List of Sveriges Medeltida Ballader explained

This is a list of ballads found in Sveriges Medeltida Ballader.

Ballads of the supernatural (Naturmytiska visor)

Number	Title		Cognates	Notes	Synopsis
1		A 4
2		A 11	Child 43^[1]		A young maiden is widely reputed to have spent the night with many men, yet she remains a virgin. Her reputation travels so far, it comes to the Prince of England. Determined to win her, he calls for his horse and rides to meet her. When he arrives, she invites him into her chamber, but as soon as he sits on her bed, his eyes grow heavy and he lays down to sleep. Three days later the maiden awakes him and sends him on his way, none the wiser. In truth, she had written "raven runes" [ramme runor], the 'Sleep Runes' of the song-title, upon the sheets.
3		A 12			King Erik sends for a fortune teller. After testing her abilities, he is informed that he (and in some variants his queen) does not have long to live.
4		A 16			A man tries to catch a deer in the woods. The deer turns into a hawk. He feeds the hawk a piece of his own flesh, and it turns into a maid, who explains that her stepmother had cast a spell on her.
5		A 19			A knight's stepmother transforms him into a werewolf, and tells him he must drink the blood of his brother to break the spell. He kills the stepmother and drinks the blood of her unborn son.
6		A 20			A maid is killed by a werewolf while walking the woods.
7		A 22			Mother and daughter are approached by a fox and a wolf who accuse them of being their mothers, and of having turned them into animals. They drink the women's blood, and a "fortune teller" appears, transforming them into humans again.
8		A 25			A king's enchanted horse, Blacken, swims after the king when he goes abroad. He returns and dies of exhaustion.
9		A 26			Rune the Raven visits Kerstin, who is held prisoner by her husband. Rune flies to Kerstin's father, who come to the rescue on his enchanted horse Blacken. In some variants, Blacken loses his powers when his name is spoken, throws his master off and continues alone (and dies of exhaustion).
10		A 27			A man out hunting fails to heed his mother's advice not to shoot a deer. When he flays the deer, he finds locks of hair and jewelry, and realizes that the deer was his sister (lover) under a spell.
11		A 29			A maid goes to bed with a lindworm, and wakes up next to a king's son.
12		A 30	Child 34		A maid has been transformed into a lime tree (usually by her stepmother). Another maid encounters the tree and sends for help.
13		A 38	Child 10^[2]		One sister drowns the other. The dead sister is made into a harp, and the harp reveals the crime.
14	Den förtrollade barnaföderskan (Liten Kerstins förtrollning)	A 40			A woman's pregnancy is prolonged through magic.
15		A 41	Child 7 (and Child 8)	The supernatural element in 15–16 lies in the breaking of the name taboo being the cause of Redebold/Hillebrand's death. This "dead-naming" is omitted in the English ballads.	Redebold elopes with his beloved Gullborg. Her father and his men go after them. Redebold prepares to fight them, and asks Gullborg not to mention his name. When he kills her father (or brother), she calls out for him, and he is immediately cut down.
16		A 42	Child 7 (and 8)		Hilla relates her misfortunes, including "dead-naming" her beloved Hillebrand, as in the above, and being sold (and/or locked up) by her family.
17		A 44			A maid will only accept a suitor who can fly. A young man makes wings of gold and flies to her.
18	Unge Svedendal (Hertig Silfverdal)	A 45			Svedendal is cursed to not find peace until he finds the woman meant for him, whom he has never met. He awakes his dead father, who offers help in the form of various enchanted items. Svedendal meets a shepherd who leads him to the maiden, who awaits him, herself under a spell that only he can break.
19		A 47			Agneta follows a merman to his underwater abode, where she stays and has several children. Hearing church bells, she longs for home, and is permitted to go visit her family. She disregards all conditions her captor has postulated for her release, and he appears, demanding she returns to care for her children, but Agneta says she does not care.
20		A 48			A neck abducts a maid.
21		A 49			A man is abducted by a sea-troll, or mermaid, who makes him forget his past. In some variants, he saves himself by playing a magical harp.
22		A 50			A man asks his beloved why she is unhappy. She replies that she has two (or more) sisters who drowned (or that she was prophesied to drown herself). Precautions are taken, but the girl falls in the river nonetheless. The man plays a magical harp to force the neck to give her (and her sisters) back.
23		A 51			A man successfully frees his sister from a sea-troll or mermaid, where she has been held prisoner for years. The sea-troll mourns her loss.
24		A 54	Child 41		A maid is led astray and imprisoned by a mountain dwarf (). They have several children. She returns to see her mother, but is taken back inside the mountain and made to forget her family (or killed).
25		A 58			A mountain dwarf asks for a maid's hand, then takes her away by force, but she turns around and rides back home.
26	Herr Magnus och havsfrun (Herr Mannelig)	A 59			Sir Magnus is courted by a female troll, but turns her down.
27		A 61			Sir Peder is out riding, and arrives in a mountain, where he meets a dwarf's daughter. He kills her.
28		A 62
29		A 63			Sir Olof encounters fairies who invite him to dance with them. He declines, and falls ill and dies.
30		A 64
31		A 65
32		A 67	Child 77^[3]		A mourning girl receives a nightly visit from her dead fiancé.
33		A 68			A woman returns from the dead when she sees her children suffer at the hands of their stepmother.
34		A 69
35		A 70			A man encounters Sir Mårten, whom he knows to be dead. Apparently, Mårten had wrongfully claimed a piece of land, and demands that his wife return it. If his wife does not believe the man, Mårten explains, she shall find Mårten's boots filled with blood.
36		A 71

