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I. The Classical Ballads' Poetic Context
The sources of the Newfoundland classical ballad repertoire prove it a commendable
basis for the objectives of this study. The sustained effons of folksong collecting in the
province along with the manifest re·creative talent of its singers yield a data basis allying
quantity to quality; the result is a fairly exceptional repertoire in Anglo-American classic.1!
balladry. To this fortunate state of affairs could be owed the coherence of its discourse on
death, but it is 10 talerole analysis that goes the merit of "cracking the code"! of its
meanings. Indeed, the mere survey of this corpus with regard 10 its distribution of types
and versions already reveals its salient concern: lovers separated by death or the emotional
crisis of bcreavement at its worst. Whereas the particular prominence and dramatic
treatment of this issue in the repertoire could have led to the assumption that it expresses a
defeatist, fatalistic and morbid attitude to life and love, consideration of the texts' deeper
structures disclaims such a superficial appreciation of their intrinsic meanings.
Throughout the twenty-five death-related ballad types, all narrating the tragic death of
their central protagonists in various circumstances, the interaction of taleroles reveals two
pervading plot structures. Rather than passive and powerless victims of fatality. the actions
of the hero(in)es show them either as "offenders" towards their partner or "offended" by
him/her, a third character or circumstance. The "offenders," in facl, "re-act" to a usually
undramatized offence; and the victims ("offended") of circumstance, the bereaved,
likewise, seek their own death in consequence of their grief. As those responsible for
death are true lovers as well as monstrous villains, possessive parents and jealous rivals,
this ballad corpus, indeed, envisions death as a result of certain human behaviours as Illuch
as of fatality.
While these impulsive young adults ignore their moral responsibility for tragedy in
their ordinary life, their dying partners or the taners' revenants "denounce" their error, to
them or third persons, but in any case to the audience. This repertoire teaches about the
safe way into marriage and out of bereavement by the examples of those who compromise
their union and shorten their days owing to immoderate behaviour in love and grief,
infidelity and excessive mourning. So, these ballads' concern is with moral and social
norms. their ample treatment of death aiming at the preservation--not the devaluation--of
I Renwick's expression, English 19.