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The Ballad of Hastur and Cassilda [Darkover series]
by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Category: Fantasy/Science Fiction
Description: Before Darkover was Darkover, I wrote this to explain some of the Gods and heroes. I have referred in the novels to 'singing' the Ballad, but I think of it as declaimed rhythmically, to a background of minor arpeggios on a harp.--Marion Zimmer Bradley
eBook Publisher: Marion Zimmer Bradley Literary Works Trust, 1987 Red Sun of Darkover
eBookwise Release Date: April 2007
 
34 Reader Ratings:
Available eBook Formats: OEBFF Format (IMP) [12 KB]
Words: 1362
Reading time: 3-5 min.
Numerous versions of this ballad have survived, quoted and sung to many tunes by folksingers--some of these melodies being of great antiquity, others apparently originated by the singers. There is no proof which version is oldest or nearest to the lost original versions; the unreliability of folksingers' memories has been long proverbial on every planet in Terran Empire. The text here given is based on the most ancient sources available, some of them apparently dating from the Ages of Chaos to judge from their archaic casta forms. It is also the longest version known, raising the possibility of accretions over the centuries--accretions which might account for the irregular metrical patterns.
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