Richie,
Re your first statement: I'm afraid you've lost me completely. The connection between the Child ballad and what you have here appears to me to be at best tenuous.

Re your second posting, Lloyd was merely expanding what Child himself says. I don't have access to these references but I don't doubt Child on such matters. Despite his faults Lloyd was also very widely read in international lore and I think like Child was a multi-linguist.

What we've already said about 17thc and other similar ballads bears out its widespread and ancient motif.

The only other area of balladry I know about, Scandinavian, as far as I know doesn't have this motif. Have you tried Stith's volumes on folk motifs?