The Lady of Shalott, with a medieval girdle around her waist (John William Waterhouse, 1888). Girdles at this time were more belt-like than today.

A girdle is a garment that encircles the lower torso, perhaps extending below the hips, and worn often for support. The word girdle originally meant a belt. In modern English, the term girdle is most commonly used for a form of women's foundation wear that replaced the corset in popularity. In sports, a girdle may be similar to compression shorts.

History[link]

Historically and in anthropology, the girdle can be a scanty belt-shaped textile for men and/or women, worn on its own, not holding a larger garment in place, and less revealing than the loin-cloth, as was used by Minoan pugilists.

Constructed of elasticized fabric and sometimes fastened with hook and eye closures, the modern girdle is designed to enhance a woman's figure. Most open-bottom girdles extend from the waist to the upper thighs. In the 1960s, these models fell from favor and were to a great extent replaced by the panty girdle. The panty girdle resembles a tight pair of athletic shorts. Both models of girdles usually include suspender clips to hold up stockings.

Girdles were considered essential garments by many women from about 1920 to the late 1960s. They created a rigid, controlled figure that was seen as eminently respectable and modest. They were also crucial to the couturier Christian Dior's 1947 New Look, which featured a voluminous skirt and a narrow, nipped-in waistline, also known as a wasp waist.

A woman's girdle (in pink).

Later in the 1960s, the girdle was generally supplanted by pantyhose. Pantyhose replaced girdles for many women who had used the girdle essentially as a means of holding up sheer nylon stockings. Those who want more control purchase "control top" pantyhose.

Girdles and "body shapers" are still sold to women who want to shape their figure with a garment. Some of these garments incorporate a brassiere and thus become functionally equivalent to a corset. However, they do not incorporate boning and hence do not produce the constricted waistline characteristic of Victorian-era corsets.

Girdle in literature[link]

In literature, girdles are often portrayed as magical, giving power and strength if worn by men, and protection if worn by women. Several scriptures in the Bible make use of the girdle as a symbol for readiness and preparation. Ishtar, a Babylonian Goddess, wore a fertility girdle, which, when it was removed, rendered the Universe barren. Hercules wrestled with the Amazon queen for her girdle in his Greek myth. Aphrodite, or Venus in Roman mythology, also wore girdles associated with lechery in later poetry.^[1]

For men a girdle was often used to hold weapons. It also gave them freedom to move in a fight, unlike other types of clothing. both of these are thought to carry the connection of power to the man's girdle in literature. For example, Odysseus wears a girdle which allows him to swim for three days straight, and a girdle worn by Thor doubles his strength.^[1]

Later on, for women, the girdle became a sign of virginity, and was often considered to have magical properties. Monsters and all types of evil are recorded as being subdued by girdles in literature, a famous one being the dragon slain by Saint George. Marriage ceremonies continued this tradition of girdles symbolizing virginity by having the husband take the wife's girdle, and prostitutes were forbidden to wear them by law in historic France. Often in literature, women are portrayed as safe from sexual or other attack when wearing a girdle, but suddenly vulnerable if it is missing or stolen.^[1]

Non-clothing uses in literature include Tolkien's "Girdle of Melian", a magical, protective "wall" surrounding an elven kingdom, and the metaphorical "girdle of righteousness" mentioned in the Bible, representing righteousness as a protection as well as something to be worn constantly.

The twentieth century women's girdle attracts various references in literature, often in a disparaging way. For example, Marilyn French in her classic book, The Women's Room, is very critical not only of the girdle itself, but also of the virtual compulsion to wear one, a compulsion which existed until the late 1960s. In John Masters's Bhowani Junction, once the mixed-race Victoria Jones decides to opt for an Indian rather than British persona, she rejects her girdle as a "western garment".

Eroticism[link]

Like its predecessor garment, the corset, the girdle attracts a degree of eroticism. Some men like to wear female girdles, and/or find women attractive in them. In addition, the Australian feminist writer, Beatrice Faust, in her book Women, Sex and Pornography refers to a "slight but sustained feeling of arousal" when wearing a "moderately tight" girdle.

Sports[link]

In American football, a girdle is a piece of clothing that is worn under the football pants to keep the hip, thigh, and tailbone pads in place, making the process of putting on the tight football pants easier. Older girdles resembled chaps, in that they covered only the front of the leg with pads, that snapped on. Modern girdles are essentially a tight pair of compression shorts with pockets for the pads. The girdle was also used in the Mesoamerican ballgame and is used in hockey (National Hockey League).

