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The ballad is rooted deeply in Scottish popular culture; dramatic in nature, they often centre on moments of intense conflict and are marked by violence, ranging over themes such as vengeance, murder, supernatural encounters, and treachery in love. 

Sarah Dunnigan’s Scotnote discusses a number of the most accessible ballads, exploring Scotland’s ballad traditions, their historical roots and their cultural interpretations, for senior school pupils and students at all levels.

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CONTENTS

• Prelude
• Introduction
• Ballad form, structure and style
• The drama of the past: telling history through ballads
• The worlds of the supernatural
• Ballad women: female singers, characters and stories
• Conclusion
• Appendix
• Bibliography
• Notes
• List of ballads discussed