West Midlands' Ballads

This book is a collection of ballads, which begs the question: What is a ballad? Forget the modern usage, meaning 'a slow, sentimental song'. This is a misuse of the ancient word 'baler' derived from the Old French via Middle English, meaning to dance, and later used as a poem or song performed as an accompaniment to dancing. These usually narrated a popular story and today the story element is the prime feature. If a song tells a story it can be called a ballad. \n