The Scottish Border Ballads are a collection of traditional folk songs and poems from the Scottish English Border region. These historical ballads were passed down through the generations by oral tradition, and they often tell stories of battles, romance, and other events from the lives of the people living in the low countries, border region.
One of the most famous Border Ballads is “The Ballad of Chevy Chase,” which tells the story of a hunting party that goes wrong and ends up turning into a bloody battle. Interestingly there are both Scottish side and English side versions – obviously giving favour to the ‘home’ side.
One of the most famous ballads concerns Thomas the Rhymer and his encounter with the Queen of the Fairies. It is said that she took him to her underground kingdom and gave him the gift of prophecy, but also placed a curse on him that he would not be able to speak a falsehood for the rest of his life.
Despite the legend, Thomas the Rhymer was a real historical figure and his poetry is still celebrated today. He is remembered as a key figure in borders literature and folklore.
Border Reivers and the Border Ballad
The ballads were typically written in a simple, straightforward style, with a clear narrative structure and easily remembered rhyme schemes. Many of the ballads also featured characters from Scottish folklore but many come from the time of the Border Reivers who for over 400 years lived, raided and battled both sides of the border. Unlike the clan system of the Highland families, the Border groups were called ‘Riding Names’, headed by a heidsman rather than a Clan Chief. To the West of the Borders was the debatable land – a tract of land that neither belonged to England or Scotland, and it was a country in its own. Many of the tales we now know come from this small area of the borders, drawn inspiration of its place names, people and culture.
Some of the Scottish Ballads dedicated to the Border Reivers include ‘Kinmont Willie’ a heidsman from the notorious Border Reiver family, the Armstrongs. Johnnie Armstrong, another member of the family also has his own ballad – such was the impact the family had in the area.
Kinmont Willie
Kinmont was a notorious Scottish border reiver, or cattle thief, who lived in the 16th century. He was known for his cunning and daring raids on English farms and villages, and his ability to evade capture. Despite his criminal activities, Willie had a reputation for being a fierce and honorable fighter, and was said to be greatly respected by his fellow reivers.
In 1596, Willie was arrested by English authorities and imprisoned in Carlisle Castle. His arrest sparked a feud between the English and the Scottish border clans, and the The Scottish warden of the West March Walter Scott of Buccleuch, Keeper of Liddesdale demanded Kinmont Willie’s release. The English refused, and a standoff ensued.
Eventually, Kinmont Willie was rescued in a daring raid led by Walter Scott, known in the ballad as ‘Bold Buccleuch’ while riding his famed white horse. The raid, known as the “Rescue of Kinmont Willie,” became a legend in Scottish folklore, and was celebrated in ballads and poems.
“O HAVE ye na heard o the fause Sakelde?
O have ye na heard o the keen Lord Scroop?
How they hae taen bauld Kinmont Willie,
On Hairibee to hang him up?
Had Willie had but twenty men,
But twenty men as stout as he,
Fause Sakelde had never the Kinmont taen,
Wi eight score in his companie.
They band his legs beneath the steed,
They tied his hands behind his back;
They guarded him, fivesome on each side,
And they brought him ower the Liddelrack.”
The Border Widow
The Lament of the Border Widow is another, possible ancient ballad given a wider audience by Sir Walter Scott in the Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border (1803) III 80. The poem tells the story of a border widow who is grieving the loss of her husband, Cokburne of Henderland, a border freebooter who was hanged over the gate of his own tower by the army of King James V.
“My Love he built me a bonny bower
And clad it a’ wi’ lilye flour;
A brawer bower ye ne’er did see
Than my true love he built for me.There came a man by middle day,
He spied his sport and went away,
And brought the king, that very night,
Who brake my bower and slew my knight.”
Of all the ballads from the Debateable land (an area of the Scottish english border that acted as a buffer zone between England and Scotland), the Border Widow ballad is unusual within its perspective of the widow herself rather than a narrative perspective. In the poems and ballads the Kings of Scotland (King James V) and the Marches Wardens (tasked to police the area) are fair game for satire. However, the poem is a poignant and emotional depiction of the effects of violence and conflict on the lives of those left behind.
“I took his body on my back,
And whiles I gaed, and whiles I sate;
I digg’d a grave and laid him in,
And happ’d him with the sod sae green.”
More than just Traditional Songs
The Scottish Border Ballads were a vital part of the cultural heritage of the border region, and they played a significant role in shaping the identity of the people who lived there. These ballads were often performed at local events, such as fairs and festivals, and they were a source of entertainment and education for the people who heard them.
The ballads were also a way for people to remember and celebrate the history of the border region. Many of the ballads told stories of battles and wars that had taken place in the area, and they helped to keep the memory of these events alive for future generations.
Despite the popularity of the Scottish Border Ballads, they were largely forgotten by the general public in the 19th and 20th centuries. However, in recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in these ballads, and they are now being studied and performed by folk musicians and scholars alike, with many of the ballads now played to contemporary music.
Today, the Scottish Border Ballads are an important part of the cultural heritage of the border region, and they continue to be a source of entertainment and education for people of all ages. These ballads provide a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the people who lived in the border region, and they continue to inspire and delight audiences around the world.
What is the name of Scott’s collection of ballads from the Scottish borders?
Sir Walter Scott grew fascinated by Scottish history as a child. In his 30 years he published “Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border”, a tri-volume collection of Scottish border ballads.
What did the early border ballads from 1860 to 1910 depict?
The early border ballads from 1860 to 1910 were a type of folk song that originated in the border regions between England and Scotland. These songs were often passed down through the generations by oral tradition, and they often depicted the struggles and conflicts between the English and the Scottish in the border regions.
The early border ballads often told stories of battles and feuds between the two sides, and they often featured heroic figures who fought for their respective countries. These ballads were often filled with accounts of bravery, courage, and loyalty, as well as themes of love, loss, and betrayal.
What is the name of Scott’s collection of ballads from the Scottish Borders?
Sir Walter Scott was a Scottish historical novelist, poet, and playwright who was born in 1771. He is best known for his novels, such as “Ivanhoe” and “Rob Roy,” but he also wrote a collection of ballads from the Scottish Borders called “The Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border.”
Scott was born and raised in the Scottish Borders, and he was deeply interested in the history and folklore of the region. In 1802, he published “The Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border,” a collection of ballads that he had collected from the oral tradition of the region.
The collection included both well-known and lesser-known ballads, and it was a significant contribution to the study of Scottish folklore and literature. Scott’s interest in the ballads of the Scottish Borders was part of a broader revival of interest in folk traditions and oral storytelling in the early 19th century, and his collection helped to preserve these important cultural traditions for future generations.
Why were Ballads popular in England and Scotland?
Sir Walter Scott was a Scottish historical novelist, poet, and playwright who was born in 1771. He is best known for his novels, such as “Ivanhoe” and “Rob Roy,” but he also wrote a collection of ballads from the Scottish Borders called “The Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border.”
Scott was born and raised in the Scottish Borders, and he was deeply interested in the history and folklore of the region. In 1802, he published “The Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border,” a collection of ballads that he had collected from the oral tradition of the region.
The collection included both well-known and lesser-known ballads, and it was a significant contribution to the study of Scottish folklore and literature. Scott’s interest in the ballads of the Scottish Borders was part of a broader revival of interest in folk traditions and oral storytelling in the early 19th century, and his collection helped to preserve these important cultural traditions for future generations.