Legendary ballads (Legendvisor)

Number	Title	TSB	Cognates	Notes	Synopsis
37		B 4
38		B 7
39		B 8
40		B 10
41		B 12
42		B 14			A king becomes infatuated with Karin (St. Catherine). He offers her gifts, but she refuses them. He has her executed in a "nail barrel" (Swedish: spik[e]tunna). She is taken to heaven, and the king to hell.
43		B 16			Mary Magdalene meets Jesus in the wilderness. She claims to be a virgin, but Jesus says this is not true, and that she has had three children, with her father, her brother, and the parish priest. As punishment, she must stay in the wilderness for seven years. She is then allowed to enter heaven.
44		B 17			When the king is away, Lady Gunnel releases all prisoners. She blames Eluf the guard, swearing that if she is not speaking the truth, she will give birth to seven dogs. Eluf is executed; miracles occur at his place of death. Gunnel gives birth to dogs, which she kills.
45		B 18
46		B 20			Sir Peder tries to seduce his sister. When she refuses his advances, he falsely claims that she has murdered her illegitimate children. She is burned at the stake. Peder refuses to let her drink. Doves take her to heaven, and ravens take Peder to hell.
47		B 21
48	Duvans sång (Duvans sång på liljekvist)	B 22			A bird sings to a maid that she is expected in (or asks her to follow it to) heaven. Soon after, as she is about to marry, she falls ill and dies.
49		B 25
50		B 26
51		B 28
52		B 29
53		B 30
54		B 32

Historical ballads (Historiska visor)

Number	Title	TSB	Cognates	Notes	Synopsis
55		C 3		Queen Dagmar is brought to Denmark, 1205
56		C 5		The Battle of Lena, 1208
57		C 6		The death of Queen Dagmar, 1212
58		C 7		Queen Bengjerd requests taxes, 1214
59		C 8
60		C 15		Folke Algotsson abducts Ingrid Svantepolksdotter, 1288
61		C 16		Treats the same event as the preceding entry, and is also known as "Folke Algotssons brudrov", but considered a distinct ballad
62		C 28		The burning of Faxehus (Faxeholm), 1434
63		C 35		The War of Deposition against King Hans, 1501–1502
64		C 40		The Battle of Brunnbäck Ferry, 1521
65	Gustav Vasa och dalkarlarna (Vasavisan)	C 41		The Swedish War of Liberation, 1521(–1523)

Ballads of chivalry (Riddarvisor)

