YMMV / Child Ballads

• Accidental Aesop:
  • "The Fair Flower of Northumberland" (#9): Scottish people all suffer from Chronic Backstabbing Disorder.
  • "The Twa Corbies" (#26): You will die alone, your pets and lover will forget you and leave your body to be eaten by crows.
  • "The Baffled Knight" (#112): if you meet some sweet young thing in the woods, you'd better go ahead and rape her right then and there, because otherwise she'll get away. As the sweet young thing explains to him after her escape.
• Fridge Horror: "The Maid and the Palmer" (#21) deals with infanticide and is, thus, plenty disturbing in and of itself. However, there are some variants that have the Maid's children as having been fathered by her father, brother, and uncle or cousin ... which not only makes the Maid look like she came from one of the most Dysfunctional Families in history, but also raises the unsettling possibility that some of those children may well have been conceived via rape.
• Magnificent Bastard: Robin Hood himself is the dashing outlaw who operates out of Sherwood Forest known famously for his partisanship towards the destitute. Forming a band of Merry Men he either charmed into service, compelled into following with his insane charisma, or offered partnership after being bested by their own skill, Robin Hood and his companions together combat many corrupt nobles, rich folk, or friars, including Prince John, usurper of the throne, and the Sheriff of Nottingham. Finding himself in many situations where he had to use his skills with a bow, ability to think fast and strike attractive deals, or be a Master of Disguise and fool his opponents, Robin Hood's audacious legend—regardless of the many additions and subtractions to it—endures timelessly as an allegory for charity and opposition to tyranny.
• Moral Event Horizon: The Captain's ingratitude in "The Golden Vanity" (#286)
• Tear Jerker: Many.
  • "Lord Thomas and Fair Annet" (#73), "Fair Margaret and Sweet William" (#74), "Sweet William's Ghost" (#77) and "The Unquiet Grave" (#78) all deal with Star-Crossed Lovers separated by death.
• Values Dissonance: "Little Sir Hugh" (#155), wherein the Jews are portrayed as Always Chaotic Evil and regularly sacrificing innocent Christian children.

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