and of the Role Relationships among the dramatis personae

 

 

 

 

Here the actors are the (potential) lovers among themselves. This is the initiation of a relationship; for matters concerning an ongoing relationship, cf. 210; for broken faith cf. 210.a or 245.a.4

.1 (rendezvous)

.2 (window)

.8 (passing the time of day, greeting, meeting casually, conversation)

because of:

.3 (class)

.4 (character, profession, general pride)

.5 (too young)

.6 (another preferred, broken faith; adultry, the trespass of an established relationship goes to 210.1.a)

[*here: the offer/request refused; under 245 the betrayal of an existing love relationship; under 170 the conditions to fulfill before acceptance]

.7 (marriage)

.1 (cohabitation, having sex)

.2 (prostitution)

.3 (aubade)

E.g., the tattlers, courtiers, "the world", "the others," parents' interference, etc.

by the family, or "others, " etc..

.1 (character, profession, class, nationality)

.2 ("bride" too young)

.4 (family or other personal interference)

.7 (another preferred)

.8 (bestowal of the bride or groom; reward of marriage)

.9 (enforced marriage; this when to the wrong person by e.g. the family)

Request, demand or offer of:

.1 (money, gold, riches, clothes, spices, delicacies, real tangibles)

.2 (honor, marriage, faithfulness)

.3 (Cockaigne, Schlaraffenland , unreal tangibles)

.4 (love token or sign, e.g., ring, symbol of engagement, bonnet instead of maidens' wreath)

.5 (in a non-love situation, one's word or guarantee, Pfand )

.1 (praise, prize, award, reward)

.2 (thankfulness, thanks)

Support, instruction, teaching, stewardship, looking after someone else, personal sacrifice, intercession on someone's behalf; the requests for or offers of such actions , their acceptance, granting or refusal; also the success or failure of what amounts to aid or rescue.

This has to do with requests for or offers of tangibles, alms, food, money, clothes, medical attention, various services which amount to tangibles; here direct; ransom which might involve tangibles is placed with aid/intercession or with mercy accordingly.

From confinement or contract, release from threat of abuse or punishment for whatever reason including sins, religious confession, dropping charges or accusations, turning loose; legal, moral, religious. (intangibles)

Which is not associated with accusation.

Requesting, granting or refusing permission, especially regarding permission to leave, go away with, or permission to enter when this is emphasized; authorization.

Especially from family, friends or colleagues.

Going along with, accompanying, being with someone, especially a lover or a deceased parent.

.8 (hardheartedness, relentlessness, mercilessness)

.9 (because of inability, disability)

.10 (simple releasing from confinement, captivity; spontaneous pardons such as might start a ballad)

Granting mercy or aid but upon imposed conditions, e.g., money, sacrifice, promise; the purchase of "mercy or aid" usually first refused then sold; blackmail, putting the "squeeze on."

.11 (through playing music)

Pacts, Conspiring, Deal Making

Offers, solicitations, demands of occupation either to gain or give employment or in the course of employment or service. Proselytizing.

.1 (hiring, enlisting, arranging employment, conscription [military service under 280])

.2 (workers & bosses: solicitations, demands, e.g., of the workers upon their bosses & vice versa; here employment, occupation- related, not task-related; demands for remuneration)

Responsibilities, Ongoing relationships (unlike 110).

.1 (adultery, being untrue, "cheating")

.3 (Faithfulness, Treue)

.1 (Schnur & Schwieger; mother-in-law and daughter-in-law)

.2 (thankless son or daughter)

.3 (rejection of the parents in favor of the wooer)

.4 (stepparents)

.5 (raising the children by parents or adoptive parents)

Deleted— put in 210, 245, 220, 270, 280, etc.

Social Responsibilities: adherence to prevailing (although perhaps often implied) social conventions, to what's expected; here the more personal and general, to 290 the (dis)loyalty to the more particularly political or religious affiliations. The faithfulness or betrayal of ongoing love relationships co-classified to 210, as well. The faithfulness or betrayal of ongoing kinship responsibilities co-classified to 220, as well

e.g., transgression, sin, covetousness, falseness, unfaithfulness, godlessness / Transgression, Sünde, Begierde, Falschheit, Untreue, Gottlosigkeit

.1 (Frevel: outrageous or heinous trespasses, e.g., incest or bearing false witness under oath, defiling food; BUT for certain kinds of murder cf. 290; for blasphemy see here or 290)

.2 (dishonor, especially but not limited to a girl's)

.3 (hospitality violated or withheld expressly)

.4 (betrayal of or disloyalty to friendship or acquaintance)

.5 (betrayal of stewardship over someone not related)

.6 (betrayal of one's class)

.2 (honor kept)

.3 (hospitality pointedly fulfilled)

.4 (friendship, personal loyalty, familial piety or loyalty, solidarirty)

.5 (stewardship not over kin)

.6 (subservience to class distinctions)

Prevailing legal codes.