Number	Title	TSB	Cognates	Notes	Synopsis
66		D 7
67		D 16
68		D 21
69		D 32
70		D 37			Sir Karl pretends to be dead in order to take his beloved out of convent.
71		D 45
72	Rudegull seglar bort med sin trolovade (Vänner och fränder)	D 46			Rudegull's beloved is married off to another while he's away, but he arrives just in time to elope with the bride.
73		D 49
74		D 53
75		D 60
76		D 61
77		D 61 B
78		D 62
79		D 67
80		D 69
81		D 72
82		D 78
83		D 84			Rosea and her beloved, a duke, are separated by the king, and Rosea is married off to a count. Upon hearing this, the duke returns to her, and they die in each other's arms. Flowers or trees grow from their graves, their leaves intertwining.
84		D 85
85		D 87
86		D 90			A young man courts a maid. She explains that she has lost her family, except for her brother. The man reveals himself as the brother.
87		D 91
88		D 96
89		D 99
90		D 104
91		D 110
92		D 115
93		D 118
94		D 125
95		D 131
96		D 133
97		D 139
98		D 140
99		D 144
100		D 148
101		D 153
102		D 154
103		D 163
104		D 167
105		D 168
106		D 182
107		D 184
108		D 185
109		D 195
110		D 201
111		D 214			A young man holds off going to his betrothed due to bad weather. When he arrives the next day, he finds her with another.
112		D 216
113		D 220
114		D 224			A man pretends to be dead to see how his betrothed will react. He is upset to find her dancing and having fun. She says that she knew he was not dead.
115		D 226
116		D 228			Sir Ivar dances with the Danish queen. The king threatens to execute him, and he flees on a ship.
117		D 232
118	Folke Lagmansson och drottning Hillevi (Falkvard Lagermanson)	D 233
119		D 235
120		D 239
121		D 243
122		D 245
123		D 247
149	Blekman (Blekman och Alf)	D 249, D 308
124		D 250
125		D 251			While Ebbe is away, his brother tells his betrothed he's dead, in order to marry her himself. Ebbe returns home for the wedding and kills them both (and kills or mutilates his parents).
126		D 254
127		D 255
128		D 256			Salmon invites his lovers to his wedding. They give him food and drink, which causes him to go on a rampage, killing the guests, ending with the bride.
129	Kung Valdemar och Tova (Tova lilla)	D 258
130		D 260
131		D 274
132		D 279
133		D 280
134		D 282
135		D 283
136		D 284
137		D 286
138		D 288
139		D 289	Child 15
140		D 291
141		D 292
142		D 293
143		D 294
144		D 295
145		D 297
146		D 299
147		D 300
148		D 304
149		D 249, D 308
150	Ebbe Tykeson (Ebbe Tykesons dödsritt)	D 309			Ebbe is killed by a group of men, and his horse carries his body (or his clothes) home. His mother does not let his fiancée know that the corpse is his, and when she finds out she dies from sorrow.
151		D 311
152		D 312
153		D 320			Sven's mother asks him about his bloody clothes, and by degrees he confesses to having murdered his brother.
154		D 321			A girl who has been poisoned by her stepmother divides her belongings among her family, but wishes the agonies of hell on her killers.
155		D 323
156		D 324			Tore interrogates his sister (or daughter) about her lover, but she explains away his accusations. He then shows her her lover's cut-off hand, and she realizes Tore has killed him.
157		D 329
158		D 334
159		D 342
160		D 346
161		D 352
162		D 358
163		D 359
164		D 361			Sir Peder is told that he will die at sea. When his ship begins to keel over, he and his crew play dice to determine who among them is the greatest sinner. Peder loses, and confesses to numerous sins. He is thrown overboard, and the ship recovers.
165		D 365
166		D 367
167		D 372
168		D 374
169		D 376
170		D 380
171		D 381
172		D 390	Child 269^[4]		Count Fröjdenborg courts Lady Adelin. Her father has Fröjdenborg locked up, and later killed. His heart is served to Adelin, and when she finds out, she kills herself. They are buried together.
173		D 391	Child 95^[5]		A poor man sells his daughter, who tries to coax her relatives into buying her back. They all refuse, but her beloved gladly buys her freedom.
174		D 392
175		D 393
176		D 394
177		D 395
178		D 396
179		D 397
180		D 398
181		D 399
182		D 405			A king is charmed by a shepherdess's singing. He sends for her to come and sing for him, and ends up taking her as his queen.
183	Allebrand harpolekaren (Allebrand harpspelaren)	D 409
184		D 410
185	Rövaren Rymer (Den falske riddaren)	D 411			A "false knight" abducts a girl, planning to kill her, as he has several others, but she ties him up and kills him instead.
186		D 413
187		D 415
188		D 419
189		D 421
190		D 424
191		D 426			A maid follows a skipper aboard his ship, falls asleep and wakes up in a distant country. Endings vary: the girl may drown or escape, or the skipper reveals himself as her beloved in disguise.
192		D 427
193		D 430
194		D 434
195		D 435			Two royal daughters are taken away at a young age. They come to a castle where they serve as maids. When the queen wants one of them to marry her son, they reveal that they are her long lost daughters.
196		D 436

Heroic ballads (Kämpavisor)

