Toward the Indexing of Ballad Texts
by George List
The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 81, No. 319 (Jan. - Mar., 1968), pp. 44-61
[Not edited; Since Child 4 is a focus the article is included here.]
Toward the Indexing of Ballad Texts
THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE is to suggest methods that may be applied to the classification or cataloguing of ballad texts. The cataloguing, classification, or indexing- as is preferred-of materials of any type is a necessary preliminary to comparative studies. In folklore it forms a basis for studies concerning origins, stylistic characteristics and processes of change.
The suggestions to be offered here concern the indexing of ballad texts by means of the dramatic-narrative elements found in them. This is not a novel approach. Child,[1]Coffin,[2] and Laws[3] have utilized this element in their classification of the Anglo-American ballad but its use has not always been consistent nor has it been the sole element upon which classification has been based.
Wilgus has suggested the utility of this approach4a nd has offered "an extremely simple and simplified entry" for such a system:[5]
No. 28. Lover stolen from family in a skirmish
28.1 "Earl Brand" (Child 7)
28.2 "Erlington" (Child 8)
28.3 "The Lady and the Dragoon" (including Laws M 27)
28.4 "New River Shore" (Laws M 26)
28.5 "The Constant Wife"
28.5. I"Locks and Bolts" (Laws M 13)
It can be seen from the above that the dramatic-narrative element does not play a consistent part in Child's method since "Earl Brand," "Erlington," and "The Lady and the Dragoon" (Child Appendix 7) display almost identical plots. The method of indexing outlined here is based upon dramatic-narrative elements only and, like that suggested by Wilgus, ignores the classification of ballad texts as "Child" or "non-Child." The greater portion of the ballad texts cited have been transcribed by the author from recordings on deposit in the Indiana University Archives of Traditional Music.[6] The provenience of each is given at the end of the article. The remainder of the texts cited are taken from Child and Bronson.[7]
The following two ballad texts will serve as an initial basis for the discussion.
ATM II
1. "He followed me up and he followed me around
And he followed me around all day.
I had not power to speak a word,
Nor tongue to answer nay, O, nay,
Nor tongue to answer nay."
2. "Go bring me some of your father's gold
And some of your mother's fee
And I'll take you to the salt sea sands,
And there we'll marry at sea, O, sea,
And there we'll marry at sea."
3. She mounted upon a milk white steed
And he the iron gray,
And they rode till they came to the salt sea sands,
Three hours before 'twas day, O, day,
Three hours before 'twas day.
4. "Alight, alight, my pretty Polly Ann,
Alight, alight," said he,
"For six king's daughters have I drownded here
And the seventh one you shall be, O, be,
And the seventh one you shall be."
5. "Take off, take off those fine, fine clothes
And lay them on this rock,
For they are too fine and costelly
To lie in the sea and rot, O rot,
To lay in the sea and rot."
6. "It's turn your face three times around,
Your back to the leaves on the tree."
Then she picked him up most manfully
And plunged him into the sea, O, sea,
And plunged him into the sea.
7. "Help me out, help me out, my pretty Polly Ann,
Help me out, help me out," said he,
"And we will go to the next sea sands,
And there we'll marry at sea, O, sea,
And there we'll marry at sea."
8. "Lie there, lie there, you false-hearted one,
Lie there instead of me.
If six king's daughters you have drownded here
The seventh one you shall be, O, be,
The seventh one you shall be."
9. She mounted up on her milk white steed,
And led the iron gray,
And she rode till she came to her own father's door
Three hours before it was day, 0, day,
Three hours before 'twas day.
10. "Hush up, hush up, my pretty parrot,
Don't tell no tales on me.
Your cage shall be lined with beads of gold
And hung on a willow tree, 0, tree,
And hung on a willow tree."
ATM V
1. "Now it was over False Knight who came from Northland,
He came a-courting me.
He promised to take me down to that Northland
And there his bride might be."
2. "So come give me some of your mother's gold
And some of your father's fee,
And two of the best of this out of her stable
Where stand by thirty and three."
3. So she mounted her ... on her milk white steed
And he on his dapple and gray,
And away they did ride to the great waterside
So early before it was day.
4. "Jump you off, jump you off that milk white steed
And deliver it here to me.
For six pretty, fair maids I have drownded in here
And the seventh one you shall be."
5. "And take off, take off that silken gown
And lie it upon yon stone,
For I think it's too rich and I think it's too rare
To rot all in the salt sea."
6. "Then if I must take off my silken gown
Then turn your back upon me,
For I don't think it fit that a villain like you
A naked woman should see."
7. Then she gave him a push and a hearty push
And she pushed that False Knight in,
Crying, "Lie in there, you false-hearted knight,
Lie there instead of me,
For if six pretty, fair maids you have drownded in here,
The seventh one has drownded you."