Conspiracies, oaths, loans, specific concrete named agreements, deal keeping

Military Service, navy, sailors, mining, cowboys, factory or farm work. In the course of work under 280; hiring or conscription under 180.

.1 (abusive orders, commands)

.2 (manipulation through debt, withholding pay or pensions)

.3 (disobedience, strike)

.4 (poor service, laziness)

.7 (fired, let go - egal wer schuld daran ist)

.5 (true or good service)

.6 (remuneration, concession, pension)

Loyalty or disloyalty to the more particularly political or religious affiliations; to 245 the more personal and general loyalty or betrayal; in doubt co-classify.

.1 (high treason)

.2 (blasphemy)

.3 (godly life, gottgefälliges Leben)

Irrespective of whether the individuals initiate or are enticed or are forced. Here the leaving, especially going towards something (even if unspecified), in distinction to fleeing from something 330 or the "entering captivity" of 850. The "Rattenfänger von Hameln" is both.

Going on quests, riding out, focus on leaving for something or not being happy about leaving (esp. in combination with 590)

.1 (military)

.2 (contract or employment, Wanderschaft, search for employment or adventure, seeking one's fortune)

.3 (pilgrimage, penance)

.4 (quest, search for persons, objects, fame, &c.)

.5 (exile, transportation, being "sent away," "thrown out of the house");

to exil someone, the act of banning or throwing someone out goes here; the state (life as an exiled etc. person) goes to 540.1.

.6 (emigration)

Running away; focus on getting away from something negative. Especially under one's own initiative. If there is help, the act belongs both here and under 151 or 152. Fleeing from something. [Desertion and fleeing the army are essentially the same, as is escape from pursuers or captivity: s. 05.C2b-17 in which he deserts, and then flees from the gendarmes]

The goal, destination, place is known (unlike a search 320.4); saddling up and riding (as on a "milk white steed") but also swimming, running, even being transported by saintly means; mostly to "get there" on time; travel between two points. The thematic core is the spanning of distance between two points, in distinction to just setting off, or undertaking a journey per se, even though the destination might be known.

Psychological or intellectual contests; competition for "the advantage"

Tests and contests, test as a challenge; "prüfen"; Here the "test" – under 810 the discovery.

.1 (debate, riddling, verbal battle of wits, flyting[1])

.2 (clever excuse)

These are mostly "willing" and relatively "external;" here especially self-transformation – to 560 goes enchantment, transformation by another, as being parallel to confinement or slavery or madness.

.1 (getting dressed (i.e., no disguise), costuming, arming oneself; getting undressed)

.2 (disguises, pretensions, transforming oneself in general)

of self or of others; Mostly location, e.g. the robbers' hide out', or under the bed

Tricks, traps, also manipulations which are not particularly exploitative, dodges, shams, deludings, fraud, fakes, deceits, "psyching out," substitutions of another person or thing, diversions, equivocations, lies, trick questions.

.1 (substitution)

.2 (falsehoods, lies, false accusations in combination with 910, falsified information and falsified reports often in combination with 815.5)

.3 (bribes)

Self-praise. Bragging or just a statement of having the advantage over some person, thing, condition, situation. While a boast, insult or mocking someone will start action as a kind of indirect challenge, triumph ends that segment of the action by declaring an apparent winner; certainly some amount of verbal abuse is covered here. But boasting, mocking and challenging which are part of a duel of wits goes to 410.

amongst individuals, for groups see 454

Amongst groups; amongst individuals see 452; for games and sports, s. 470; for general circumstances of military servics see 572.2

.1 (battles, wars, military and naval combat, brawls, fights among groups)

.2 (feuds)

.1 (pursuit, manhunt)

.2 (hunting, poaching)

Whether team or individual; gambling, drawing lots; "contests" and "prowess" are not easily separable from "games" and "competitions". Sports.

.1 (drawing lots)

.2 (gambling, cards, dice)

.3 (competition with animals or machines)

.4 (races)

This is not under psychological contest because the reversal need not necessarily stem from the person's character; it usually does, however.

.1 (measure for measure, turning the tables, hoisted on his own petard)

.2 (disadvantageous success)

Adventures, events, ordeals, adversity, "true occurrences" or "amazing things," often happenings in a series, sometimes leaning more towards the descriptive than to the narrative.

