"Edward" and "Sven I Rosengard"- Taylor 1931 (Study of the Ballad)
[Footnotes moved to the end of each page - begins with Study of the Ballad section. I'll put more of this short book on later. Read Barry's review from BFSSNE 1933.
R. Matteson 2014]
THE STUDY OF THE BALLAD -3
OF THE ballad of "Edward," which Child rightly calls "one of the noblest and most sterling specimens of the popular ballad," not very much material is available. Traditional versions are so rare and have been recorded in such a state of corruption that no comparative study can attain to certainty regarding the important details of the story. Yet the situation is not entirely hopeless, for the number of versions, small as it is, is in fact much larger than appears from the standard reference works;[1] and the utter despair voiced by T. F. Henderson, who declared that the only traditional English version known to him was a vulgar debasement of Bishop Percy's text, is quite unjustifiable.[2] As a matter of fact, we have a sufficient stock of versions to warrant reasonable deductions.
So famous a ballad need not be retold in full. A mother catches sight of blood on her son's coat and asks him what it is. At first he evades giving a truthful answer, but ultimately
--------------------
Footnotes:
1 Very little which calls for notice has been written about "Edward." I take occasion to warn against an essay by Hugo von Meltzl "Eduard der schottischen Ballade Archetypon unter den Szoklern nebst Varianten verschiedener Nationen" Acta comparationis litt. unia. IV (Kolosvir, 1880-81). I have seen the reprint in 29 pages. In this essay "Lord Randal" (Child No. 12) and "Edward" are confused. See the headnotes in Child English and Scottish Popular Ballads I 167 ff. and Grundtvig Danmarks gamle Folkeviser VI 142 ff.; E. Schmidt "Edward" Forschungen zur neueren Literaturgeschichte; Festgabe F. R. Heinzel 1898) 29-30; Journal of American Folklore XXXIX 1916)
2. "Ballad in Literature (Cambridge 1922) 25. See Taylor "The Texts of 'Edward' in Percy's Reliques and Motherwell's Minstrelsy" Modern Language Notes XLV (1930) 125-27.
_____________________________
THE STUDY OF THE BALLAD- 4
confesses the murder of his brother. Then follows a series of questions as to what he will do with himself and what will become of his wife, children, and property. In two versions there is a concluding curse implicating the mother in the crime and in other, a series of stanzas in which the son declares he will return "when the sun and moon dance on the green and that will never be."
The most superficial examination of the versions of the ballad reveals the existence of two groups, the Scandinavian and the English. The differences which mark these groups are not entirely linguistic, but concern also the ballad's structure and spirit. Although the traits belonging to one group are not found in exactly the same form in the other, "the Scandinavian and the English ballads are evidently closely related and the possibility of independent origins need not be discussed.
In comparing these traits one after the other, we are forced to raise each time the question of development or corruption. When the differences are recognized, we can often discover a reason for their existence and can see in which direction change has taken place. After the thorough examination of the ballad has been completed, we may venture to compare as wholes the different types into which the ballad falls. It is not safe or wise to undertake at the beginning such a comparison of the types, since at that stage we shall find it difficult to separate details from matters of greater importance. When the details have been dispose of in this fashion, a later summarizing discussion can refer to the previous examination of details and the result
gained by it. A final word of explanation regarding the examination of details is appropriate. Each trait is taken up and its variations tabulated. Usually one variation will have impressed itself upon us during the process of tabulation, and we may have acquired some more or less well
___________________________________________
THE STUDY OF THE BALLAD- 5
founded notion regarding it. This particular variation or one chosen at random, serves as a starting point, and I've attempt to arrange all other forms of the traits as its derivatives or, conversely, we seek to show that it is a corruption. If our decision has been at fault we are soon led to correct the error by discovering that the evidence does not agree with our hypothesis.
A characteristic difference between the Scandinavian and the English traditions appears in the introduction to the ballad. This difference is concerned with matters essential to ballad style, and we shall invoke important general stylistic considerations in discovering the relation of the Scandinavian and English poems. The Danish ballad begins:
GD A 1 Hvor har du varet saa laenge?
Svend i Rosensaard!
Og jeg har vaeret i Enge,
kare Moder vor!
I vente mig sent eller aldrig![1]
The Norwegian version preserves the rhyme, but is obviously a corruption of the Danish text:
GN 1. Hor hev du vori saa lengiel
I Svenn i Rosensgaar!