This narrative is known to students of the ballad as the Child ballad No. 4, "Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight." Ballad scholars accept this nomenclature although neither Lady Isabel nor the murderously inclined Elf Knight appears in the narrative of the overwhelming majority of ballads exhibiting this particular plot. "Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight" is the title of the first variant printed by Child under his fourth number and he gives this generic title to all ballad texts listed under this number. This title has therefore fallen also upon many supposed descendants who may possibly be unrelated.
The ballad has been much studied. Not only have the variants in English been the subject of analysis but also ballads with similar plots in other areas of Western Europe. Nygard, in particular, has written both an article[8] and a monograph[9] concerning the texts of this ballad as it is found in Western Europe. Nygard defines the ballad by its plot, which may be described pithily as "maid outwits murderer."
In his analysis of fourteen variants from England and Scotland, Nygard finds that the combined narratives fall into fourteen "stages."[10]
Nygard's Stages
I. Expository opening
2. The courtship
3. The solicitation
4. The maid's reply to the solicitation
5. Preparation for flight
6. The flight
7. The villain's announcement of his intentions and the maid's reply
8. The order to undress
9. The maid's ruse
o. The success of the ruse and the villain's pleas
i i. The maid's taunt
12. The return home
I 3. The parrot and the father
I4. An additional close
I suggestt he following alternative analysis:
Alternative Dramatic Analysis
i. Exposition
2. Episode
3. Development, crisis, and solution
4. Episode
5. Secondary crisis and solution
The divisions suggestedi n the alternativea nalysisa re derivedt o some extent from concepts applied by the French classical dramatists. Those portions of the texts of ATM II and V which are considered to represent Exposition in the alternative
analysis are given below:
ATM II
1. "He followed me up and he followed me around
And he followed me around all day.
I had not power to speak a word,
Nor tongue to answer nay, O, nay,
Nor tongue to answer nay."
2. "Go bring me some of your father's gold
And some of your mother's fee
And I'll take you to the salt sea sands,
And there we'll marry at sea, 0, sea,
And there we'll marry at sea."
ATM V
1. "Now it was over False Knight who came from Northland
He came a-courting me.
He promisedt o takem e down to that N orthland
And there his bride might be."
2. "So come give me some of your mother's gold
And some of your father's fee,
And two of the best of this out of her stable
Where stand by thirty and three."
Nygard's first stage, Expository opening, which seems to be characteristic of broadside variants, is found in neither ATM II nor V. This stage may be found in the following variant.
Bronson 1. Come listen, come listen, my good people all;
No. 4, Come listen awhile unto me,
Var. 138
Of the false-hearted knight and the little Golden,
The truth unto you I will sing, sing, sing;
The truth unto you I will sing.
In ATM II the first stanza represents Courtship, the second stanza combines Solicitation and Preparation for flight, but in reverseo rder. In ATM V the first stanza represents Nygard's stages, Courtship and Solicitation. Stanza 2 is his Preparation for flight. His stage, The maid's reply, is presenti n neither variant.
Her assent is apparently taken for granted. Were maids always sensible there
would be few ballads. In the alternativea nalysisa ll these stagesa re containedi n
Exposition.T he Expositioni s preparatoryto and sets the stage for the basicp lot
elements which follow. The entire Exposition may be, and often is, omitted without
materiallyd amagingt he narrative.
The first Episode of the alternative analysis follows:
ATM II
3. She mounted upon a milk white steed
And he the iron gray,
And they rode till they came to the salt sea sands
Three hours before 'twas day, 0, day,
Three hours before 'twas day.
ATM V
3. So she mounted her ... on her milk white steed
And he on his dapple and gray,
And away they did ride to the great waterside
So early before it was day.
In both ATM II and V this stanzar epresentsN ygard'sT he flight. This episode
maya lso be omittedw ithoutd estroyingt he narrative.
The stanzas which make up the Development, crisis, and solution of the alternative
analysis follow:
ATM II 4. "Alight, alight, my pretty Polly Ann,
Alight, alight," said he.
"For six king's daughters have I drownded here
And the seventh one you shall be, O, be,
And the seventh one you shall be."
5. "Take off, take off those fine, fine clothes
And lay them on this rock,
For they are too fine and costelly
To lie in the sea and rot, 0, rot,
To lay in the sea and rot."
6. "It's turn your face three times around,
Your back to the leaves on the tree."
Then she picked him up most manfully
And plunged him into the sea, 0, sea,
And plunged him into the sea.
48 GEORGE LIST
TOWARD THE INDEXING OF BALLAD TEXTS
7. "Help me out, help me out, my pretty Polly Ann,
Help me out, help me out," said he.
"And we will go to the next sea sands,
And there we'll marry at sea, 0, sea,
And there we'll marry at sea."
8. "Lie there, lie there, you false-hearted one,
Lie there instead of me.
If six king's daughters you have drownded here
The seventh one you shall be, O, be,
The seventh one you shall be."
ATM V 4. "Jump you off, jump you off that milk white steed
And deliver it here to me.
