Alf the Freebooter, Little Danneved and Swayne Trost, and Other Ballads

In Short

This collection of translated ballad poetry weaves together Nordic tales of piracy, fatal family vengeance, and joyous pastoral romance. Across these verses, lawless privateers hijack royal fleets, hidden brothers stand back-to-back against overwhelming odds, and proud knights succumb to deadly fratricidal feuds. Amidst the bloodletting, softer notes emerge through pastoral Spanish nuptials and somber elegies dedicated to fallen bards. George Borrow’s translations bring these stark, ancient narratives to life, showcasing how pride, loyalty, and divine justice govern human destinies across vastly different cultural landscapes.

The Story

The volume opens on the high seas with the exploits of Sir Alf, a formidable pirate and nobleman. Setting out on a stout vessel, Alf spies nine Danish court vessels, known as koggers, and boards them alone under the guise of an informant. When the crew reveals their plan to slay Alf’s men and put the pirate in irons, Alf exposes his true identity, slays fifteen courtmen in a ferocious battle, captures the entire fleet, and sails for Norway, leaving behind weeping widows and orphans.

Alf's triumphs are short-lived. Leaving Norway, he wanders the wold conning his breviary, only to be recognized by his former schoolmate, Bendit Rimaardson. Despite Alf’s desperate attempt to pass himself off as a humble mass-boy carrying wine for a priest, Bendit identifies him and has him captured and bound in gyves. Sentenced to Helsingborg to be paraded before the court, Alf encounters the Danish Queen, whom he brazenly taunts with offers of lovemaking and accusations of her past affairs with other notorious thieves. Enraged, the Queen orders his immediate execution. Led out to the eastern side of Helsing, Alf repents his life of plunder, murder, and lawlessness, praying for divine clemency as he faces the gibbet.

A shift to chivalric loyalty unfolds in the tale of young Danneved, who leaves the Danish court because he cannot speak the language and is mocked by fellow warriors. Accompanied by his faithful swain, Swayne Trost, Danneved rides toward his mother's castle at Borrebye, stopping to hear nine masses despite warnings of an ambush. When thirty-seven enemies attack, Danneved's men flee, save for Swayne Trost, who vows to stand by his lord for the bread and silver he has received. Fighting back-to-back in the forest, the pair slaughters thirty foemen and returns victorious. Upon reaching the castle, Danneved demands his sister Ellen's hand for Swayne Trost, only for his mother to reveal that Swayne Trost is actually Danneved's long-lost brother, whom she believed dead. Reunited, the brothers ride joyfully to the imperial court.

Tragedy strikes in the tale of three brothers: Liden, Bear, and Pall. Liden appears at the court showing bloody wounds inflicted by Bear. Rejecting Bear's offer of land and silver, Liden swears vengeance and pursues his brothers into the greenwood. A frantic sword fight ensues wherein Pall slays Bear, but is mortally wounded himself, while Liden is left dead in his gore to be devoured by scavengers. Their mother, proud Mettelil, mourns her three sons, especially Liden, who lacks a hallowed grave.

The mood lightens in "Belardo's Wedding," where the shepherd Belardo, clad in fine green embroidery and glass-buttoned attire, rides to marry the beautiful Philis along the Tagus stream after years of doubt. The collection closes with "The Yew Tree," a brief elegy honouring a tree guarding the grave of a famous Welsh bard.

How It Unfolds

The pirate takes the sea Sir Alf constructs a stout vessel and sails out to intercept nine Danish merchant and court vessels. Boarding them in disguise, he trick-interrogates the crew before revealing his identity and slaughtering fifteen men to capture the entire fleet.

A pirate's downfall Recognized on the wold by his childhood peer Bendit, Alf fails to hide behind a mass-boy disguise and is taken in chains to Helsingborg. After insulting the Danish Queen in her own hall, he is marched out to the gallows, confessing his lifetime of sins before his execution.

