The Medieval Ballad

THE MEDIEVAL BALLAD

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GENERAL FEATURES

• The name comes from Old French balade (dancing song).
• Its musical origin can be traced back to the same tradition as the folk-song.
• It is a form of popular narrative verse.
• It employs a direct and simple language.
• It is transmitted orally.
• It has no moral aim.

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CONTENT

• Most of the times it tells about a tragical event.
• It includes supernatural elements (fairies, witches, ghosts).
• It may be based on some real historical events or on some well-known legendary figures.
• It is a series of rapid flashes.
• A mixture between dialogues and narration (not in the first person).

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themes

• Ballads of magic (fairies, ghosts, witches).
• Border ballads (rivalry between English and Scottish people).
• Ballads of love and domestic tragedy.
• Ballads of outlaws (Robin Hood).

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STRUCTURE

• It is divided into smaller units called stanzas.
• Each stanza is a quatrain: a stanza of four lines, often rhyming ABCB.
• Stanzas are often followed by a refrain.