For six pretty, fair maids I have drownded in here
And the seventh one you shall be."
5. "And take off, take off that silken gown
And lie it upon yon stone,
For I think it's too rich and I think it's too rare
To rot all in the salt sea."
6. "Then if I must take off my silken gown
Then turn your back upon me,
For I don't think it fit that a villain like you
A naked woman should see."
7. Then she gave him a push and a hearty push
And she pushed that False Knight in,
Crying, "Lie in there you false-hearted knight,
Lie in there instead of me,
For if six pretty, fair maids you have drownded in here,
The seventh one has drownded you."
The above is the drama proper without which the point of the story is lost. The
action begins with Nygard's The villain's announcement of his intentions, the
first part of his stage 7. This is found in stanza 4 of both variants. There is no
Maid's reply, the second part of Nygard's stage 7, in either variant. A response
of this type is found in the following.
Bronson 6. "Some pity, some pity, my own true love,
No. 4, Some pity show unto me,
Var. 13 For of all the gold that I ever gave to thee,
I will double it over three."
Nygard's stages 8 through 1 are combined in ATM II in four stanzas, in ATM
V in three.
The second Episode and the Secondary crisis and solution of the alternative
analysis are found in ATM II only.
ATM II 9. She mounted up on her milk white steed,
And led the iron gray,
And she rode till she came to her own father's door
Three hours before it was day, 0, day,
Three hours before 'twas day.
49
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io. "Hush up, hush up, my pretty parrot,
Don't tell no tales on me.
Your cage shall be lined with beads of gold
And hung on a willow tree, 0, tree,
And hung on a willow tree."
Compared to versions of the last incident found in fuller variants, that found
in ATM II is rather short. The following is a five-stanza version of this secondary
plot.
Bronson 14. The parrot being in the window so high,
No. 4, Hearing the lady, did say;
Var. 29 "I'm afraid that some ruffian has led you astray,
That you've tarried so long away."
I5. "Don't prittle or prattle, my pretty parrot,
Nor tell no tales of me;
Thy cage shall be made of the glittering gold,
Although it is made of a tree."
i6. The king being in the chamber so high,
And hearing the parrot, did say:
"What ails you, what ails you, my pretty parrot,
That you prattle so long before day."
17. "It's no laughing matter," the parrot did say;
"But so loudly I call unto thee,
For the cats have got into the window so high,
And I'm afraid they will have me."
i8. "Well turned, well turned, my pretty parrot,
Well turned, well turned for me;
Thy cage shall be made of the glittering gold,
And the door of the best ivory."
The added close, Nygard's stage 14, involving retribution, is found infrequently.
It comprises an additional secondary plot.
Collectors recording ballads frequently secure versions that are shorter than
the variants printed in Child or those used by Nygard in his analysis. Child and
Nygard utilize manuscript or published sources. This analysis is primarily concerned
with sources in the form of recorded sound. Given below is an analysis
of eleven recorded variants of the ballad which are on deposit in the Indiana
University Archives of Traditional Music. Nos. II and V have already been given
in full.
The table gives the total number of stanzas found in each variant and the number
of stanzas of each variant which falls in each of the five indicated sections of
the narrative. The sections are those given in the alternative analysis. In these variants,
and in others, the amount of material contained in each section of the narrative
varies, although the episodes relating the journey to and from the sea seem to
consist of one stanza only. The incidents found within each section of the plot
(Nygard's stages) may occur in transposed order but very rarely is the order of
the sections reversed.
It will be noted that the third section, Development, crisis, and solution, is repre-
50 GEORGE LIST
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TOWARD THE INDEXING OF BALLAD TEXTS
Analysis of Recorded Variants on Deposit
in the IndianaU niversityA rchiveso f TraditionaMl usic
ATM
VARIANT
NO. NUMBER OF STANZAS IN EACH SECTION TOTALS
Exposition Episode Dev., Crisis, Sol. Episode Sec. Cr., Sol.
I 3 I 5 I 2 12
II 2 I 5 I I Io
III 3 I 4 I I Io
IV 2 I 4 I 2 o1
V 2 I 4 7
VI 6 6
VII 4 I I 6
VIII 5 5
IX 3 3
X I I 2
XI I I
Totals 12 5 42 5 8 72
sented in all eleven variants found in the table. In each of the variants but one the
Development, crisis, and solution section contains more stanzas than any of the
other four sections. When the ballad is reduced in length some part of this central
section, of this gist of the plot, always remains. The one stanza of ATM XI, for
example, consists of Nygard's The order to undress.
ATM XI i. "Take off, take off, your silken gown,
Deliver them unto me.
For six pretty maids I've drownded here
And seventh one you shall be."
ATM X containsT he maid'st aunta nda stanzaf rom the secondaryp lot.
ATM X i. "Lie there, lie there, you false-hearted one,
Lie there instead of me,
For if six pretty maids you've drownded here
While the seventh one drownded thee."
