A “welkin” is a small, furry, four-eyed creature that appears in Star Wars Episode XVI. They’re cute, friendly, and basically great in every way.
I’m kidding. The actual definition is:
welkin
/ˈwɛl kɪn/ noun, Chiefly Literary.
1. the sky; the vault of heaven.
(Thanks Dictionary.com!)
As for the second question, “And does it dance?,” according to Sir Toby Belch and Sir Andrew, the welkin can totally dance!
In my first blog post, I talk more about the word’s crazy etymology (Go PIE!), and how I decided on the name for this blog. The short story is that I was inspired by a little known playwright, writing at the turn of the 17th century:
“[In Twelfth Night], Act 2, Scene 3, there’s this moment when these two drunk guys are just kinda talking and singing in the middle of the night. One of them says to the other, ‘But shall we make the welkin dance indeed? Shall we rouse the night owl in a catch that will draw three souls out of one weaver? Shall we do that?’ Drunk people sometimes really do say beautiful things. Especially when they’re Shakespeare characters. Drunk ramblings or not, nevertheless, I was struck by the imagery evoked in those lines. I liked the idea that our singing could make the sky dance, that our voices alone could shake the heavens. As someone who has always loved words, who double majored in literature and linguistics, the image is fitting. Language is powerful. Strong enough to rattle our world…The idea that we could make the welkin dance just didn’t seem like an impossible feat to me. It seemed more like a friendly invitation.”
I’ve accepted the invitation.
The invitation to write about a range of topics I find interesting: “…life, books, daydreams, waiting for serendipity, travel misadventures, the plights of curly hair, linguistics in the real world, and all around, simply living up to my high school nickname, ‘Evelyn the Teller of Tales’.”
Dear reader, I’ll be honest; I’m still figuring this blog thing out. I know it will evolve over time, growing along with me. I’m sure I’ll talk about many things, from Borges to the pleasures of God, to the Great Vowel Shift and maybe even what I ate last Sunday. Hopefully, I’ll do so with grace, some wit, and a touch of whimsy.
Thus, I’m on a mission of sorts, following the suggestion of two fictional Shakespearean characters and attempting to make the welkin dance. Would you like to join?
Evelyn (oh I hope your name is Evelyn :-)) I so enjoyed reading this. If I ever write my memoir (in process, aren’t they always) I’ve had the title for over a year–“Welcoming the Sky”. The sky is open, beautiful things can fall from it and when we cast our eyes in that direction, who knows what may happen?
I’ll be following along.
(and fear not, this is Blog Year Five for me. The first year was a total beginners course, for sure. But the interwebs are a friendly, encouraging place I’ve found. Write on.)
Yes, my name is Evelyn! Thanks for following my journey into the inter webs. It’s great to have you along, especially since I enjoyed reading your blog.
And I approve of that title for your memoir. It’s short but catches the eye.
Love your blog name. When the sky dances it is truly a beautiful thing.
Thanks for your follow, I look forward to reading more of your posts as time goes by.
Thanks! I went through a lot of bad blog names before getting to this one.
I loved your blog by the way, especially the clever poetry.
Thank you so much. 🙂 I do like it when my brain thinks up a little verse that can please me, and hopefully others.
I’ve been wondering about your blog title for a while now, and yes it’s quite charming to say the least. I’m sure I speak for a lot of people when I say, if anyone is capable of making the welkin dance it’s you. 😉 A befitting name for a lovely blog.😃 I, for one, am besotted! 😀
Aw thank you! This comment made my day!