Number	Title	TSB	Cognates	Notes	Synopsis
197		E 5
198		E 10	Vilkina saga chapters 178–182; Der Rosengarten zu Worms^[6]
199		E 19
200		E 23
201		E 31			A girl frees her beloved from prison.
202		E 32			A girl frees her imprisoned brother (in some variants after killing several men).
203		E 37
204		E 49
205		E 52			Sven Svanevit encounters a wandering shepherd, who claims to have killed Sven's father; Sven kills him with his thumb. He engages a second shepherd with a series of riddles; the shepherd answers them correctly, and Sven rewards him with a golden ring.
206		E 58
207		E 64
208		E 90
209		E 96
210		E 115
211		E 119	Vilkina saga chapters 170–177
212		E 126	Þrymskviða
213		E 128	Orm Stórólfssons saga
214		E 129
215		E 132
216		E 133			Burman, a giant or ogre, claims the king's daughter Gloria. She releases the imprisoned Ogier the Dane who defeats Burman.
217		E 139			Ramunder (or Ramund) gets new clothes and sets off to kill several giants.
218		E 144
219		E 148

Jocular ballads (Skämtvisor)

Number	Title	TSB	Cognates	Notes	Synopsis
220		F 1
221		F 5
222		F 6
223		F 7
224		F 8
225		F 10
226		F 11
227		F 12
228		F 16
229		F 17			A man hides in a sack in order to get near the miller's daughter.
230		F 18
231		F 19
232		F 20
233		F 22
234		F 24
235		F 25			A maid refuses to let a man in, since she does not hear the sound of her beloved's wooden leg. The man kills him and steals the wooden leg.
236		F 26
237		F 29
238	Käringen på havsbotten (Den ondsinta käringen)	F 30
239		F 31
240		F 32
241		F 33
242		F 36
243	Bonden och hans hustru (Det kommer en ryttare ridande)	F 40			A farmer sees a knight approaching. The farmer's wife tells the farmer to give the knight the best of food and drink, and let him sleep next to her in bed, and that the farmer may sleep in the pigsty.
244		F 45			Per trades his only cow for a fiddle, which he loses, and gets scolded by his wife.
245		F 46			A man has a belt that is so magnificent that everyone who sees it forgets what they are doing. He declines generous offers from priests and kings who wish to buy the belt, only to end up trading it for a pair of old gloves.
246		F 53
247		F 54
261		F 55
248	Bonden och kråkan (Bonden i timmerskog)	F 58		Sometimes regarded as a satire on the tithe and other taxations.^[7]	A farmer shoots a huge crow. Its body is used for an impressive amount of things: food, shoes, and a ship.
249		F 60
250		F 63
251	Bonden och räven (Bonden gick åt grönan äng)	F 64			A farmer bargains with a fox for his hide.
252		F 66
253		F 67			A beetle employs a horse-fly to propose to a fly on his behalf. The fly replies that she is rich (eats from silver plates) and the beetle poor (lives in the dirt, among the livestock). The horse-fly hits the fly, and she agrees to marry the beetle.
254		F 68
255		F 69
256		F 70
257		F 71
258		F 72
259		F 73
260		F 75
262		–
263		–

See also

• Danmarks gamle Folkeviser

Sources

• Book: Jonsson. Bengt R.. Solheim. Svale. Danielson. Eva. The types of the Scandinavian medieval ballad. 1978. Universitetsforlaget. Oslo. 82-00-09479-0. 2nd.

Notes

Notes and References

1. Book: Child. Francis James. The English and Scottish Popular Ballads. 1884. Houghton, Mifflin and Company. Boston. 1. 30 May 2018.
2. Book: Child. Francis James. The English and Scottish Popular Ballads. 1882. Houghton, Mifflin and Company. Boston. 1. 29 May 2018.
3. Book: Child. Francis James. The English and Scottish Popular Ballads. 1885. Houghton, Mifflin and Company. Boston. 2. 30 May 2018.
4. Book: Child. Francis James. The English and Scottish Popular Ballads. 1894. Houghton, Mifflin and Company. Boston. 5. 29 May 2018.
5. Book: Child. Francis James. The English and Scottish Popular Ballads. 1886. Houghton, Mifflin and Company. Boston. 2. 30 May 2018.
6. Book: Adolf Ivar Arwidsson

   . Arwidsson. Adolf Ivar. Adolf Ivar Arwidsson. Svenska fornsånger. 1834. P. A. Nordstedt & Söner. Stockholm. 1. 1 June 2018. Swedish.

7. Web site: Inspelningar och noter . Svenskt visarkiv . Musikverket . 16 August 2018 . Swedish . 13 June 2017.