2. "Now hold your tongue, my pretty parrot,
And tell no tales on me,
And your cage shall be made of very best of gold
And the door of the best ivory."
ATM VII begins with The villain'sa nnouncemenot f his intentions.T his is all
the informantc an remembera t the moment.
ATM VII i. "Get off, get off, I say,
Get off, get off, I say,
For six pretty fair maidens I've drownded here
And the seventh one you shall be."
ATM IX presentsi n confusedo rderf irst The maid'st aunt,N ygard'ss tage i , which is followed by an incompletes tanzar epresentingt he second part of stage
51
Io, The villain's pleas. The informant then stops, begins again, and sings two
stanzas. The first represents the first part of Nygard's stage 7, The villain's announcement
of his intentions, the second is a completion of the second stanza previously
sung.
ATM IX i. "Lie there, lie you there,
Lie you there you false-hearted young man,
Lie there, lie there," cried she.
"If it's six pretty fair maids you've drownded here
Lie there in the place of me, of me,
Lie there in the place of me."
2. He splashed and dashed from side to side,
"O, give me your hand," cried he.
"If six pretty fair maids I've drownded here
I'll wed ...."
(pause)
2. "Your silken robe you must take off,
Deliver it unto me.
It's far too costly a thing...
To rot in the salt, salt sea."
(pause)
4. (2.) He splashed and dashed from side to side.
"O, give me your hand," cried he.
"If six pretty fair maids I've drownded here
I'll wed with none but thee."
ATM VI begins with The villain'sa nnouncemenot f his intentionsa nd moves
in logical order through The maid's taunt. The informant's diction is not of the
best.
ATM VI i. "Let's go down, little, pretty Polly,
Come get you down from here,
For six pretty fair maids have I drownded here
And the seventh you shall be, shall be,
And the seventh you shall be."
2. "And get you down, you pretty Polly,
And... of thee,
For... are too fine and too costly
For to rot in the salt sea, the sea,
For to rot in the salt sea."
3. "Now turn your back around to me
And view the leaves upon the tree,
For I don't ... to a villain as you
A naked woman should see, should see,
A naked woman should see."
4. He turned his back... to her
And viewed the leaves upon the tree,
Then she picked up ...
And ... him into the sea, the sea,
And she ... him into the sea.
52 GEORGE LIST
TOWARD THE INDEXING OF BALLAD TEXTS
5. "0, pull me out, you pretty Polly,
Come pull me out," said he.
"O, no, I won't... you,
6. "Just lay there, lay there, you false-hearted villain
.. 'feared of me,
For if six pretty fair maids that you drownded here
And the seventh you shall be, shall be,
And the seventh you shall be."
After singing the informant comments, "I can't have ... that's all I know of it."
What he does "know" is the entire Development, crisis, and solution in approximately
the same form as that found in ATM II and V.
ATM VIII begins with The order to undress and likewise ends with The maid's
taunt.
ATM VIII i. "Pull off, pull off, that costly gown
And hang it on yonder tree
For it is too costly [to]
Lie moldering in the sea."
2. "Turn yourself around and about
And view the green leaves on the tree,
While I pull off my costly gown
And hang it on yonder tree."
3. He turned himself around and about
To view the green leaves on the tree.
She picked him up so manfully
And plunged him into the sea.
4. "O, help me out, you pretty, fair maid,
O help me out," said he.
"And all the ... I've made to you
I'll double them unto thee."
5. "Lie there, lie there, you ugly scamp,
Lie there, lie there," said she.
"If six king's daughters you've drownded here
And ... you shall be."
It is rare, indeed, that an informant offers a variant which includes all fourteen
of Nygard's stages as well as all elements of each stage. Nor will the informant
necessarily remember material from all five sections listed in the alternative analysis.
But all of the renditions analyzed include at least part of the Development,
crisis, and solution. In four cases, ATM VI, VIII, IX, and XI, elements from no
other sections are found in the rendition. When the rendition contains only a small
number of stanzas, as in IX, or one stanza only, as in XI, the stanzas performed
represent part of this section and are sufficiently characteristic to identify the incomplete
text as that of this particular ballad and no other. In ATM X the informant
remembers one stanza each from the Development, crisis, and solution
and the Secondary crisis and solution, offering further evidence that it is the critical
dramatic-narrative elements of the ballad that are retained in the singer's memory.
53
It therefore follows that it is the Development, crisis, and solution section of the
ballad, this core element, this gist of the plot, which should be employed as the
primaryb asis for classificationo f balladsa nd for classificationo f variantso f the
same ballad.M aterialsf ound in the sectionso ccurringb efore or after this central
kernel of the plot generally show less stability. For example, the opening of
Bronson No. 4, Variant 90, "Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight," is similar to the
beginning of Child 105, "The Bailiff's Daughter of Islington."
