Execution ballad

An execution ballad is a type of ballad that details the execution of a prisoner or criminal. They were a popular form of street literature from the 1500s to the 1800s across Europe, and some were still being written until World War II. These ballads often contained lurid descriptions of violence, treating the death of the subject as a gruesome warning to the public about the potential consequences of committing a crime. They were sold as broadsides and pamphlets by roving street vendors, often on the day of the execution or the following days. There was usually no written music notation, only a direction that the ballad should be sung to the tune of a certain popular song.