DBK
German Ballad Catalog
Themes, Roles, Narrative Units, Aspects
The narrative ideas common to many ballads, although expressed through many varying wordings and varying details, are relatively stable. For instance "courtship" (however expressed) is easily recognized, as is "betrayal" (however expressed). Because such narrative ideas, called Themes, are relatively stable, these overarching, recurring Themes are the means to finding ballads, the story songs.
The Themes embody how this or that ballad action functions within its narrative. His knocking at her window "means" he is courting her (Theme 110: Courtship); his leading her off into the woods "means" he is betraying her (Theme 245.a). Somebody's being executed "means" they are being punished (960: Punishment, Retribution, Revenge). Themes are slightly abstracted ideas which the ballad actions embody.
In similar fashion, the traditional stories have traditional Roles, and like the Themes, the figure's actions embody their roles: the Lovers "act like lovers" (L) , the Family "acts like family" (F). For example, the "Lovers" make vows and perhaps exchange rings (Theme 125: Promises and Vows). The "Spouses" (L) might be unfaithful (Theme 210.a) or trick each other (Theme 440: Tricks, Deceptions, Ploys, Ruses, Entrapments, Lies). The hard-hearted "Victimizers" (V) refuse bread (Theme 152: Helping Hand: material aid denied) to their "Family" members (F) which is a repugnant iniquity (Theme 245: Mores and Morals violated) resulting in the bread's turning to stone (Theme 960: Retribution, Punishment, Revenge, Pay-Back) and (Theme 490: Role Reversal) the "Victimizers" (V) become themselves "Victims" (V).
Like the Themes, the Roles are slightly abstracted to express the central idea of a range of textual or minor plot variations, based on the folkloristic principal of "stable function and variable agent." (Vladimir Propp ). It makes no difference if a lover or potential lover is a maid, a nun, a wife or a queen, is a cowboy, a sailor, a nobleman, a farmer or a pope. While the potential "Lover" might also say "no," refusing to take on those role expectations, their Role is still that of (potential) "Lover." If the ballad figure (mother, father, cousin, stepmother, daughter, steward, etc.) functions in the capacity of a family member, they are to be categorized (tagged if you will) as "Family," even when they "misbehave" in that Role. Both Themes and Roles are slightly abstracted in order to provide a stable level of classification and to avoid varying but equivalent details presented across many variants or songs.
General:
A ballad action can function within its narrative in different ways to express more than one Theme, e.g. a Theme 650 "Killing" can be a "Murder" (therefore also Theme 245.a "moral abomination"), and later in the same ballad a "Retribution" (Theme 960), or even part of a "Rescue" (Theme 151: Help, Assistance). Rather than any specific textual details, the function of the ballad's actions within their narrative determines the Theme or Themes. Likewise, the hard-hearted sister's Roles in the example above are both as "Family" and "Victimizer."
A Theme can be repeated: presented negatively at first and then again positively later on, as in the "Killing" example above, or a "Non-Recognition" (810a) can be followed by "Recognition (810b)" as in the return of the "false" true lover; the maiden can at first refuse his Courtship (110.a) and then accept him (110.b). In such cases the ballad will be found under any of its Themes - or a combination thereof. (Cf. Aspects below).
Theoretically any Theme can be performed by any of the Roles: Family can help or punish; Lovers can love and murder; outlaws can be Victimizers or themselves Victims.
The plot's expression of a particular theme will vary according to its context within the ballad narrative and according to what kind of Role is involved. For instance, stealing off in the middle of the night seems to operate differently if it is a "Lover" escaping her "Family" — or a soldier ("Occupational Role") deserting his post. In both cases the Theme "630: Escapes, Desertions, Flight" is expressed. Likewise the "Captures and Claimings" of Theme 850 will look quite different if "she," a "Lover," is fetched by her beau ("Lover") — or if "she" (a "Wrongdoer") is fetched by the devil. And of course Theme "110: Courtship" will be expressed by different ballad actions if she accepts the suitor (110.b) — or refuses him (110.a).
Some things are inherently combinations which mean more than one thing and are given multiple tags accordingly. In the "murdered girl" ballads, for instance, a "Theme 650: Killing" is first also a "Theme 245a: Heinous, Immoral Act" and later a "960: Retribution or Punishment." The concept "divine justice" can be "spelled" by "810: Oracles" with "960: Punishment." "False accusations" are "spelled" with a combination of "440: Tricks and Deceptions" plus "910: Accusations." A Theme "590: Complaint" can be about being fired (280a), about the infidelity of a partner (Theme 210.a) or about a "crime" (Theme 260). These associations occur naturally, arising from the various stories sung. The tagged ballads can be found under all the various Themes they are co-classified (or "double classified") with.
