Sir Walter Scott and the Border Minstrelsy

Andrew Lang scrutinizes accusations that Sir Walter Scott fabricated or misattributed traditional Border ballads, assembling manuscript evidence, letters, and contemporary recollections to trace how songs reached Scott and his editors. He examines contested pieces such as Auld Maitland, Otterburne, Jamie Telfer, and Kinmont Willie, contrasts recitation, oral transmission, and editorial intervention, and reconstructs relationships among figures like Hogg, Laidlaw, and Leyden. Alongside close readings of variants and editorial practices, the essays argue for the persistence of oral tradition and defend Scott’s methods and honesty while outlining broader principles of how ballads evolve through memory, printing, and antiquarian collecting.