Bronson I. 'Twas of a youth and a well-beloved youth
No. 4 'Twas of a squier's son,
Var. 90 He courted a bailiff's daughter so fair,
And she was an English one.
Child I. There was a youth, and a well belovd youth,
No. 105 And he was a esquire's son,
He loved the bayliff's daughter dear,
That lived in Islington.
The close of Child 73, Variant A, "Lord Thomas and Fair Annet," in which a
rose grows from one grave and a briar from the other, is also found as the close in
Child 84, VariantB , "BonnyB arbaraA llen."
Child 29. Lord Thomas was buried without kirk-wa,
No. 73, Fair Annet within the quiere,
Var. A And o the tane thair grew a birk,
The other a bonny briere.
30. And ay they grew, and ay they threw,
As they was faine be neare;
And by this ye may ken right well
They were twa luvers deare.
Child ii. On the one was buried a red rose bud,
No. 84 On the other, a sweet brier;
Var. B And they grew and they grew to the church-steeple top,
Till they could grow no higher.
There they twined in a true-lover's knot,
For all true lovers to admire.
These dramatic-narrativelee mentsn ot found in the plot gist shouldm ore sensibly
be classified as motives, as unstable motives that float from ballad to ballad, and
shouldp lay no parti n the primaryc lassificationof the balladt exts.
In establishing the plot gist, the ballad plot under discussion might be labeled
for the long, "Maido utwitsm urdererw ho plansh er deatha nd causesh is deathi n
turn,"f or the short, "Maido utwitsm urderer."O nly variantsc ontainingt his primary
plot as their focal point would be so designated and would be indexed under
whatever number this plot gist may be given. This basic plot would be further indexed
according to the type of death planned by the villain for the maid and according
to the type of ruse she employs to turn the tables on him. The latter are
what might be describeda s "dramatimc echanisms"a nd arec ommoni n dramaa nd
narrativeT. his suggestedc lassificationsy stem,a s appliedt o this particularb allad,
is given below.
54 GEORGE LIST
TOWARD THE INDEXING OF BALLAD TEXTS
SuggestedC lassificationS ystem
Keys:A rabicn umerals = Numbero f balladp lot
Capitalle tters = Methodo f Murder
Lower case letters = The maid's ruse
4. Maido utwitsm urderewr hop lansh erd eatha ndc ausesh is deathi n turn.
A: Them aidi s drownedb yb eingt hrownin toa bodyo f water.
a: The villain is asked to turn his back so that he will not see the maid naked.
b: The villaini s askedt o removen ettleso r briarsn eart he brinks o thatt hese
mayn ott anglet hem aid'sh air.
A1:T he maidi s drownedb y beingg raduallyfo rcedt o wadei ntow atero verh er
head.
a: She asks for a last kiss, the villain leans down from his horse, she drags
him in, drownsh im, and escapesb y swimmingo r by holdingo n to the
horse's tail.
B: The maid is given her choice of the means of her death and chooses the
sword.
a: She suggestst hatt he villainr emoveh is cloaks incea maid'sb loods purts
far. As he does so she gains his sword and cuts off his head.
C: Them aidi s to be buriedin a gravew hicht hev illaind igs.
a: Shea skst hev illaint o layh is heado n herl ap so thats hem ayd elouseh im.
Shep utsh imt o sleep,b indsh im,w akesa ndd ispatchehsi m.
D: The maid is to be hanged.
a: She asksf or threec riesw hicha reg rantedO. ne is directedto Jesus,o ne
to Mary,a ndt he thirdt o herb rotherw ho hearsa nds avesh er,k illingt he
villain.
MethodA representsth e English,S cotch,a nd Americant radition.A ccordingt o
Nygard,11it representst he Frencht raditiona s well. A1 is the method of contemplated
murder employed in Child's Variant B. Nygard believes this variant was
probablyc omposedb y Buchan.1H2 owever,t his variantp ossiblye nteredo ralt radition
in England. Bronson's Variant I20 is similar. Unfortunately, the stanza or
stanzas containing The maid's ruse are not present and we can only surmise that
the plot follows that of Child Variant B.
Method B represents the tradition of the Low Countries, again according to
Nygard.13 Child's Variant A, the only variant with the dramatis personae of the
original title, "Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight," is closely related in method of
murder to this tradition. However, the evidence suggests that Child Variant A
was nevera ctuallyf ound in oralt radition.'4
Method C representst he Danish tradition,M ethod D the High Germant radition.
It will be seen in the lattert hat the maid does not accomplisht he destruction
of the villain by her own hand but through the agency of her brother.
The East Germant radition,m entionedb y Child15a nd Nygard,l6i n which the
villain accomplishesh is purposeo f hangingt he maid, the crimet hen avengedb y her brother,i s not acceptableI. t is not consonantw ith the plot gist as stated,s ince
the maid does not indeed outwit the murderer.