Life as an outsider, outside or marginalized from society; [poverty and beggary when emphasized go do 580.5]

here the state (life as an exiled etc. person); to exil someone, the act of throwing someone out goes to 320.5. Beggary when particularly emphasized; grinding poverty ---> 850.5.

.1 (outlawry--"merry" or "criminal"--, ostracism, vogelfrei sein, geächt und gebannt; "true accounts," ordeals, adversities or the adventures of being an outsider, of being on one's own)

.2 (orphanage)

.3 (beggary when particularly emphasized; grinding poverty) moved to 580.5

One time or gratuitous.

.1 (gratuitous violent mistreatment)

.2 (exploitative mistreatment, gratuitous or not, manipulation, milder forms of exploitation through authority, e.g., gratuitous fining)

.3 (robbery in general, theft; if emphasized as a legal "crime" breaking the law, then co-classify under 260)

Habitual, repeated or motivated by personal relationships. Verbal, physical or neglect.

.1 (beatings & threats of beatings)

.2 (torture, in combination with 810.2 tests and or 810.7 Interrogation)

.3 (threats, except the gallows scene of 660)

.4 (sale of humans; here the selling, 560.3 the slavery)

Here the state of confinement; the act of capturing under 850. Banishment goes to 320.

.0 (general)

.1 (captivity, imprisonment, house arrest, legalistic)

.2 (psychological confinement, enchantment, unwilling transformation, non- or extra-legal captivity, possession by devil, madnes, the madhouse, being enchanted/transformed by someone else; Here madness as enchantment; to 580 as a natural disability.)

.3 (slavery, the galleys)

.4 (reclusion, the cloister)

.1 (riding out, taking a walk)

Occupation or Enterprise (Hunting goes to 460.2)

.1 (chores, e.g., harvesting, gathering, picking, fetching water, wine, &c.)

.2 (military services)

Incidents, hazards & fortunes of choice, personal decision, acts of prowess; of-ten in a series. As a contest, cf. 470.

.0 (general)

The quality of life; mostly this unit is descriptive and observational.

.1 (hard times, hard times litany, e.g., list of afflictions, plague, pestilence, inflation, famine, and so forth)

.2 (Heile Welt, the world in order)

.3 "collateral" circumstances of wars. For the combat and contest themselves see 454.)

Life stories, tends to be a recounting of whole lives or decades.

These events being a sort of miscellaneous category for those which the other units do not fit, where the pressure of what must be felt as "true," historical, or political reality exerts more influence on the song than the more usual story-telling traditions.

About hours, days, weeks, months, years, etc.

Usually short, essentially non-dramatic or without conflict stated directly in the ballad text, often with a somewhat visionary character (but visions & dreams declared as such go to 815).

These are mostly physical, often the kind of things that are complained about (+590). Here the state, under 620 the accident.

.1 (being injured, being wounded)

.2 (illness, insanity, infirmity, age)

.3 (pregnancy, childbirth)[2]

.4 (blindness (physical), disabled)

.5 (grinding poverty, beggary when particularly emphasized; destitution, starvation)

These are more mental, more of the sort a song will make fun of or attack on moral grounds. (Poverty --> 520 or extreme to 580.5)

.1 (weakness, ineptitude)

.2 (stupidity, naïveté)

.3 (habitual drunkenness)

Only the complaints go here; almost always in combination with another unit, e.g., with death 630, killing 650, separation 320, etc. The actions motivated by the complaint go to those respective themes. Thus here goes the complaint of another's death, to 630 goes "sympathetic death;" here goes the complaint of wrongdoing, to 650 the revenge killing.

.1 (about character, except as .2 or .7 below)

.2 (about being married, about married or romantic partner, about their characters)

.3 (subjunctive: I-wish-I-had-never-been-born-type)

.4 (repentance, in combination with 910: accusation; rue the day) Reue

.5 (bereavement over death, i.e., only complaint, without further action which can be co-classified, e.g. 580.2 insanity, 635 suicide, 320 leaving for another land)

.6 (Nostaglia?) (separation from loved ones, homesickness, and question of who will care for children, etc., left behind, about parting, "scheiden & meiden tut weh")

.7 (about family, family members)

Intended harm, hurt, injury, damage [Schaden per se, and while not motivated by personal relationships (e.g. 550 Abuse), are still more deliberate, directed at causing harm (610) rather than more or less personal "gain", eg. the robbery of 540: mistreatment. ]

.1 (arson)

.2 (demolition, sabotage, damaging wrecking or spoiling property)

.3 (wounding, maiming in a fight or battle)

Natural accidents, fire, flood, earthquake, storm, tidal wave, cold, heat, shipwreck, trainwreck. Catastrophes and Disasters, for which someone is blamed for, should go to 610. An example would be Am. mining disaster songs which blame the mining company. As opposed to - here - the "mere" reporting of the mining disaster.

