Talk:Earl Brand

Type separation confusion
Not only Child seems to have had troubles with the type classification of this/these ballad(s). The mentioned Danish variants were typed as DgF 88 (Ribold og Guldborg) and DgF 83 (Hildebrand og Hilde). However, in TSB, Ribold og Guldborg is used as name for TSB A 41, which includes not only DgF 82 but also variant DgF 413 F; while DgF 42 is split upon TSB A 42 (including DgF 83 A-D and L) and TSB D 375 (including DgF 83 E-K). The Swedish ballads were classified by researchers also working with TSB, and thus naturally the type divisions are the same in SMB as in TSB: SMB 15 with TSB A 41, and SMB 16 with TSB A 42. However, I noted when I wrote the Swedish articles on these two types that they seemed very closely related. The main difference seems to be that the motif of the woman who tells her old tragic story is present in TSB A42 but not in TSB A 41.

Seemingly, the singers have let different ballads influence them. Both Child and the modern TSB/SMB classifiers in the fist place stress the flight and the backfiring magic when the lover's name is uttered. Stressing other things, as e.g. the names or backgrounds of the main protagonoists, would give different classification.

Also, in both main TSB types, A 41 and A 42, it is mostly "the relatives" of the woman that pursues them. In the Swedish variants, this may mean her father and brothers, or her unwanted suitor/fiancé, or both - mixed in both SMB 15 and SMB 16. Thus, I think that actually Child's split into two types essentially is unrelated to the split into TSB A 41 and A 42.

I'm almost minded to make common articles of both TSB types. JoergenB 20:32, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Removed dubious source
I have removed sourcing of the "contemplator" website. The maintainer there does not provide any sort of decent credentials and there are plenty of public domain resources for ballads that may be used alternatively. Memtgs (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 19:41, 16 January 2013 (UTC)