Should this ballad be numbered 4 in our primary cassification-it is No. 4 in
Child-ATM Variants I through VIII inclusive would be indexed as 4Aa. The
55
incomplete variants ATM IX through XI can be indexed as 4Aa by implication
since all three contain Nygard's stage 8, The order to undress. The fourteen variants
from England and Scotland analyzed by Nygard would be indexed either as
4Aa or 4Ab, depending upon the ruse employed by the maid. The system is openended
and further subdivisions may be added should ballads displaying other
means of intended murder by the villain or differing ruses employed by the maid
be found.
Applying the same method of analysis to "Lord Thomas and Fair Annet (Eleanor)"
(Child 73), the gist of the plot might be given as "Plain bride kills fair
rival. The groom then kills the bride and himself." In the following variant the
plot gist is found in stanzas I3 through 17, occupying five stanzas of the total of
eighteen.
ATM XII i. ...he was a bold for'ster,
A treasur' of the King's deer.
Fair Eleanor was a fine young lady,
Lord Thomas he loved her dear, 0, dear,
Lord Thomas he loved her dear.
2. "O mother, dear mother, come read my riddle
And riddle it all in one,
Whether I shall marry fair Eleanor
Or bring the brown girl home, 0, home,
Or bring the brown girl home."
3. "The brown girl she has money plenty,
Fair Eleanor has none.
Therefore I charge thee with my blessing
To bring the brown girl home, 0, home,
To bring the brown girl home."
4. He rode till he came to fair Eleanor's bower
And rassled at the ring,
And who was there so ready as she
To rise and let him in, O, in,
To rise and let him in?
5. "What news, what news, Lord Thomas," she said,
"What news have you brung to me?"
"Sad news, for I've come to invite you to
My wedding dinner this day, O, day,
My wedding dinner this day."
6. "O God forbid, Lord Thomas," she said,
"That any such thing should be,
For I'd hoped on being the bride myself
And nought to [thought you] the bridegroom might be, might be,
And thou the bridegroom might be."
7. "O mother, dear mother, come riddle my riddle
And riddle it all in one,
Whether I should go to Lord Thomas's wedding
Or whether I'll tarry at home, 0, home,
Or whether I'll tarry at home."
8. "My daughter, we have many friends
And we have many foes,
Therefore I charge thee with my blessing
56 GEORGE LIST
TOWARD THE INDEXING OF BALLAD TEXTS
To Lord Thomas's wedding don't go, don't go,
To Lord Thomas's wedding don't go."
9. "I know that we have many friends
And we have many foes,
But death betide me I'll life betide,
To Lord Thomas's wedding, I'll go, I'll go,
To Lord Thomas's wedding I'll go."
io. She dressed herself in scarlet red,
Put on the robes of green,
And ev'ry city that she passed through
She was taken to be some queen, O, queen,
She was taken to be some queen.
ii. She rode till she came to Lord Thomas's bower
And rassled on the ring,
And none was there so ready as he
To rise and let her in, O, in,
To rise and let her in.
I2. He took her by the lily white hand
And led her through the hall
And seated her at the head of the table
Among the ladies all.
Plot Gist
13. "Is this your bride, Lord Thomas?" she said,
"Methinks she looks wondrous brown,
When once you could marry as fair young lady
As ever the sun shone round, 0, round,
As ever the sun shone round."
I4. The brown girl she had a little pen knife,
The blade both keen and sharp,
Betwixt the long ribs and the short
She pierced fair Eleanor's heart, 0, heart,
She pierced fair Eleanor's heart.
15. "O art thou blind, Lord Thomas," she said,
"Or canst thou very well see,
Or don't you see my own heart's blood
Go crisping down my knee, 0, knee,
Go crisping down my knee?"
i6. He took the brown girl by the hand
And led her through the hall,
He took his sword, he cut off her head
And flung it against the wall, the wall,
And flung it against the wall.
I7. He put the blade against the ground,
The point against his breast,
Saying, "This is the death of three true lovers,
God send their souls to rest, 0, rest,
God send their souls to rest."
18. "O mother, dear mother, go dig my grave,
And dig it both wide and deep,
And place fair Eleanor in my arms
And the brown girl at my feet, O, feet,
And the brown girl at my feet."
57
In Child's Variant D from Pepys, a broadside variant very similar to the one
given above, the gist of the plot is given in stanzas I 3 through i8 plus the first two
lines of stanza I9, in six and a half stanzas out of a total of nineteen. In Bronson
Variant7 7, due to developmento f detail and transpositiono f the usual ordero f
two stanzas, the plot gist occupies ten stanzas out of a total of twenty-one, stanzas
12 through 21.
Child's Variant I, in which the heroine dies of unrequited love, rather than at
the hand of the bride, will obviously need to seek another home should this plot gist
be acceptedf or purposeso f indexing.
The insultsp assedb acka nd forth amongt he threec haracteras re the ostensible
cause of the first killing. They may therefore form the basis of further classification.
They are of three types, depending upon the number of participants.
