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Child Ballad Numbers
Francis James Child’s The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (1882–1898) brings together 305 numbered ballads and their textual variants. Child numbers remain a reference for this selected corpus.
A Child number identifies a ballad within Child’s collection. It does not identify a single performance, a tune, or every traditional song on a similar subject.
Scope and reference practice
English & Scottish ballads · Ballad identifiers. The notes on recording evidence are editorial guidance for future use on this website.
| Reference | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Ballad number | Use the explicit label “Child” with the number to distinguish it from Roud and other systems. |
| Textual version | Record the variant designation, volume and page where available, together with the text or performance being studied. |
| Collection scope | Child’s selection is historically influential but is not a complete inventory of English-language narrative song. |
Using this reference
For later cross-links, compare the story and wording, then cite the documented version. Keep a Roud reference as a separate field or association when one has been verified.
The links below identify the published reference or its official catalogue. This page provides an introduction; it does not reproduce the full index or assign classifications to narratives.
Each heading has a stable link for citation and future cross-referencing. Narrative associations will follow later analysis.
Sources and further reading
Child, Francis James, ed. The English and Scottish Popular Ballads. 5 volumes, issued in 10 parts. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin, 1882–1898.
- Harvard Houghton Library: Child’s research materials and collection history
- Library of Congress: Child and the 305-ballad collection
The explanations are concise editorial summaries. Published identifiers are distinguished from this page’s reference headings and suggested recording practices.
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How to cite: Fielder-White, Jonathan (2026). The Folklore Database. https://folkloredatabase.com
0009-0006-1672-4451
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