The medieval ballad Performer - Culture & Literature Marina Spiazzi, Marina Tavella, Margaret Layton © 2012

The medieval ballad Performer - Culture & Literature The ballad belonged to ‘folk’ or ‘popular’ tradition was a short narrative song was preserved and transmitted orally was impersonal: narrator / singer rarely interferes personal pronoun ‘I’ is one that represents a party or a community 1. Stylistic features

The medieval ballad Performer - Culture & Literature 1. Stylistic features The ballad is composed of short stanzas of two or four lines contains repetition of words or lines O where ha’ you been, Lord Randal my son? And where ha’ you been, my handsome young man? I ha’ been at the greenwood; mother, mak my bed soon, For I’m wearied wi’ hunting and fain wad lie down. (from Lord Randal)

The medieval ballad Performer - Culture & Literature 2. Narrative features Dialogue is often used. O sister, sister let me live, And all that’s mine I’ll surely give. It’s your own true love that I’ll have and more But thou shalt never come ashore. (from Cruel Sister)

The medieval ballad Performer - Culture & Literature 3. Content The ballad focuses on a single crucial episode or situation. There were three gypsies tae oor hall door, An’ O but they sang bonnie O They sang so sweet and too complete That they stole the heart of our lady, O! (from Gypsy Laddies)

The medieval ballad Performer - Culture & Literature 4. Setting There is little description of the setting. There was a king and a noble king A king of muckle 1 fame And he had an only daughter dear, Lady Diamond was her name. He had a servant, a kitchen boy, A lad of muckle scorn And she loved him long and she loved him aye Till the grass overgrew the corn. (from Lady Diamond) 1. Great.

The medieval ballad Performer - Culture & Literature 5. Characters The characters are both fantastic creatures and human beings. Fair Lady Isabel sits in her bower sewing Aye as the gowans 1 grow gay. There she heard and elf-knight blowing his horn The first morning in May. (from Lady Isabel and the Elf-knight) 1. Daisies.

The medieval ballad Performer - Culture & Literature 6. The language The language is plain and formulaic. 1 There lived a lady in the north sea shore Lay the bent 1 to the bonnie broom 2 Two daughters were the babes she bore Fa la la la la la la la la la. 2 As one grew bright as in the sun Lay the bent to the bonnie broom So coal black grew the elder one Fa la la la la la la la la la. (from Cruel Sister) 1.Giunco. 2.Ginestra.

The medieval ballad Performer - Culture & Literature 7. Theme Ballads deal with supernatural events / characters, love, war, dramatic events. Ah my Geordie will be hanged in a golden chain ‘Tis not the chain of many, Stole sixteen of the King’s royal deer And he sold them in Bohenny (from Geordie)