I enge hos drenge,
kjaer moder vaar;
du venter mig sent eller aldrig!
The phrase "hos drenge" has been added to fill out the line. The Swedish version, have no rhyme, e.g.:
GS C 1 Hvar har du varit sä länge?
Jag har varit i stallet.[2]
---------------------
1. All references to texts are made i' this manner. The abbreviations are explained in the list of reprinted texts. The defective texts that begin at a later point are not to be taken seriously; see GD B; GS L, M; GSF F.
2. Cf. GS B 1, C 1, D r, E 1, F 1, G 1, H 1, J r,K r.tN r;GSFA r,B r,D
r, 'E r., fH r, J r. Evidentlly defective or. corrpu.rr;ons *hi.h p.r,iit'uI
:?t]i:r f:rT to be recognized are marked *;tt *n o["tr.. l..or comment on GSF
.F1 r see below, p. 12 n. 2.
________________________________
THE STUDY OF THE BALLAD- 6
A substitution which is found only in Finland replaces the stable by the lake shore:
GSF G 1 Vatt haver du varit sä länge?
Jag har varit vid sjoastrand.[1]
In the absence of any parallel to this scene outside of Finland we may feel little hesitation in rejecting it. No significance appears to attach to the similarity between Finnish and Danish or English tradition in that the murder takes place out of doors.
In the English ballads the abrupt introduction differs strikingly from what we have seen hitherto:
GE A 1 What bluid's that on thy coat lap,
Son Davie, son Davie.,
What bluid's that on thy coat lap?
And the truth come tell to me.[2]
All the English versions begin with this stanza or some obvious modification of it. On the whole the Scandinavian
introduction seems probably more original; at least its leisureliness is in keeping with ballad style. yet it must
remain doubtful whether the actual words of the Dano-Norwegian tradition are original, inasmuch as they exhibit a striking resemblance to the beginning "Den forgivne Datter," the Danish version of Lord Randal in which ballad this beginning is known all over Western Europe:
Hvor har du verct saa leange?
Elselille, krr Datter min,
Og jeg har vaeret i Enge,
Moder min,
Jeg har saa ondr, jeg har saa ondt for Hjertet mit.
This. striking resemblance raises at once the question whether the stanza is to be assigned to "Edward" or to
-------------------
1 FFA 1, B 1, C 1, D 1; GSF C 1, G 1.
2 From this point on refrains are ordinarily omitted in quotations.
3 Danmarks gamle Folkeviser No. 341.
4 Child No. 12.
_____________________________________
THE STUDY OF THE BALLAD- 7
"Lord Randal" and the tenacity with which the "Lord Randal" ballads cling to the stanza makes it certain that the stanza belongs to "Lord, Randal." Another fact should arouse our suspicion: with few and readily explicable exceptions, this is the only rhyming stanza in the Scandinavian texts of our ballad. While its conceivable, but highly improbable, that the rhymes in the remaining "run u"frui- been lost, the evidence seems to indicate that the introductory stanza to "Sven i Rosengard" has been taken over
from another ballad.
I cannot, however, bring myself to a complete and unconditional rejection of this introductory "tuiu. Although the Scandinavian introduction appears to be borrowed, it may nevertheless be a surrogate for the original introduction. Consequently the Scandinavian tradition in general might represent the original ballad more faithfully than does the English, for the Scandinavian ballad has an introduction- although probably not the true one and the English has none. Let us set the typical English and Scandinavian texts side by side and ."u-in. -Jr. closely this possible contamination with "Lord Randal" and the general treatment of the narrative. As examples I select GE A and GS C; since these,long and full texts display the differences in narrative techni{ue to excellent uduuitug",
GE A GS C
1 Hvar har du varit sfl, lange?
Jag har varit i stallet.
2 Hvad har du gjort i stallet?
Jag har vattat falarna.
1 What bluid's that on thy coat lap? 3 Hvi ir din fot sfl, blodigl
Svarta falan trampa, mig.
2 It is the bluid of my great hawk.
3 Hawk's bluid was neer sae red.
___________________________________________
THE STUDY OF THE BALLAD- 8
4 It is the bluid of my greyhound.
5 Hound's bluid was neer sae red.
6 It is the bluid o my brither John. 4 Hvi ar ditt svird sfl, blodigt I
Jag har slagit min broder.
