

Duality in Slavic Folklore

Slavic belief preserved:

• Clear fear of harmful witches.

• But also practical acceptance of protective magic.

Closest equivalent to “white witch”:

Village healer / charm-woman protecting against curses.

---

🧭 Key Differences

Tradition	Moral View of Magic	“White Witch” Equivalent	Social Attitude
Germanic	Neutral power	Völva / wise woman	Respected but feared
Celtic	Sacred feminine + Otherworld	Bean feasa	Often respected
Slavic	Practical folk magic	Znakharka	Accepted but cautious

---

🔥 Why the Differences?

1. Christianization timelines differed

   • Germanic areas saw strong demonization during witch hunts.

   • Celtic regions preserved fairy lore longer.

   • Slavic villages retained folk healers deep into the modern era.

2. Myth structure

   • Norse myth emphasizes fate and cosmic order.

   • Celtic myth emphasizes liminality and the Otherworld.

   • Slavic myth emphasizes household and forest spirits.

---

✨ Bottom Line

None of these traditions had a formal “white witch” category.

But all three preserved:

• Benevolent female magical practitioners

• Healing magic

• Prophetic or protective roles

The strict “white vs black witch” division is mostly a later Christian and modern occult framing layered onto much older, morally complex traditions.

---

If you’d like, I can also trace how the modern fantasy “White Witch” archetype (like in The Chronicles of Narnia) evolved from these older traditions.

You said:

yes please

ChatGPT said:

Great — because this is where folklore, Christianity, and modern fantasy all collide.

The modern “White Witch” archetype is actually a blend of:

• Pre-Christian European magic traditions

• Medieval Christian demonology

• 19th–20th century occult revival

• Modern fantasy literature

Let’s trace how it evolved.

---

1️⃣ Pre-Christian Roots: Ambiguous Magical Women

In Germanic, Celtic, and Slavic traditions, magical women were:

• Healers

• Seeresses

• Fate-workers

• Liminal beings connected to nature

Examples:

• Freyja – teacher of seiðr magic

• The völur of Norse tradition

• The Irish Bean Sídhe

• Baba Yaga

Important:
These figures were powerful — but not morally sorted into “good” or “evil.” They were dangerous because they were connected to fate, death, wilderness, or the Otherworld.

No “white witch” yet — just powerful women.

---

2️⃣ Medieval Christianity: The Moral Split

When Christianity spread through Europe, magic was reclassified.

Influential texts like the Malleus Maleficarum helped define witches as:

• Servants of the Devil

• Heretical

• Malevolent

This is where the binary hardens:

• Godly power = holy miracle

• Folk magic = demonic

But interestingly, in folk belief, people still quietly consulted healers and charmers. So unofficially, a divide formed:

• Harmful witch

• Cunning woman / healer

This is the ancestor of the “black vs white” split.

---

3️⃣ Early Modern Folklore & Fairy Tales

In fairy tales (18th–19th century collections), witches start to appear in two modes:

🧙‍♀️ Evil Witch

• Cannibalistic

• Forest-dwelling

• Jealous

• Example: Grimm fairy tales

✨ Wise or Protective Woman

• Fairy godmother type

• Helper figure

• Sometimes disguised as old crone

Writers like the Brothers Grimm preserved both strands.

Now we’re getting closer to narrative archetypes:

• Dark witch

• Benevolent enchantress

But the term “White Witch” still isn’t standard.

---

4️⃣ 19th–20th Century Occult Revival

In the 1800s–1900s, esoteric movements reframed witchcraft.

Romantic nationalism reimagined pre-Christian Europe as mystical and nature-centered.

Then comes modern witchcraft movements like:

• Gerald Gardner (Wicca founder)

Wicca explicitly distinguishes:

• Harmful magic

• Beneficial magic

And promotes the ethic:

“An it harm none, do what ye will.”

Now the “white witch” becomes:

• Nature-aligned

• Healing

• Spiritually positive

• Anti-demonic

This is the modern spiritual template.

---

5️⃣ Fantasy Literature Solidifies the Archetype

Modern fantasy makes the split iconic.

❄️ The White Witch (Villain Version)

In The Chronicles of Narnia, the White Witch (Jadis):

• Pale, cold, winter-associated

• Tyrannical

• Beautiful but cruel

• Uses magic as domination

Here “white” refers to snow and cold — not moral goodness.
She is actually an inversion of the “white = good” expectation.

---

🌟 The Good Witch Archetype

Fantasy also develops explicitly benevolent magical women:

• Glinda from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

  • Literally called “the Good Witch”

  • Radiant, protective, morally pure

Now the binary is complete in popular culture:

• White/Good Witch

• Dark/Evil Witch

This is a modern storytelling convention, not an ancient one.

---

6️⃣ Modern Fantasy Tropes

By the late 20th century:

White Witch archetype can mean:

• Ice queen villain

• Nature priestess heroine

• Light-magic user

• Moral opposite of necromancer/dark sorcerer

The trope is now flexible — but rooted in that Christian-era moral binary.

---

🧠 Big Picture Evolution

Era	Magical Woman Portrayal
Pre-Christian	Ambiguous, fate-bound, powerful
Medieval Christian	Demonic or heretical
Folk tradition	Healer vs harmful witch
Occult revival	White (benevolent) witch identity
Modern fantasy	Codified archetype

---

✨ Final Insight

The “White Witch” is not an ancient Germanic figure.

She is:

• A modern synthesis

• Built from folklore

• Filtered through Christian morality

• Refined by fantasy literature

If you'd like, I can also explain how the “Ice Queen / Snow Witch” specifically evolved — that’s a fascinating northern-European myth thread.