.1 (natural catastrophes, communal)

.2 (accidents, individual)

Natural, accidental, in combat.

.1 (Scheintod, apparent death)

Mostly from a sense of bereavement or loss, dying of desperation or of a broken heart; the "Rose and the Briar" sort of dying over the sight of the lover's body, dying of shame or regret. Sometimes the dying "just happens." Sometimes the actor actively takes his or her own life. Lord Thomas "kills" the Brown Girl (for "killing" his true sweetheart) but then kills himself, too, which suicide 635 is very different from the murder (650+245) or revenge killings (650+960).

.1 (suicide)

Last farewells, last-goodnights on a death bed, gallows, or place of accident.

.1 (farewells, sending of death messages)

The impetus (point of view) is that of the "receiver" of the information: who gets the information or can discover it or can make it become known.

.1 (gratuitous discoveries, mostly of a misdeed)

.2 (questions & tests: of a disguise, identity, character, of suitability (e.g., a suitor's), or loyalty; Liebesprobe ; test questions, questioning parentage, origin, home, where all the children came from; the testing of a disguise or pretension can occur in either direction (test by or of the disguised one))

.4 (belated, unwelcome discoveries, discovery or recognition too late)

.5 (through use of token, mark, sign, ring, etc.)

.6 (overhearing, hearing of something by chance)

.7 Interrogation, official investigations and questioning often in conjunction with 910, sometimes with 550.2 torture. Search or seizure of evidence. Verhör

Discovery of identity, condition, situation; making oneself/itself known, self-presentation; revelation, self-revelation, telling what happened.

Visions, signs, signals, reports. The impetus (point of view) is that of the "sender:" omens, Nature, angels; but also on initiating messages with information that others do not know: letters, prophecies, signals, tokens.

.1 (oracles, omens)

with 960 Retribution = "divine justice,"

e.g., where plants & birds indicate the meting out of justice

with 950 Trial = "trial by ordeal"

.2 (premonitions, dreams, visions)

.3 (prophecies, predictions)

.4 (signals, messages, letting know, also signs agreed upon, letters, telegrams;

.5 (reports)

added because Palau - does German need it???*/

.1 (too late, unwelcome)

.2 (temporary, aborted, inconclusive)

.3 820.3has been abbreviated as "823" for inclusion in the tabular classification.

E.g., bringing home the bride or booty or prisoners, reunion of recognized or "known" relations, lovers or friends, social order restored. The arrival of non-related or non-recognized persons (824) functions differently.

820.4 has been abbreviated as "824" for inclusion in the tabular classification.

I.e. focus on the arrival & reception accorded one a stranger or one not recognized; includes requests for lodging and/or extensions of hospitality (perhaps not accepted) which are not emphasized (s. Mores). The treatment of non-recognition goes to 810: discovery.

.7 (reunion in heaven)

Taking prisoner, arresting, claiming or asserting control over a person or thing. In distinction to the "departure" aspect of 310. The "Rattenfänger von Hameln" is both. ["Rescue from Danger" is under 151 as it is more "help" than "claiming." In doubt do both]. Here the capturing, 560 the imprisonment.

.1 (claiming, calling forth, being fetched by angels or the devil, the groom claiming his bride) Here ""Mäuseturm""

.2 (capture, taking prisoner, arresting)

.3 (temporary, unavailing, aborted, inconclusive)

.4 (press gang)

Accusations, self-accusations, delivering oneself or another person up. In combination with 440.2 = false accusation, false witness, slander, Verleumdung

.1 (admonitions from the hereafter)

.2 (whose blood is that?; blood gushing onto someone)

.3 (confession; in combination with 590 = repentance; confessions have more to do with justice while 815 has more to do with "letting things be known.")

.4 (simple reproach, perhaps without "criminal" implications)

.5 (confrontation with a misdeed in a non-trial setting) [can occur in conjunction with 910.2]

.6 (telling on someone, verpetzen + 815)

.1 (civil, legal)

.2 (military, court-martial)

.3 (trial by ordeal +815; trial with torture to extract confession 950.2 + 550.2 as in 04.11g-10)

.4 (extralegal (trial-like but by citizens or a "posse" in an inn, etc.))

All kinds of punishments, retributions, revenge. The unit is almost exclusively aspectual, acting in combination with actions listed elsewhere.

