Folk-song and ballads

Folk poetry flourished in England and Scotland in the 15^th century.

Folk-songs were heard everywhere. A folk-song is a short poem in rhymed stanzas usually set to a melody. The rhythm goes along with the subject dealt with in the song. Thus moving-songs, spinning-and-weaving-songs were made up to the measured motion of that kind of work. Harvest-songs and wedding-songs were set to the measured motion of a dance.

The most interesting examples of folk poetry were the ballads. English and Scottish ballads were either lyrical-epic poems (these were narratives), or lyrical-dramatic poems (incidents in action). Ballads were either for singing or for reciting. They were often accompanied by musical instruments (such as the bagpipes in Scotland) and dancing. The ballad became the most popular form of amusement in towns and villages because it was something intermediate between a performance and a game.

As regards the content, the ballads may be divide into three groups: historical, heroic, and romantic ballads. Historical ballads were based on a historical facts, while heroic ballads were about people who were persecuted by the law or their own families. Among the most popular ones were those about Robin Hood, who was an outlaw.

Ballads and songs express the sentiments and thoughts of a people, therefore the author is not felt in them. They were handed down by word of mouth from generation to generation.

The art of printing did not stop the creation of folk-songs and ballads. They continued to develop till the 18^th century.