Vestment and iconography[link]

As a liturgical vestment, the girdle, also known as a cincture, is a long, rope-like cord tied around the waist over the alb.

In the Vajrayana iconography of the Hevajra Tantra, the 'girdle' (Tib.: ske rags), one of the 'Five Bone Ornaments' (aṣṭhiamudrā) symbolizes Amoghasiddhi and the 'accomplishing pristine awareness' (Kṛty-anuṣṭhāna-jñāna), one of the 'Five Wisdoms' (pañca-jñāna).^[2] The iconography of the girdle (or bone apron and belt ^[3]) in Vajrayana iconography developed from one of the items of vestment adorning the Mahasiddha of the charnel grounds.

Beer (1999: p. 318) describes the bone girdle as the 'netted bone apron and belt' as vesture of the Dakinis and Heruka of the Cham Dance and Gar Dance of Tibetan Buddhism sacred ritual dance performances:

The bone ornaments worn in these ritual dances are exquisitely carved - especially the netted bone apron and belt, which are commonly adorned with intricately carved images of dakinis.^[3]

References[link]

1. ^ ^{a b c} Friedman, Albert B., and Richard H. Osberg. "Gawain's Girdle as Traditional Symbol." The Journal of American Folklore 90.357 (1977): 301-15.
2. ^ Kongtrul, Jamgön (author); (English translators: Guarisco, Elio; McLeod, Ingrid) (2005). The Treasury of Knowledge (shes bya kun la khyab pa’i mdzod). Book Six, Part Four: Systems of Buddhist Tantra, The Indestructibe Way of Secret Mantra. Bolder, Colorado, USA: Snow Lion Publications. ISBN 1-55939-210-X (alk.paper) p.493
3. ^ ^{a b} Beer, Robert (1999). The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs. Shambhala. ISBN 1-57062-416-X. Source: [1] (accessed: December 28, 2008) p.318

External links[link]

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Big Ass (บิ๊กแอส)
Big Ass at MTV fast Forward
Background information
Origin	Bangkok, Thailand
Genres	Thai rock (earlier materials) Nu metal (on Seven album) Metalcore (on Begins album) Rock
Years active	1997–present
Labels	Music Bugs(1997-2003) GMM Grammy(2004-present)
Associated acts	Bodyslam
Members
Ekarat Wongcharat Poonsak Jaturaboon Apichart Promraksa Pongpan Pollasit Kachorndej Promraksa

Big Ass is a Thai rock band. It was originally a pop rock band but the music moved toward hardcore punk in some of the band's recent works. Big Ass latest release is Love, their sixth album.

History[link]

Big Ass released their first album Not Bad in 1997 with music label Music Bugs. Their second and third album, XL and My World followed in 2000 and 2003. Big Ass won numerous awards for their work but attracted a rather limited group of audience during their first three albums. It left the old music label, Music Bugs, to join Genie Records label of GMM Grammy. Their fourth album Seven (signifying seven years in the music scene) was very successful in terms of awards and popularity. The album was recognized by both major music awards in Thailand: Season Awards, and Fat Awards ^[1] (See Awards section below). Popularity-wise, they were also voted the most popular artist by fellow artists in Fat Awards #3 and nominated for the most popular group in 4th Channel [V] Thailand Music Video Awards. Their fifth full album was Begins with hit songs such as Kha Noi Somkhuan Tai and Prom Li-Kit.

Besides their studio albums, Big Ass has a song in the special album Wan Fa Mai (วันฟ้าใหม่) celebrating New Year released around the end of 2005. The song Rao (เรา) in the album was performed by Big Ass together with Bodyslam.

In 2008, an original soundtrack for Thai movie Pid Term Yai Hua Jai Wawun (ปิดเทอมใหญ่ หัวใจว้าวุ่น, also known as Hormones) featured Big Ass. The band also appeared in the movie as themselves playing the song Kon Tai (ก่อนตาย) in a pub.^[2]

Origins of the name[link]

Student Weekly: The name of your band is a bit naughty. How did you come up with the name Big Ass?

Dax: Actually when we were students we used so many different names to book studio time that the owner would get confused if we were the same band. So we wanted to find a unique name to represent our band. When we looked around, the first thing that caught our attention was an ass. It seemed firm and sturdy just like rock music, the music we like. And we didn’t want just a normal ass, so we named the band Big Ass.