(The Thesaurus contains much additional information on individual Themes)
The ballad classification and search engine are built upon the stable level of the Themes, broad, abstracted ideas represented by ballad actions. While the Themes are all the user needs to locate a ballad, to aid in the thematic classification and the retrieval of the ballads, I have also tracked certain thematic details, subcategories of the Themes, which I am calling "Narrative Units" (a term coined by Wilgus and Long), and Aspects (which are discussed below). This is a way of optionally adding extra, specific, narrower details which complement a standard search using the broader Themes. The Narrative Units will also serve as examples of their respective Themes. While the Themes are geared toward a classified index, the Narrative Unit extensions are more descriptive.
Many casual users will look for more concrete ballad actions. Instead of a more abstract Theme like "910: Accusations, Denunciations, Deliveries," The song texts will be more detailed: admonitions from the hereafter (910.1), confessions (910.3), reproaches (910.4), blood stains (910.2), telling on someone (910.6), pointing one's finger (910.5). While the latter imply the Theme, that is not necessarily intuitive for many users. The solution has been to include this less abstracted information in the form of examples and subcategories to the Themes — the Narrative Units.
While the Narrative Units are essentially descriptive, the Themes are essentially classificatory, tagging ballads by their underlying themes, their basic ideas, not their particular textual-motival (choice-of-word) variations. Ballads expressing similar basic ideas can thus be considered together, even across linguistic or national boundaries. The optional Narrative Units help exemplify and communicate the ideas encompassed in the Themes and serve to guide the user from a specific text to the overarching theme.
Narrative Units are common, recurring narrative actions which are on a "lower" ("motival" or "narrower") level than the Themes, and yet are at a "higher", more abstract, level than particular textual formulations. These are the kinds of recurring actions, often interchangeable amongst variants of an individual ballad, that express certain broader Themes. For example, the Theme "810: Discoveries, (Non-)Recognitions, Tests" is exemplified by standard plot situations, Narrative Units, such as
§ 810.1: gratuitous discoveries
§ 810.2: questions and tests of identity, character, suitability, or loyalty;
§ 810.4: belated or unwelcome discoveries
§ 810.5: through use of token, mark, sign, ring, etc.
§ 810.6: overhearing by chance
§ 810.7: interrogation, official investigations and questioning often in conjunction with 910: Accusations, sometimes with 550:2: Torture. Search or seizure of evidence. Depositions.
810 is the Theme and the level of classification searchable by pull-down. The Narrative Units (810.1-.7) are typical examples of the Theme, and as such are recorded in the data base and serve as a connecting bridge between raw ballad narrative texts and the ideas embodied in the Themes. The Narrative Units are not exhaustive exemplars of a Theme. For instance, Theme 590: "Complaints" contains Narrative Unit complaints about being married, etc., but not about starving to death, although obviously that is something one could complain about. In that case the classification would be "spelled" by the combination "590: Complaint" [about] "580.5: Disability: starvation."
Descriptive Narrative Units and Aspects often give valuable, perhaps definitive, further information about a ballad: Are the lovers true (210.3)? Are the parents abusive (220.4)?. Do the actors act with common decency and empathy, or are they godless, grasping and traitorous (245.1)? Do they keep their word (270.b) or break their agreements (270.a)? As far as the ballad is concerned, are they "good" workers (280.5)?
The Narrative Units are directly searchable using the "Advanced Search" button, for example a seach for "810.4" (See the Instructions and Guide). Such searches can combine freely with terms selected from the menus.
A good way to discover which Theme to use is by searching the Thesaurus for words contained in the narrative unit descriptions. For example, using the brower's "FIND" button to search the Thesaurus for "arrest," you will be led to Theme "850: Captures and Claimings" by the Narrative Unit "850.2: "capture, taking prisoner, arresting". You will also be led to 560.1: "captivity, house arrest" under Theme "560: Confinement," but instructions there will tell which one to use. You can also use the Alphabetic Index to the Thesaurus.
Aspects indicate major variations on a Narrative Unit. For instance, all sorts of requests and demands are present in the ballads, and it can make a world of difference: whether the 110: "Courtship" is 110.b 'successful' or 110.a "unsuccessful"; whether the 153: "Request for Mercy" is 153.b "granted" or 153.a "denied" or 153.c "purchased as a ransom"; whether the 320: "Departure" is 320.b 'voluntary' or 320.a 'involuntary'; or whether someone is 810.b 'Recognized' or 810.a 'not (or erroneously).'
Aspects are attributes which modify how a Theme or Narrative Unit presents: positively or negatively. Many Themes can work in several ways which can express themselves through quite different actions. In the request for material aid (Theme 152), a rough denial (152.a) will present very differently than a spontaneous offer of assistance (152.b) or the requirement that it has to be earned (152.c). The Aspects are intended to aid in pinpointing the Theme to select. Theoretically, if logical, any Aspect can combine with any Narrative Unit within a certain Theme. Some more examples are:
§
210.a: Romantic or Marital Responsibilities (failed,
violated)
— e.g., 210.1:adultery
The Aspects are directly searchable using the "Advanced Search" button. Seach for example for "810.b"
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