Ballad Ballad is one of the oldest hymns in English. Originally it was sung to the accompaniment of a harp or a fiddle by a strolling singer or bands of singers. They earned a living in this way. The minstrel usually sung in a farm house or in the village green where many listeners would assemble and listen. In Scott’s “Lay of the Last Minstrel”, we see him welcomed to the castle wall. In its early stage, the sing was accompanied by a crude tribal dance. The word ‘Ballad” means dancing sing. Before printing was invented, it was handed down by oral tradition. Most of the ancient English ballads were collected by Bishop Percy in the book “Reliques of Ancient English Poetry”. The Ballad is a short story in verse. It was intended to be sung to audience. As it was developed at an early stage in Man’s cultural evolution, its themes are actions rather than thoughts. They are of the simplest kind, such as a memorable feud, a thrilling adventure, a family disaster, love and war. The