Book description
Edited and Introduced by Emily Lyle. Scotland's ballads represent one
of the high-water marks of Scottish literature and are famous as superb
expressions of oral culture, reflecting a world of magic, deep passion
and history transformed into legend. This selection includes more than
eighty of the finest ballads, together with an introduction, notes and
glosses. The versions come from the last three centuries-from the time
of Burns and Scott, who were among the earliest collectors, up to the
present day. Although the ballads are anonymous in a way, the singers
themselves determine the versions we have, by a process of selection,
interpretation and refashioning. Wherever possible, this edition
includes the names of the singers, many of whom were women. An
internationally recognised ballad scholar, Emily Lyle is a research
fellow at the School of Scottish Studies in the University of Edinburgh,
and is general editor of The Grieg-Duncan Folk song Collection. 'All of
us should own and cherish Emily Lyle's trove of eighty unbelievably
truthful songs.' Scotland on Sunday
