Percy's "Child of Elle" was published in the reliques, that is, after Percy extended 11 stanzas into 50. But that's ok because as Sir Walter Scott himself observed, it was done in the "true style of gothic embellishment." If some of that text made it into "The Douglas Tragedy," that doesn't mean Earl Bran is not a real ballad from oral tradition.

You know what "phatic" means don't you English teacher? It is language that does not serve an informational but rather a social function. Often phatic phrases are nonsense words that are included in a folk song to enable people to join in the singing without having to know lyrics.

Aye lilly, O lally...

Derry, derry down...

Sometimes certain memorable floating verses can also serve that same function. Earl Bran has a definite oral (singing tradition), it has a real melody. It 's a real ballad. Why did Child classify "Child of Elle" and "Douglas Tragedy" under the title "Earl Bran"?

Gotta have those 7 brothers too. They are an integral part of the story...