The Lammas Hireling
Weird cow warlock
, This strange little poem sets up a mystery from the fi
line. It is set in August, (Lammas time), but in the pas
when men could be hired for farm work at a country f
This ‘hireling’ seems to have undercharged for his
services. No explanation is given, but the oddities bui
as the poem progresses. The hireling has a supernatu
positive effect on the livestock, for example.
The second paragraph portrays a strange supernatura
scene, in which the farmer recognises the hireling to b
‘warlock’ — a wizard. The speaker cites ancient
About superstitions and proceeds to describe what could be
murder. The final stanza suggests that the repeated
confessions to the priest do not assuage the speaker’
guilt.
The story leaves so many questions open that the rea
may be mystified. Did the hireling have supernatural
powers? Was there an illicit homo-erotic liaison? Was
hireling murdered? Was the speaker locked into guilt
he couldn’t assuage by confessing because, one assu
he would be hanged as a murderer, or was unrepente
his heart over his sin?
Weird cow warlock
, This strange little poem sets up a mystery from the fi
line. It is set in August, (Lammas time), but in the pas
when men could be hired for farm work at a country f
This ‘hireling’ seems to have undercharged for his
services. No explanation is given, but the oddities bui
as the poem progresses. The hireling has a supernatu
positive effect on the livestock, for example.
The second paragraph portrays a strange supernatura
scene, in which the farmer recognises the hireling to b
‘warlock’ — a wizard. The speaker cites ancient
About superstitions and proceeds to describe what could be
murder. The final stanza suggests that the repeated
confessions to the priest do not assuage the speaker’
guilt.
The story leaves so many questions open that the rea
may be mystified. Did the hireling have supernatural
powers? Was there an illicit homo-erotic liaison? Was
hireling murdered? Was the speaker locked into guilt
he couldn’t assuage by confessing because, one assu
he would be hanged as a murderer, or was unrepente
his heart over his sin?