Class a-three participants
Bronson 14. "Is this your bride, Lord Thomas?" said she;
No. 77, "I think she is wondrous brown;
Var. 87 You could have married the fairest lady
That ever the sun shown on."
15. "Oh, don't despite her, Fair Eleanor;
Oh, don't despite her to me;
I love your little finger better
Than the Brown Girl's whole bodie."
i6. The Brown Girl spoke up and said,
Spoke up as if in spite,
"Where do you get the water, my fair lady,
That washes your hands so white?"
17. "In Father's garden there is a well,
And if you'd search till you're blind,
Although it flows both wide and deep,
That well you never could find."
Bronson 22. He had a rose into his hand,
No. 77, He gae it kisses three,
Var. i And reaching by the nut-browne bride,
Laid it on fair Annet's knee.
23. Up then spak the nut-browne bride,
She spak wi' meikle spite,
And whair gat ye that rose-water
That does mak yee sae white?
24. 0, I did get the rose-water
Whair ye wull neir get nane,
For I did get that very rose-water
Into my mither's wame.
Class b-two participants
Bronson 11. Is this your bride, Lord Thomas? said she,
No. 73, Methinks she looks wondrous brown.
Var. ii6 You might have chosen as fair a ladye
As ever trod English ground.
58 GEORGE LIST
TOWARD THE INDEXING OF BALLAD TEXTS
12. O scorn her not, Fair Ellen, said he,
O scorn her not unto me.
For better I love your little finger
Than the brown girl's whole body.
Bronson 11. The Brown Girl spoke up and said,
No. 73, Spoke up as if for spite,
Var. 59 Saying, "Where did you get the water, my pretty fair lady,
That washes your hands so white?"
12. "In father's garden there is a well,
Which flows both wide and deep.
And you may search there till you go blind,
That well you never could find."
Class c-one participant
ATM I3. "Is this your bride, Lord Thomas?" she said,
XII "Methinks she looks wondrous brown,
When once you could marry as fair young lady
As ever the sun shone round, 0, round,
As ever the sun shone round."
Followingt he previouslys uggestedc lassificationsy stemw e thush ave:
73. Plain bride kills fair rival. The groom then kills the bride and himself.
a. All threec haracterps articipatein the reparteeo f insults.
b. The two women insult each other.
c. The rival insults the bride.
The bulk of the Anglo-Americanv ariantst hus form one type only. Shouldt he
examinationo f variantso f this balladp lot in languageso thert hanE nglishp roduce
other types, the Anglo-Americantr aditionm ay be classifieda s A, the other traditions
as B, C, and so forth.
It is furtherp roposedt hat the remainingd ramatic-narrativinec identsf ound in
the balladsb e indexed as independentm otives,n ot as aspectso f particularb allad
plots. As indicated above, these incidents occur most frequently at the beginning
and closing of ballads, without rather than within the plot gist. However, such
floating dramatic-narrativine cidentsa re occasionallyf ound within the plot gist
also as the following examples indicate.
ATM 9. When he looked on the letter
XIII A light laugh laughed he,
But when he read the letter,
The tear blend' his e'e.
Bronson 3. Now the King he wrote young John a letter,
No. 99, And sent it to him so sweet,
Var. i O' the first two lines that he looked at
He was so happy as a bird upon a tree,
And the next two lines that he looked at,
The salt tears blinded his eyes,
The salt tears blinded his eyes.
Child 3. The very first line that my lord did read,
No. 208, He gave a smirling smile:
Var. A Before he had the half o't read,
The tears from his eyes did fall.
59
To sumu p, balladp lots areh erec onsideredp henomenat hatf orma n unevena nd
slowly changingc ontinuumw hich neverthelesss how certainp olarities.I t is proposed
that detailedc omparisonsb e made of groups of balladse xhibitings imilar
plots for the purposeo f developinga serieso f disparatep lot gists whichw ill form
the principalb asiso f the systemo f classificationT. he selectiono f plot gists rather
than entirep lots for purposeso f classificationis basedu pon the fact that, rather
than other sections of the ballad, it is some element of this plot gist-the development,
crisis, and solution-which is retained in the memory of the singer. Various
narrative-dramateicle mentsf ound within the establishedp lot gists, which differ
from variantt o variant,w ill then be selecteda s means of sub-cassificationT. he
type of element selected will probably differ from plot gist to plot gist. It is further
proposedt hat narrative-dramateilce mentsf ound withoutt he plot gists be indexed
as independent motives. In cases where similar elements are found within two or
more differing plot gists these elements will also be indexed independently.
It should be noted that all plot gists and all motives to be indexed are dramatic
in charactert,h at is, they representa conflictb etweent wo or more forces-usually
personalizedf orces-or a conflicto f motivationsw ithin one individual.T hus the
motive systemi s muchm orer igidlyd efinedt hani n StithT hompson'sM otif-Index
of Folk Literature1i7n which threet ypeso f motivesa reu sed: characterisn a narrative;
objects,c ustoms,a ndb eliefs;a ndn arrativein cidents.
