The Medieval Popular Ballad (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1914. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER VI THE SUBJECT MATTER AND PURPOSE OF THE BALLADS It lies outside the province of this work to consider all the themes which furnish material for the ballads, to trace out all the relics of old, mythological beliefs in the poetry of the Christian period, to inquire into the kind and nature of the superstitions, to see relations with the poetry and the world of tradition in other lands,1 to paint pictures of the life of chivalry, of the doings of the common people, of moral aspects and customs -- all of which our ballads unroll before us. All that can be thought of here is to bring to light general features of ballad poetry regarded as a specific form of poetry, to see in what degree it adapts itself to that epic scope of action with lyrical backgrounds which it has chosen, for better or for worse, as a scene of action; to indicate the general point of view of ballad poetry respecting religion and the instinct of patriotism. But these various researches may also be undertaken in order that the boundaries of the ballads may be drawn more distinctly, and thus what is new and what is old be determined more sharply. Finally I shall endeavor to throw some light upon the means used by the ballads to further their poetical ends. 1 Both Child and Grundtvig have laid the student under great obligations in this respect in their introductions to the ballads. -- Translator. I. Nature In a consideration of the ballad's point of view as that of the epic with a lyrical background, the first question that forces itself upon the attention is, What is the attitude of the ballads toward nature? Nature is always depicted in the ballads only as a background for events; almost without exception what we meet with is intimations like " Late in the evening when the dusk drew on" o...