Ballad and its Connection to the Myth

Abstract

Ballads are defined as a literary genre in Albanian studies, thus their connection with music seems rather vague. In this treat
we will show a typological subdivision of the ballad in Albanian culture and its connection with the myth. More specifically, this
connection is seen in the ballad of walling up wife. The motif of the sacrifice in construction, as opposed to that of the dead brother or
that of the husband coming home, is unknown to the other part of Europe folklore. On the other hand, the rite of the sacrifice in
construction has been and continues to be widely known in many countries all over the world. In this study we try to clear the presence
of the walled up wife motif in Balkan and Albania and also the situation of this motif’s blending in the fund of the ballads.