Members[link]

Ekarat "Dax" Wongcharat, lead vocals

The Thai names and nicknames are given in parentheses.

• Ekarat Wongcharat, alternatively Ekkarat Wongchalard (เอกรัตน์ วงศ์ฉลาด; Dax or Dag, แด็ก): lead vocals
• Poonsak Jaturaboon (พูนศักดิ์ จตุระบุล; Off, อ็อฟ): guitar, backing vocals
• Apichart Promraksa (อภิชาติ พรมรักษา; Moo, หมู): guitar, backing vocals
• Pongpan Pollasit (พงษ์พันธ์ พลสิทธิ์; Oak, โอ๊ก): bass guitar, backing vocals
• Kachorndej Promraksa (ขจรเดช พรมรักษา; Kob, กบ): percussion

Note: In early albums, the bass guitarist of the band was Ekarat Rattanapinta (เอกรัตน์ รัตนปิณฑะ; Ton, ต้น).

Discography[link]

• Not Bad (1997)
• XL (2000)
• My World (2003)
• Seven (July 2004)
• Begins (November 2006)
• Love (12 December 2008)

Awards[link]

• Best new artist for album Not Bad, 10th Season Awards (สีสัน อะวอร์ดส์), 1998
• Best rock duo or band, best rock album for My World, and best rock song Che Wit Lang Khwam Tai (ชีวิตหลังความตาย), 16th Season Awards, March 2004
• Duo or group artist of the year for My World, Fat Awards #2, April 2004 ^[3]
• Best rock group and best rock album for Seven, 17th Season Awards, March 2005
• Song of the year for Len Khong Soong, and most popular artist voted by other artists, Fat Awards #3, April 2005 ^[4]
• Best rock group, best rock album for Begins, and best rock song for Begins, 19th Season Awards, March 2007^[5]

In the news[link]

Ekarat Wongcharat, the leading vocal of Big Ass, made the headlines when a 17 year old men's magazine model nicknamed "Fai" appeared with her baby "Justin" and claimed that Wongcharat was the baby's father on February 2006. Allegedly they had sex when Fai was 16 years old, meaning that Wongcharat would be a child sex offender if the accusation was true. Wongcharat was subsequently arrested and released on bail on 27 February. While Wongcharat gave his blood sample for DNA testing in March, Fai and Justin did not give theirs until early May. On 10 May 2006 police announced that the result was negative. A retest performed by Khunying Pornthip Rojanasunand drew the same conclusion. Even through he is not the child's father, the trial for the underage sex offense remained. The trial began on 13 February 2007 and the court decision was announced on 21 March 2007. He received two years of a suspended sentence and must produce two anti-drug songs as pledged by the singer in exchange for a light sentence.^[6][7]

See also[link]

• Thai rock
• String (Thai pop)

References[link]

• eotoday.com Big Ass profile
• News of Fai's story coming to light, Dax's arrest, DNA test result (Thai only), DNA retest result

1. ^ Kitchana Lersakvanitchakul, Indy music recognised, The Nation, March 25, 2003
2. ^ Pid Term Yai Hua Jai Wawun (Hormones) movie
3. ^ Fat Awards #2 results (Thai only)
4. ^ Fat Awards #3 results (Thai only)
5. ^ Season's Picks, Outlook, Bangkok Post, March 28, 2007 (Google cache)
6. ^ Details of case presentation and court decision (Thai only)
7. ^ Popular rocker given suspended jail term for having sex with underage girl^{[dead link]}

Magic Slim
Magic Slim at the 25th Annual Chicago Blues Festival
Background information
Birth name	Morris Holt
Also known as	Magic Slim
Born	(1937-08-07) August 7, 1937 (age 74) Grenada, Mississippi, United States
Genres	Blues
Instruments	Vocals, electric guitar
Years active	1955–present
Website	Official website

Magic Slim (born Morris Holt, August 7, 1937, Grenada, Mississippi) is an American blues singer and guitarist.^[1]

Biography[link]

Magic Slim was forced to give up playing the piano when he lost his little finger in a cotton gin mishap.^[2] He moved first to nearby Grenada.^[3] He first came to Chicago in 1955 with his friend and mentor Magic Sam. The elder Magic (Sam) let the younger Magic (Slim) play bass with his band, and gave him his nickname.^[2]

