Re: Kashka

[Doug Alan <nessus>]

> I don't know about the linguistic origins of Kashka, but the song
> "Kashka from Baghdad" (sp?) makes it fairly clear that here, at least,
> Kashka is male. ("Kashka from Baghdad lives in sin, they say, with
> *another* man"  --emphasis added)
>
> Val

But "another man" can have lots of different meanings.  Kashka could be
male.  Kashka could be female and married.  Kashka could be living in
sin with *yet* another man.  Kashka could be living in sin with several
men.

I always thought of the the song as being about nosey people in a small
town being more concerned about what's going on in other people's houses
than in making the most of their own lives.  While on the other hand,
Kashka and her (his?) lover know how to be happy.

For this meaning, Kashka could be either male or female, it doesn't
really matter.  But if Kashka is *definitely* male, then that is such a
strong image that it shifts the meaning of the song to be about
homosexuality (and a lot of people tell me that it is), but I don't see
homosexuality as playing an important part in the song.

			"They never go for walks
			 Maybe it's because the moon's not bright enough
			 There's light in love, you see"

			 Doug