border ballad

border ballad, type of spirited heroic ballad celebrating the raids, feuds, seductions, and elopements on the border between England and Scotland in the 15th and 16th centuries, where neither English nor Scottish law prevailed. Among the better known border ballads are “Johnny Cock,” “Jock o’ the Side,” “Hobie Noble,” and “The Bonny Earl of Murray.” Though a few deal with events of historical importance, most are concerned with the personal retributions of the outlaws and robber clans who maintained their own grim code on the border. See also coronach.