Genre and Definition

As used by Scandinavian ballad scholars, “medieval” refers to the presumed age of the structure or form, not the age of individual ballads themselves. In English-language ballad scholarship, the corresponding term would be “traditional ballad.” These would be ballads whose general stylistic or formal features, not specific textual history, suggests oral, rather than written transmission. They have traits such as incremental repetition, “leaping and lingering,” and often, though not always, a refrain. They also tend to focus on a single scene (or two) and often consist largely of un-attributed dialogue. They are frequently contrasted—especially in English-language scholarship—with “vulgar” or “broadside” ballads, whose style seems more suggestive of written composition/transmission (though they may be recorded from oral tradition, as “medieval ballads” are often found as broadsides). These “broadside ballads” are usually considered to be more journalistic in their narrative style, telling a story with more-or-less even pacing, and with few gaps in the action.

The ballad SMB "Liten Karin" is here presented as a sample entry.