Top-18 of the ballads

Obviously, it is not possible to take a vote among the noblemen from the 16th century interested in ballads on which ballads were the most popular. Instead one can make a hit list by examining which ballads occur most frequently in the preserved ballad books.

Several of the ballads exist in more than one version, whereas 18 ballads appear in as many as five to nine editions. These 18 ballads seem to be the most popular ones from before 1591. The ballads are not well-known in the 21th century since they have not been published during the Romanticism.

The ballads in the top-18 hit list underneath are sorted according to the number of occurrences. The titles serve as external links to the texts in Danish:

1. Marsk Stig ('Marsk Stig'): 9 versions of the ballad, these appear in 5 manuscripts. This is a historical ballad about the killing of King Erik 5. Klipping.
   
   
2. Nilus og Adelus ('Nilus and Adelus'): 8 versions of the ballad, these appear in 5 manuscripts. Ballad of chivalry. 
   
   
3. Esbern og Sidsel ('Esbern and Sidsel'): 8 versions of the ballad, these appear in 6 manuscripts. Ballad of chivalry. 
   
   
4. Gralver Kongesøn ('The Kings’ son Gralver'): 6 versions of the ballad, these appear in 6 manuscripts. Heroic ballad, including a wyvern and a giant.
   
   
5. Flores og Margrete ('Flores and Margrete'): 6 versions of the ballad, these appear in 5 manuscripts. Ballad of magic, including an ogre. 
   
   
6. Sallemand dør af Elskov ('Sallemand dies of Love'): 6 versions of the ballad, these appear in 5 manuscripts. Ballad of chivalry.
   
   
7. Mødet ('The Meeting'): 6 versions of the ballad, these appear in 5 manuscripts. Epic ballad.
    
8. Kong Diderik og hans Kæmper ('King Diderik and his Giants'): 6 versions of the ballad, these appear in 4 manuscripts. Heroic ballad, including giants. The ballad consists of originally two different story lines.
   
   
9. Tro som Guld ('Faithful as Gold'): 6 versions of the ballad, these appear in 5 manuscripts. Ballad of chivalry.
   
   
10. Svend af Vollersløv ('Svend of Vollersløv'): 5 versions of the ballad, these appear in 5 manuscripts. Ballad of chivalry.
    
    
11. Elsker dræbt af Broder ('Lover killed by Brother'): 5 versions of the ballad, these appear in 5 manuscripts. Ballad of chivalry.
    
    
12. Nilus og Tidemand ('Nilus and Tidemand'): 5 versions of the ballad, these appear in 5 manuscripts. Ballad of chivalry.
    
    
13. Kong Diderik og Løven ('King Diderik and the Lion'): 5 versions of the ballad, these appear in 4 manuscripts. Ballad of magic, including a speaking lion and a wyvern.
    
    
14. Hagbard og Signe ('Hagbard and Signe'): 5 versions of the ballad, these appear in 4 manuscripts. Heroic ballad.
    
    
15. Broderlig Troskab ('Brotherly Faithfulness'): 5 versions of the ballad, these appear in 4 manuscripts. Ballad of chivalry.
    
    
16. Overvunden Klosterlyst ('Overcome Desire to enter a nunnery'): 5 versions of the ballad, these appear in 4 manuscripts. Ballad of chivalry.
    
    
17. I fryden vil jeg leve en stund ('For a while, I will live in delight'): 5 versions of the ballad, these appear in 4 manuscripts. Lyrical ballad.
    
    
18. Min kærest’ gode ven forglem icke mig ('My dearest friend, do not forget me'): 5 versions of the ballad, these appear in 3 manuscripts. Lyrical ballad.

The entire study of the most popular Renaissance ballads is available in Hanne Ruus’ paper found in Svøbt i mår volume II.