Loyalty in the forest Young Danneved leaves court and rides toward his mother's hall, ignoring warnings of an ambush outside the town. When his swains desert him, only Swayne Trost stays to fight, and together they slay thirty ambushers.

A secret revealed Danneved returns home and refuses to eat or drink until his mother grants his sister's hand to Swayne Trost. His mother reveals that Swayne Trost is actually Danneved's long-lost brother, prompting a joyful union between the two.

Fratricide in the greenwood Liden refuses a peaceful settlement for wounds given by his brother Bear and ambushes Bear and Pall beneath the forest boughs. All three brothers perish in the ensuing duel, leaving their mother Mettelil to mourn their unhallowed end.

Pastoral triumph and remembrance The shepherd Belardo rides in fine attire to marry his beloved Philis, ending years of uncertainty with a joyful village wedding. The collection concludes with an ode to a yew tree sheltering the grave of a dead poet.

The People

• Sir Alf: A fierce, arrogant privateer and nobleman who plunders the seas and taunts royals. What he wants is lawless dominion and wealth, but his own past acquaintances and mouthy pride stand in his way, ending in his capture and eventual contrite execution on the gibbet.
• Little Danneved: A young knight mocked at court for his speech, who wants to visit his mother and prove his courage. Despite being abandoned by his men, he defeats an ambush with his swain and ends up happily united with a rediscovered brother.
• Swayne Trost: A steadfast swain who wants to remain loyal to the lord who fed and clothed him. Faced with thirty-five armed foes, he stands back-to-back with Danneved, ultimately discovering he is Danneved's long-lost brother and a knight's son.
• Sir Liden: A vengeful brother who wants retribution at all costs for bloody gashes inflicted by his brother Bear. His refusal to accept land or legal restitution leads directly to a brutal sword fight where he and both his brothers lose their lives.
• Belardo: A devoted shepherd who wants to secure the hand of the beautiful Philis after years of doubt and stern opposition from her father. He succeeds, riding forth in fine clothes to marry his love.

In Its Own Voice

"He draws on the sand a circle mark, / And with a bound he gained the bark."

Sir Alf marks the shore before leaping aboard his vessel to begin his piratical voyage.

"So they their backs together placed, / Master and man, in the forest green;"

Danneved and his loyal swain prepare to defend themselves against an ambush of thirty-nine men.

"For Pall she wept sore, and still, still more / For Bear the good and brave;"

Proud Mettelil grieves the senseless loss of her sons after their violent greenwood duel.

What It's Really About

At its core, the collection examines the inescapable consequences of human choices, balancing revenge against loyalty, and worldly pride against spiritual redemption. In the Scandinavian ballads, justice is swift and often blood-soaked: Sir Alf's unchecked plunder ends on the gallows where worldly gain turns to shame, while Sir Liden’s refusal to forgive his brother brings total destruction to his lineage. Conversely, Swayne Trost’s unwavering fidelity to Danneved yields honor and restores a broken family. The poems constantly contrast the chaos of human vanity—whether expressed through piracy, feud, or courtly scorn—with the immutable order of divine judgment, filial duty, and the serene, timeless endurance of nature.

Why Read It Today

This collection will appeal to lovers of traditional folklore, heroic verse, and Nordic legend who enjoy stark, direct storytelling. Borrow's translations carry a muscular, rhythmic cadence that captures the oral vitality of classic balladry. Reading the text feels like sitting near an ancient hearth, listening to tales where actions carry immediate, fatal consequences and no words are wasted on fluff.

The primary difficulty modern readers will encounter lies in the archaic phrasing, specialized dialect terms (such as "tholed," "fief," "swains," and "albarcas"), and rigid stanza structures. Furthermore, the stark brutality of the feuds and period attitudes toward public executions and violence may feel jarring. However, beneath the rough-hewn stanzas lies a compelling exploration of human vulnerability. The unforgettable image of two brothers standing back-to-back in a forest against impossible odds, or a dying pirate making his final peace on the road to the gibbet, leaves a lingering impression of how deeply historical verse speaks to timeless human struggles.