The English versions spring at once into the turmoil of
tragedy, whiie the Scandinavian versions begin in a state
of rest and gradually lead up to the disclosure. A similar
difference in the story's development is seen in two ver-
sions of "Lord Randal."
AC
r O where ha you been, Lord
Randal, my son I
And where ha you been, my
handsome young man I
I ha been at the greenwood;
mother, mak my bed soon,
For I'm wearied wi hunting,
and fain wad lie down.
z An wha met ye there, Lord
Randal, my son?
O I met wi my true-love.
3 And what did she give youl
Eels fried in a pan.
4 And wira gat your leavinsi
My hawks and my hounds.
5 And what becam of them I
They stretched their legs out
an died.
r What's become of your hounds,
King Henrie, my sonl
They all died on the way
c What gat ye ro your supper?
I gat fish boiled in broo.
A survey of the texts shows readily enough that the in-
troduction in A is original, while the abrupt beginning of
C is a secondary deveiopment. We note that the static be-
ginning is felt to be a necessity, for C provides such a be-
ginning by interchanging the order of the stanzas. The sit-
uation provides an illustration of Oirik's Indledningsloa,
i.e., of the principie that folk narrative begins wilh a
_____________________________
THE STUDY OF THE BALLAD- 9
situation in a state of calm and develops it into a state of
conflict.' Returning now to the consideration of "Ed-
$-ard," we are more inclined to grant that the form of the
Scandinavian ballad is original-whether the details be old
or not-while the English baliad has been truncated.
The reader can justly ask what has been gained by the
preceding analysis and comparison. The answer is that we
have now formed an opinion which further evidence may
support and confirm: that the Scandinavian ttadition rep-
resents an old stage in the history of "Edward." We have
also observed that the Scandinavian tradition in its present
form has been much altered. Merely as a matter of theoret-
ical interest) we can remember that one of the arguments
used was derived from the structural and aesthetic prin-
ciples of Axel Olrik. We are not restricted to purely nu-
merical calculations in our study.
When we take the next step in our comparison a difficult
question confronts us, and a question which must be an-
swered by means entirely different from those which we
have just employed. In Swedish and Finnish tradition the
second sta.nza often contains a question which follows
logically on the mention of the horse-stable in the first
stanza and which indeed takes up the word itself, e.g.:
GSF A z Vad haver du gjort i stallet sfl, linge?
Jag haver skrapat blacken.
The English tradition, which begins at a \ater point in the
story, knows nothing of this question. Th Dano-Norwe-
gian tradition is equally ignorant, since i., oo, leaps at
once from describing the scene to revealing the tragedy.
Consequently if we accept this detail we must rely on
1. Nogle Grundsatninger /or Sagnforskning ("Danmarks Folkemindet" ICopen-
hagen rgzIl XXIII) 77 $76.
_______________________________________________
THE STUDY OF THE BALLAD- 10
Swedish and Finnish tradition, where, however, the evidence is not unambiguous. Here we have to discuss two
possibilities: either a detail is lost in transmission or it has developed and has found a place in the ballad as an ele_
ment which alater singer has felt to be essential. If we can find that the detail under discussion is, notwithstanding a
superficial relevancy, imperfectly fitted into the ballad,-we shall have explained the development. If we fail in such an
endeavor, we must conclude that the detail is properly a part of the ballad. The imperfection -ay sho* iis.lf i,.,
Tuly ways-stylistic, verbal, and logical. trn looking for the imperfection we may become convinced urrd ma1ifi.rd
arguments to prove that after all no imperfection exists
and that consequentiy the ballads lacking rhis detail are
defective. Our examination must be carried on with an
open mind) ever ready to discard a hypothesis for the
direct- opposite. Of course it is rendered- simpler by the
fact that only two possibilities 'eed. be considlred-there
are only two horns to the dilemma. Before coming to a
decision let us set rhe two scandinavian forms in pa-rallel:
GDAT GSF
r Hvor har du veret saa langel l{var har du vatt s[ ldngel
Og jeg har veret i Enge. - Jug har vatt i staller.
z Hvad har du gjort i stalletl
Jag har ryktat hdsten.
' ilt ni;"r'*"J[ t'.""l,i';,.
z HvorforerditSverdsa-ablodigtr 4 Hur dr ditt svard s& blodigtr
For jeg har drebt min Broder. J"B.*::. stuckit ihjet ;in
The essentiai difference between these two forms lies in the
second and third stanzas of the Swedish text, which have
no correspondences in the Danish tradition. The following
___________________________________