This 100-category system closely resembles how a folklorist might construct a topical index to the English repertoire. At an even finer level, one could expand this into 300-500 recurrent narrative motifs, aligning many of the categories with specific Child Ballads or Roud-index song families. Such a taxonomy becomes useful for comparative studies, showing, for example, how „returned-lover“ narratives, „murdered-girl“ narratives, or „cross-dressed heroine“ narratives evolve across centuries and regions.
For research purposes, a faceted index works better than a simple list. A user should be able to search by Theme → Subtheme → Narrative Type → Representative Songs.
A. LOVE AND COURTSHIP
A1. Courtship Initiation
- First meeting
- Rural courtship
- Seasonal courtship
- Gift-giving
- Love letters
Songs
- The Seeds of Love
- The Sweet Nightingale
A2. Obstacles to Love
- Social class barriers
- Distance
- Military service
- Sea voyages
- Family opposition
Songs
- Bushes and Briars
- The Bailiff’s Daughter of Islington
A3. Faithful Love
- Constancy
- Waiting
- Reunion
- Promise keeping
Songs
- The Dark-Eyed Sailor
- The Constant Farmer’s Son
A4. Failed Love
- Betrayal
- False promises
- Abandonment
- Broken engagement
Songs
- Once I Had a Sweetheart
- The Week Before Easter
A5. Jealousy and Rivalry
- Rival suitors
- Love triangles
- Envy
Songs
- Lord Thomas and Fair Ellender
- Fair Annie
—
B. MARRIAGE AND FAMILY
B1. Marriage Formation
- Betrothal
- Elopement
- Wedding
Songs
- The Lass of Roch Royal
B2. Unequal Marriage
- Young wife / old husband
- Wealth marriage
- Forced marriage
Songs
- The Old Man and the Young Maid
B3. Domestic Conflict
- Quarrels
- Abuse
- Mismatched expectations
Songs
- A Merry Battle of Northall
B4. Family Authority
- Cruel parents
- Controlling fathers
- Oppressive mothers
Songs
- The Famous Flower of Serving Men
- The Cruel Mother
B5. Siblings
- Rivalry
- Inheritance
- Violence
Songs
- The Twa Sisters
—
C. SEDUCTION AND SEXUAL RELATIONS
C1. Seduction Narratives
- False courtship
- Broken promises
- Exploitation
Songs
- The Banks of Green Willow
C2. Pregnancy
- Unwed motherhood
- Concealed birth
Songs
- The Maid and the Palmer
C3. Reputation
- Honour
- Shame
- Social scandal
Songs
- The Cuckoo’s Nest
C4. Female Agency
- Resistance
- Escape
- Negotiation
Songs
- Broomfield Hill
- The Maid Freed from the Gallows
—
D. DISGUISE AND IDENTITY
D1. Female Soldier
- Cross-dressing for enlistment
Songs
- Sweet Polly Oliver
D2. Female Sailor
- Seafaring disguise
Songs
- Jack Munro
D3. Hidden Identity
- Recognition scenes
- Testing loyalty
Songs
- Hind Horn
D4. Returned Lover Unrecognized
- Recognition by token
Songs
- The Broken Token
- The Dark-Eyed Sailor
—
E. CRIME
E1. Murder
- Lover murder
- Family murder
- Planned murder
Songs
- The Outlandish Knight
- The Cruel Ship’s Carpenter
E2. Infanticide
- Child murder
- Concealment
Songs
- The Cruel Mother
E3. Robbery
- Highwaymen
- Bandits
Songs
- The Bold Highwayman
E4. Poaching
- Illegal hunting
Songs
- The Lincolnshire Poacher
E5. Smuggling
- Contraband
- Customs evasion
Songs
- Various Sussex and Kent smuggling ballads
—
F. JUSTICE
F1. Arrest
F2. Trial
F3. Execution
F4. Transportation
F5. Prison
Songs
- Van Diemen’s Land
- James Macdonald
- Maria Marten
—
G. SUPERNATURAL
G1. Ghost Lovers
- Dead lover returns
Songs
- The Unquiet Grave
- Sweet William’s Ghost
G2. Family Ghosts
- Dead children
- Dead mothers
Songs
- The Wife of Usher’s Well
G3. Fairy Traditions
- Fairy abduction
- Fairy rescue
Songs
- Tam Lin
G4. Prophecy and Vision
Songs
- Thomas the Rhymer
G5. Devil Legends
Songs
- The Daemon Lover
—
H. SOLDIERS
H1. Recruitment
H2. Pressing Into Service
H3. Farewell Before War
H4. Campaign Experience
H5. Return from War
Songs
- The Recruited Collier
- High Germany
- William Taylor
—
I. SEAFARING
I1. Departure
I2. Long Voyage
I3. Naval Combat
I4. Shipwreck
I5. Homecoming
Songs
- Spanish Ladies
- Admiral Benbow
- The Golden Vanity
- The Dark-Eyed Sailor
—
J. OCCUPATIONS
J1. Agriculture
- Ploughmen
- Shepherds
- Farm labourers
Songs
- The Farmer’s Boy
J2. Mining
Songs
- Blackleg Miner
J3. Textile Trades
Songs
- The Weaver and the Factory Maid
J4. Metalworking
Songs
- The Blacksmith
J5. Service Occupations
- Maids
- Servants
- Inn workers
—
K. TRAVEL AND MARGINAL LIFE
K1. Wandering
K2. Exile
K3. Transportation Overseas
K4. Gypsy Life
K5. Beggars
Songs
- The Gaberlunzie Man
- The Raggle Taggle Gypsies
- The Leaving of Liverpool
—
L. RURAL LIFE
L1. Seasons
L2. Harvest
L3. Village Customs
L4. May-Day Traditions
L5. Agricultural Ritual
Songs
- John Barleycorn
—
M. POLITICS AND HISTORY
M1. Dynastic Events
M2. Rebellions
M3. Civil Conflict
M4. Popular Protest
M5. Social Complaint
Songs
- The Cutty Wren
- The World Turned Upside Down
- The White Cockade
—
N. DRINKING AND FESTIVITY
N1. Alehouse Culture
N2. Toasts
N3. Feasting
N4. Seasonal Revelry
N5. Comic Excess
Songs
- The Barley Mow
- The Jolly Beggar
—
O. DEATH AND LAMENT
O1. Deathbed Songs
O2. Funeral Laments
O3. Lost Lovers
O4. Military Dead
O5. Sea Burials
Songs
- Barbara Allen
- Lord Lovel
- The Flowers of the Forest