It is conceivablet hat the primaryc onflicto f a plot gist may form the secondary
crisis and solution of a second. Some system of cross reference must therefore be
developed which will relate the motive index to the index of plot gists. Using the
methods followed in indexing tales as an analogue, the proposal made here combines
a type index and a motif index, plus a method of cross reference between the
two.
NOTES
I. Francis James Child, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Io vols. (Boston, 1882-I894).
2. Tristram P. Coffin, The British Traditional Ballad in North America (Philadelphia, I950).
3. G. Malcolm Laws, Jr., Native American Balladry (Philadelphia, I950), and American Balladry
from British Broadsides (Philadelphia, I957).
4. D. K. Wilgus, Anglo-American Folksong Scholarship Since 1898 (New Brunswick, New
Jersey, I959).
5. Wilgus, 257.
6. Full reproduction of the dialect aspects of the informant's English usage has not been attempted,
since these aspects are not germane to this study.
7. Bertrand Bronson, The Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads, Vols. I-II (Princeton, New
Jersey, I959, I962).
8. Holger Olof Nygard, "Narrative Change in the European Tradition of the 'Lady Isabel and the
Elf Knight' Ballad," JOURNALO F AMERICANF OLKLOREL,X V (1952) I-I2.
9. Holger Olof Nygard, "The Ballad of Heer Halewijn," FF Communications No. I69 (Helsinki,
1958).
io. Nygard, "Heer Halewijn," 260 ff.
1. Nygard, "Heer Halewijn," 5 .
12. Nygard, "Heer Halewijn," 310-311.
I 3. Nygard, "Heer Halewijn," 79.
I4. Nygard, "Heer Halewijn," 315.
15. Child, I, 36-37.
i6. Nygard, "Heer Halewijn," 81.
I7. Stith Thompson, Motif-Index of Folk Literature (Bloomington, 1955), I, II.
6o GEORGEL IST
TOWARD THE INDEXING OF BALLAD TEXTS 6I
TRANSCRIPTIONS OF RECORDINGS IN THE ARCHIVES OF TRADITIONAL MUSIC
ATM I Archives Tape Library 583.16. No title. Sung by Lilly Sweet, Mt. Holly, New Jersey,
August i6, I937. Collected by Herbert Halpert.
ATM II ATL 424.12. "Six King's Daughters." Sung by Mrs. T. R. Bryant, Evansville, Indiana,
April 8, 1938. Collected by Alan and Elizabeth Lomax for the Library of Congress.
ATM III ATL 570.I5. "Northern Sea Shore." Sung by Oliver Minney, Cookstown, New Jersey,
July I5, I937. Collected by Herbert Halpert.
ATM IV ATL 582.23. "The Outlandish Knight." Sung by Lily Joy, Magnolia, New Jersey,
August 7, I937. Collected by Herbert Halpert.
ATM V ATL 556.4d. "The False-Hearted Knight." Sung by Jumbo Brightwell, East Bridge,
Suffolk, England, I947. Collected by Phil Tanner. Columbia World Library of Folk and
Primitive Music, Vol. III, SL-2o6, Side I, Band 4, Item 28. Alan Lomax, General Editor.
ATM VI ATL 422.7. No title. Sung by Marion Stoggill, Elkinsville, Indiana, April 4, 1938. Collected
by Alan and Elizabeth Lomax for the Library of Congress.
ATM VII ATL 570.1. No title. Sung by Allen Clevenger, Magnolia, New Jersey, July 15, I937.
Collected by Herbert Halpert.
ATM VIII ATL 427.11. No title. Sung by Mrs. Margaret Haden, Princeton, Indiana, April 9, 1938.
Recorded by Alan and Elizabeth Lomax for the Library of Congress.
ATM IX ATL 586.2-3. No title. Sung by Allen Sprague, Pemberton, New Jersey, August 20,
I937. Recorded by Herbert Halpert.
ATM X ATL 480.I. No title. Sung by Frelen G. Bozarth, Hainesport, New Jersey, July 30, I939.
Collected by Herbert Halpert.
ATM XI 578.22. No title. Sung by Elvin Sweet, Magnolia, New Jersey, August i, I937. Collected
by Herbert Halpert.
ATM XII ATL 425.4-5. No title. Sung by Mrs. Esther Bryant Franzier, Evansville, Indiana, April
8, I938. Collected by Alan and Elizabeth Lomax for the Library of Congress.
ATM XIII ATL 798.2f. "Glenlogie." Sung by John Strachan, Fyvie, Scotland, I95I. Collected by
Alan Lomax. The Columbia World Library of Folk and Primitive Music, Vol. XI, SL-
209, Side I, Band 2, Item 12. Alan Lomax, General Editor.
Indiana University
Bloomington, Indiana