Young Beichan - Variants

Variants

This ballad is also known in Norse, Spanish, and Italian variants.

A Scandavian variant, "Harra Pætur & Elinborg", the hero set out on a pilgrimage, after asking the heroine, his betrothed, how long she would wait for him; she says, eight years. After the eight years, she sets out and the rest of the ballad is the same, except that Paetur has a reason for his fickleness: he was magically made to forget.

The motif of a hero magically made to forget his love and remembering her on her appearance is common; it may even have been dropped from "Young Beichan", as the hero always returns to the heroine with a promptness of an enchantment breaking. Other folktales with this motif include Jean, the Soldier, and Eulalie, the Devil's Daughter, The Two Kings' Children, The Master Maid, Anthousa, Xanthousa, Chrisomalousa, Snow-White-Fire-Red, The True Bride, and Sweetheart Roland.