The Young Earl of Essex’s Victory Over the Emperor of Germany is
Child Ballad 288. With variations, the main story tells of an
earl
Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form '' jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particula ...
who goes to sea and confronts the German ships. The earl defeats the German emperor's son.
Synopsis
The earl takes to sea. In some variants, his love, Nelly, pleads him to stay and reminds him of what happened to
Benbow. Soon after departing, the earl comes across the ships of the German emperor. They hail each other, and the earl's proud greeting causes the emperor's son to ask for ships to go against him. They fight, and the earl defeats and capture's the emperor's son. The emperor tries to ransom him back, but the earl insists on bringing him prisoner before the queen.
See also
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List of the Child Ballads
The Child Ballads is the colloquial name given to a collection of 305 ballads collected in the 19th century by Francis James Child
Francis James Child (February 1, 1825 – September 11, 1896) was an American scholar, educator, and folklorist, ...
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Scottish mythology
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English folklore
English folklore consists of the myths and legends of England, including the English region's mythical creatures, traditional recipes, urban legends, proverbs, superstitions, and folktales. Its cultural history is rooted in Celtic, Christia ...
References
External links
''The Young Earl of Essex’s Victory Over the Emperor of Germany''
Child Ballads
Border ballads
Northumbrian folklore
Anglo-Scottish border
Year of song unknown
Songwriter unknown
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