At first Slim was not rated very highly by his peers.^[4] He returned to Mississippi to work and got his younger brother Nick interested in playing bass. By 1965 he was back in Chicago and in 1970 Nick joined him in his group, the Teardrops.^[4] They played in the dim, smoke-filled juke joints popular in Chicago in the 1970s on bandstands barely large enough to hold the band.^[1]

Slim's recording career began in 1966, with the song "Scufflin'", followed by a number of singles into the mid 1970s. He recorded his first album in 1977, Born Under A Bad Sign, for the French MCM label. During the 1980s, Slim released titles on Alligator, Rooster Blues and Wolf Records and won his first W.C. Handy Award. In 1980 he recorded his cover version of "Mustang Sally".

In 1982 the guitarist John Primer joined the Teardrops and stayed and played for him for 13 years.^[4] Releases include Spider in My Stew on Wolf Records, and a 1996 Blind Pig release called Scufflin', which presented the post-Primer line-up with the new addition of the guitarist and singer Jake Dawson.^[4]

In 1994 Slim moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, where the Zoo Bar had been booking him for years.^[4] Slim is frequently accompanied by his son Shawn (Lil' Slim) Holt, an accomplished guitarist and singer.

In 2003 Magic Slim and the Teardrops won the W.C. Handy Award as 'Blues Band Of The Year' for the sixth time. They released a live performance on CD and DVD in August 2005, entitled Anything Can Happen.^[5]

Citation[link]

"Magic Slim consistently offers no-frills houserockin’ blues. He and his band are a national treasure." - Living Blues Magazine ^[6]

Magic Slim in 1980

Discography[link]

• 1977 : Born On a Bad Sign (MCM), reissue (Storyville)
• 1978 : Let Me Love You (MCM)
• 1978 : Highway is My Home (Black & Blue), reissue (Evidence)
• 1978 : Living Chicago Blues, Vol. 2 (Alligator)
• 1980 : Liv 'n Blue (Candy Apple CA)
• 1980 : In the Heart of the Blues (Isabel)
• 1980 : Doing Fine (Isabel)
• 1982 : Raw Magic (Alligator)
• 1982 : Essential Boogie (Rooster Blues)
• 1982 : Grand Slam (Rooster Blues)
• 1990 : Gravel Road (Blind Pig)
• 1992 : 44 Blues (Wolf Records) with John Primer and Bonnie Lee
• 1992 : Spider in My Stew (Wolf Records) with John Primer
• 1992 : Blues Behind Closed Doors (Wolf Records) with John Primer and Billy Branch
• 1993 : Magic Slim & The Teardrops (Wolf Records)
• 1994 : Chicago Blues Session, Vol. 10 (Wolf Records)
• 1994 : Don't Tell Me About Your Troubles (Wolf Records)
• 1995 : Zoo Bar Collection, Vol. 3 (Wolf Records)
• 1995 : Alone & Unplugged
• 1995 : Born On A Bad Sign
• 1996 : Scufflin' (Tone Zone Studios)
• 1997 : Let Me Love You
• 1998 : Zoo Bar Collection, Vol. 4: Spider in My Stew
• 1998 : See What You're Doin' to Me (Wolf Records)
• 1998 : Black Tornado (Blind Pig)
• 2000 : Snakebite (Blind Pig)
• 2000 : Chicago Blues Session, Vol. 18: Live on the Road (Wolf Records)
• 2002 : Blue Magic (Blind Pig)
• 2005 : Anything Can Happen (Blind Pig) (live album)
• 2006 : Tin Pan Alley (Wolf Records) (compilation album)
• 2006 : That Ain't Right (Delmark) Magic Slim & the Teardrops / Joe Carter with Sunnyland Slim - originally recorded in 1977
• 2007 : The Essential Magic Slim (Blind Pig)
• 2008 : Midnight Blues (Blind Pig) - produced by Nick Moss with special guests James Cotton, Elvin Bishop, Lil' Ed Williams, Lonnie Brooks, and Otis Clay
• 2009 : Rough Dried Woman (Wolf Records) (compilation album - 1986-1992)
• 2010: Raising The Bar

See also[link]

• List of blues musicians
• Chicago Blues Festival
• San Francisco Blues Festival
• Sweden Rock Festival
• Notodden Blues Festival
• List of stage names

References[link]

External links[link]

• Magic Slim's Myspace Page
• Official website
• Slim biography at blindpigrecords.com