James A Stimson wrote: > > >Dear All: > Isn't the cittern, both in painting and literature, a symbol of >promiscuity? The image of a cittern on a barbershop wall suggests that it >could be played by anyone who walks in. > And isn't "cittern-head" an old insult, akin to "wooden-head?" > >
The company on a terrace is a fantastic portrayal of the imagined state of the drunken reveller - the handsome, young, slim, cittern-player who is the centre of attention - with the shambolic crudity of reality, a load of fat and half-arsed folk knocking things over, offering wine to baby, ignoring the dog, painting the ceiling, etc. The entire figure of the citternisto represents something. Not sure what. In fact, it rather reminds me of our folk session - mainly over-50 in years, though not heading that way in stones, as for some reason it's full of fitness fanatics. And all still imagining they are the lad with the long hair captivating the audience :-) David To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
