War and the Media in Border Minstrelsy: The Ballad of Chevy Chase (book chapter)

Abstract

The ballad of Chevy Chase is a very old ballad, probably dating back to the fifteenth century and referring to events that transpired in the middle of that century or even back to the fourteenth century. Appreciated by writers and singers from feudal times to the age of Enlightenment, this ballad also crossed the line from oral culture to manuscript and printed text and back again—moving back and forth between broadside and song, sometimes part of a living tradition and sometimes an antiquarian‟s souvenir. That it has a long manuscript and print tradition is evident from the number of tangible versions of it on paper, both reported and extant, dating from the sixteenth century onwards. But it was undoubtedly sung as well (and not all broadsides did enter the oral tradition) for many broadsides of other songs both in single sheets and garlands have the instruction “To the tune of Chevy Chase.” Moreover, several tunes were associated with this ballad, further indicating that it was sung.