Child Owlet is Child ballad 291 and a murder ballad

Murder ballad

Murder ballads are a sub-genre of the traditional ballad form, the lyrics of which form a narrative describing the events of a murder, often including the lead-up and/or aftermath...

. It was performed by English folk-rock band Steeleye Span

Steeleye Span

Steeleye Span are an English folk-rock band, formed in 1969 and remaining active today. Along with Fairport Convention they are amongst the best known acts of the British folk revival, and were among the most commercially successful, thanks to their hit singles "Gaudete" and "All Around My Hat"....

 on their album They Called Her Babylon

They Called Her Babylon

They Called Her Babylon is an album by the electric folk band Steeleye Span.The album, the band's 18th studio album, was released in 2004. The album is perhaps most noteworthy for the return of Maddy Prior, the band's most central member, who had departed the band in 1996...

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Synopsis

Lady Erskine tries to seduce her husband's nephew, Child Owlet. He refuses. She stabs herself and tells her husband that he had tried to seduce her. He puts Child Owlet to death by having him torn apart by wild horses.