Shortly after the first season was released, my friend turned me on to Black Sails, a dark drama centered on pirates seeking to establish their own independent rule in the Caribbean Seas. I was immediately hooked. One of the most memorable parts of the show is the intro, which showcases incredibly intricate carvings of skeletons and sailing ships sinking in black water while sinister yet jaunty theme music plays. This track features an instrument I had never heard of, but I have since discovered it is called a hurdy-gurdy — and no, that’s not a Leif Erikson Day greeting but a unique instrument that produces sound by a hand-cranked rosined wheel rubbing against strings.
I became very interested in the hurdy-gurdy and even did some research into how much one costs. Given my attraction to it, imagine my surprise and delight when I came across a character in The Minish Cap who not only appeared to carry a hurdy-gurdy but was in fact known as the Hurdy-Gurdy Man.
Hurdy-Gurdy Man first appears in Hyrule Town after Link obtains the Earth Element. Leading a parade of children with a hand-cranked, box-shaped object in his hands, Hurdy-Gurdy Man stops our hero and explains to him how Kinstone fusion works. He even gives Link a free Kinstone Bag to carry the various Kinstones found around Hyrule. Then, he helps Link to fuse his first Kinstone, revealing a secret in South Hyrule Field. His job done, Hurdy-Gurdy Man retreats to Mama’s Café for a well-deserved refreshment.
Inside the café, Hurdy-Gurdy Man continues to espouse the benefits of Kinstone fusion and offers Link hints to assist in his endeavors to fuse more. He lets Link know that the Oracles have arrived in town. He tells of Goron Cave and the mystery of fusing with the wall deep inside. He even suggests fusing Kinstones with a ghost. This guy really enjoys Kinstone fusion. Even when darkness falls on Hyrule, he realizes the importance of fusing Kinstones in bringing people together: “I suppose this is no time to be fusing Kinstone pieces, is it? Nonsense! Maybe we need it now more than ever before! Fusing Kinstone pieces can bring people happiness! This is the true motive for fusing, my friend! Not Rupees, but happiness!” Yes, Hurdy-Gurdy Man, we must persevere!
I was grateful for Hurdy-Gurdy Man’s advice and uplifting demeanor, but I have one major bone to pick. He never plays his instrument! You would think that someone who is known by the instrument he carries would at least play it every once in a while. It would have been a nice touch to have him play a hurdy-gurdy version of “Song of Storms,” given the similarity of the hand-crank to the contraption that Guru Guru carries in Ocarina of Time and other titles. Alas, a missed opportunity.
Even if we never actually hear him play the hurdy-gurdy, I will always imagine Hurdy-Gurdy Man playing the Black Sails theme as he traverses Hyrule Town or rests in the café. It gives the otherwise happy town a slightly darker, more pirate-esque feel in my mind.
