George Malcolm Laws
Encyclopedia
George Malcolm Laws Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is a scholar of traditional UK and US folk song.
His name is normally rendered as "G Malcolm Laws jnr". He is best known for "American Balladry from British Broadsides", published in 1957 by the American Folklore Society. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, and joined the English Faculty in 1942. He gives his name to a system of coding folk songs; one letter of the alphabet, followed by 2 numbers. For example "Laws A01" is "Brave Wolfe" also known as "Bold Wolfe" or "The Battle of Quebec". There is no immediately obvious logic, but a broad pattern appears: the letter A is for military songs, the letter D is for nautical songs, the letter F is for murder, and so on. The system obviously limits you to 26 x 99 songs = 2,576. On the plus side, this system is a strong method of bringing together similar songs. It is a useful adjunct to Child numbers. He includes many songs that Child
excluded, and of course, new ones that were found after Child died.
The letters A to H are for native American ballads. The letters J to Q are for "American Ballads from British Broadsides".
A fuller list may be found here: -
His name is normally rendered as "G Malcolm Laws jnr". He is best known for "American Balladry from British Broadsides", published in 1957 by the American Folklore Society. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, and joined the English Faculty in 1942. He gives his name to a system of coding folk songs; one letter of the alphabet, followed by 2 numbers. For example "Laws A01" is "Brave Wolfe" also known as "Bold Wolfe" or "The Battle of Quebec". There is no immediately obvious logic, but a broad pattern appears: the letter A is for military songs, the letter D is for nautical songs, the letter F is for murder, and so on. The system obviously limits you to 26 x 99 songs = 2,576. On the plus side, this system is a strong method of bringing together similar songs. It is a useful adjunct to Child numbers. He includes many songs that Child
Francis James Child
Francis James Child was an American scholar, educator, and folklorist, best known today for his collection of folk songs known as the Child Ballads. Child was Boylston professor of rhetoric and oratory at Harvard University, where he produced influential editions of English poetry...
excluded, and of course, new ones that were found after Child died.
Examples of Laws numbers
- Laws A01 - Brave Wolfe
- Laws A02 - Major Andrews Execution
- Laws A03 - Stately Southerner
- Laws A04 - Paul Jones
- Laws A05 - James Bird
- Laws A06 - Constitution and the Guerriere
- Laws A07 - Battle of New Orleans
- Laws A08 - Texas Rangers
- Laws A09 - Manassa Junction
- Laws A11 - Battle of Shiloh Hill
- Laws A12 - Battle of Elkhorn Tavern
The letters A to H are for native American ballads. The letters J to Q are for "American Ballads from British Broadsides".
- J War ballads
- K Ballads of sailors and the sea
- L Ballads of crime and criminals
- M Ballads of family opposition to lovers
- N Ballads of lovers' disguises and tricks
- O Ballads of faithful lovers
- P Unfaithful lovers
- Q Humorous and miscellaneous
A fuller list may be found here: -