Ballads

A ballad is a type of Folk Song where a story is told, most of which, in the Anglo-American tradition, end in tragedy. Most of the early American ballads have origins from British or Celtic traditions that originated from songs written on Broadsides. Most ballads were actual events from history.

Types Of Ballads

 * Disaster Ballads- Ballads that tell of some terrible disaster, usually a Train Wreck or the sinking of The Titanic.
 * Happy Ballads- Stories with happy endings, very few of these existed in the Anglo-American tradition because the common folk couldn't relate to them.
 * Hardship Ballads- Stories of hard times, usually those experienced by the agrarians of America.
 * Outlaw Ballads- Stories of criminals, usually from the Western regions of the U.S., or presidential assassins.
 * Supernatural Ballads- Stories of strange happenings usually involving Demons, Ghosts, and other supernatural beings.
 * Tragic Love Ballads- Stories of tragic romances, usually ending with the death of one or more of the lovers.

Related Articles

 * The Anthology Of American Folk Music
 * Francis James Child
 * English And Scottish Popular Ballads
 * List Of Common Ballads
 * List Of Ballad Collections
 * List Of Child Ballads