.1 (threat of retribution, punishment, except gallows scene)

.2 (consolation, justice belongs to God)

.3 (supernatural or divine aspects to the retribution, mostly in combination with 815)

.4 (Curses [here the cursing, elsewhere the "medium" co-classied, e.g. Harm, Abuse, Prophecy])// ie "spelling" such as 960 retrib. + 560 abuse + [by implication] 910 accusation of +.... //

.5 (Buße auferlegt - penance required)

These are essentially redundant categories, since metaphors should all be taken literally for classificatory pruposes; however, in the interests of inter-cultural reliability, these figurative categories are provided for co-classification along with the express content of the ballads.

For example, the tinker who "fixes" every woman's "pot" does not expressly mention sex, but that is what the song really is talking about.

For example, the Irish asling which tells of the dream of the most beautiful woman is actually talking about dreaming of a free Ireland.

These role relationships do not have to be mutual to be thematically valid; the presence of only one side of a relationship is sufficient to record that class of actor.

These classes are not mutually exclusive; just as in real life, the role relationships can combine (e.g., love and family).

Relationships defined by loving, courting, romancing, attempting to seduce, entice, having a good (amorous) time or not. Included are also marital relationships, or what passes for such , called by Wilgus, Long and their students ""binding relationships."" Husband and wife acting as a couple are included here; acting as father and mother they are included among Family. However, a lasting relationship is not necessarily implied (e.g., the prostitute), nor must the ""love"" which motivates the plot be mutual (e.g., ""Winterrosen,"" or ""König und Marquise"").

Relationships defined by family ties; blood relationships rather than social. The ""family"" may be extended or nuclear, and may include stewards or step-parents, but only when they act in the capacity of immediate family relationships.

Relationships defined by a common and public social structure of work and commerce: artisans, innkeepers, soldiers, sailors, rangers. Characterized by professional or economic relationships; roles dictated by general social structure rather than authoritarian or personal relationships. (The soldier or cowboy carrying out his duties is classed here; the figure whose role in the ballad is that of a lover is classed among the Lovers, even though he may be described incidentally as a soldier or a cowboy)

Relationships defined by the potential for exercising authority which is collective rather than individual. Institutional agents are the representatives of authority (e.g., kings, police, popes), or agents acting in the religious or governmental institution's stead,

e.g., soldiers in combat; ships of war; the law and lawmen; priests representing the church as institution (e.g., the pope in ""Tannhäuser""; not the figures which are the subject of religious teachings); feudal lords.

The relationships which involve victims or sufferers. A criminal, robber, abuser, or an oppressor can create a ""Victim,"" and so can an institution (which then functions as the ""Victim's"" opposite). A ""Victim"" or a sufferer can ask for help, so that the helper—or even the avenger—is his opposite in the other direction. This is borne out by such figures as Robin Hood, who is both ""criminal"" and ""helper,"" and as ""outlaw"" perhaps also ""Victim"" in his own right. The relationships here are of exploitation and help; since both center on the ""Victim,"" the agent class is so named.

Relationships which depend on the numinous, on the figure's supernatural qualities, or on the figure's position in a religious or mythological hierarchy. Included are religious figures, supernatural characters, saints and biblical figures acting especially in their ""official"" or biblical capacities (e.g., Christ, Saint Peter); revenants and Scheintote (false dead). As an indexing device, these relationships have been assigned to the individual song types, although they have not been used in the classification.

Relationships involving animals, plants, inanimate objects, forms of nature, whether or not the plot's relationships actually depend on a figure's being non-human. As long as they act in a ballad, such figures have been recorded as an indexing device. They have not been used in the actual classification or arrangement.

Relationships between ballad principals which are characterized by their lack of personally motivated depth, however important the figure may be to the ballad plot. ""Gratuitous Actors"" is a category for principals not to be put in any of the other ""pigeon holes,"" and yet whose actions, while lacking enough substance to associate them with another class of principals, seems important enough as gratuitous: these are the figures who step in and out of the ballads, perhaps giving advice or an accusation, appearing in a dream, or functioning as a voice of the ballad itself.

Roles or relationships characterized mainly by contest or combat, e.g., Diederick in his punitive action against Ermenrich (V180). The conflict here is not so much one of interpersonal relationships as it is of circumstances: warriors who define themselves through their combat; cowboys and Indians. At times, however, the category is appropriate to contestants in psychological battles for personal hegemony (T.Unit 440), when, along with any other ""personal"" relationships, the roles motivating the ballad plot are defined by a gaming spirit or adversary nature.

ALLTUS (v. 2.2 from 2015/8): 15