Late medieval ballads and popular songs, with border violence, courtship, outlaw memory, and the durable narrative forms of English song.
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Chevy Chace — Chevy Chace — the famous English ballad of the border clash between the Percies and the Douglases, one of the most celebrated popular ballads in the language.
Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne — Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne — one of the oldest and most violent Robin Hood ballads, a tale of treachery and combat.
Sir Patrick Spens — Sir Patrick Spens — one of the greatest Scottish ballads, the tale of a doomed sea voyage commanded by the king.
The Douglas Tragedy — The Douglas Tragedy — a Scottish border ballad of elopement, pursuit, and tragic death.
The Nut-brown Maid — The Nut-brown Maid — a dialogue ballad testing a woman's constancy, one of the finest examples of the debate form.