Emmanuel Katto | The Ballad Of Chevy Chase Poem by Emmanuel Katto

Although the name ‘Chevy Chase' is perhaps inextricably linked with that of the American comedian, it is actually also the name of one of the most celebrated Border Ballads, set among the ‘chase' (or hunting-ground) of the Cheviot hills, hence the name of the ballad. This is a ‘Border' Ballad in the truest sense: it's even set on the Anglo-Scottish borders! The poem tells of Percy, the Earl of Northumberland, leading a hunting party on the Cheviots, an action which incurs the wrath of the Scottish Earl Douglas and leads to a bloody battle.