Webspinner

Duncan Williamson (1928–2007) was one of the premier storytellers of his generation not just in Scotland, but in the world. Born in a tent on the shore of Loch Fyne, Argyll, Williamson pursued a semi-nomadic way of life for many decades, at first with his parents and after age sixteen on his own. He eventually won esteem not just as a brilliant storyteller and authoritative singer, but also for his deep knowledge of the traditional way of life of the Scottish travelling people, or tinkers. The present book offers myriad insights into Williamson’s life and times, as recounted here in his own words. The main part of the book (Chapters 2–9) is based on tape recordings made by Niles during the 1980s and faithfully transcribed for print. Williamson’s personal reminiscences are interspersed with songs, anecdotes, and lengthier stories in a manner that is suggestive of his natural style of communication. An introductory chapter, a concluding chapter, and a substantial Commentary set Williamson’s words within a wide intellectual and scholarly horizon. Over sixty still photographs add a visual dimension to the book, while hyperlinks give selective access to the recordings on which most of chapters are based. Webspinner makes a major contribution to the fields of folklore, ethnography, and Scottish studies while calling attention to the role of the “strong” tradition-bearer — that is, the buoyant, creative individual, as opposed to the memorizer — in the shaping of an oral tradition.