By Hana Sakurai Wernham, First Year English
As Brat Summer is consigned to the cultural mush of the past, we must find another epoch-defining soundtrack. Where better to look to than the sweet melodies of medieval Europe?
Stay with me. The poets of the fourteenth century imagined the triumphs of sixth century King Arthur and his court. Then, the pre-Raphaelite painters of the nineteenth century fantasised about handsome knights saving beautiful princesses. After that, the folk-rockers of the 1970s donned flowing dresses like those in the paintings from the century before.
And, more recently, TikTokers meticulously craft ‘medievalcore’ videos which draw from all three reimaginings. Thus spoke the zeitgeist, medieval is back! Well, back again, in a sort of revival of a revival of a revival of a… you get the idea.
To help you get your feudal vibe on, here is a playlist of songs that range from sort-of-medieval-ish to straight out of 1066. I’ve picked out an eclectic mix, including real Middle Ages bangers along with some anachronisms that would make your medievalist seminar tutor shudder. Ay fleeth the tyme; it will no man abyde! (That means ‘let’s get on with it’, for the uninitiated).
The Stranglers - Golden Brown
The defining song of this year’s online medieval revival. The song charted at #2 upon its release in 1982 and has seen a TikTok renaissance, providing the soundtrack to many a viral medievalcore video. The videos feature fast paced images spanning from medieval facsimiles to BBC Merlin, collaged and cut up to the rhythm of harpsichord stabs.
The jaunty, driving harpsichord at the heart of the song will make you feel like you’re running through the corridors of a vast castle, face lit by only a candle. Something magical is definitely afoot.
The Smiths – Bigmouth Strikes Again
The lyric ‘And now I know how Joan of Arc felt / as the flames rose to her Roman nose / and her Walkman started to melt’ is what tenuously connects this song to the Middle Ages for me.
When listening, I like to erase the mental image of a half-joking-half-serious Morrissey feigning persecution and bemoaning the consequences of his offensive ‘bigmouth’. Instead, I vest myself with the power of rebel girl Joan. Divine messages! War in the body of a girl! On the bus with my wired earphones, I am her! Maybe I’m just as bad as him…
Traditional Folk – Worldes blis ne last no throwe
I actually can’t tell you much about this song. It may well have been a poem first that was then put to a melody. Or the other way around. Not sure what century it’s from either. Sorry, it’s a deep cut!
I can tell you that it’s from England and was sung in Church (as most medieval music was). The lyrics say that worldly bliss lasts not a moment; we ought to knuckle down and not enjoy earthly pleasures so much. I’m not sure about that, but what I do know is that the eery parallel harmonies and ornamented melody of this enigmatic song are enchanting beyond words.
Pentangle – Light Flight
I couldn’t not include folk rockers Pentangle. The band name itself is a medieval reference - to the mysterious five-pronged star representing virtue in the Middle English poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The song Light Flight jumps between time signatures with mind-blowing ease. I challenge you to try and count along!
Cocteau Twins – Blue Bell Knoll
I’m only now making the connection between singer Liz Fraser’s beautiful, eerie, twisting melodies and the ornamented melodies of the medieval church. The alien lyrics of the Cocteau Twins remind me of the language of the Middle English poems I’ve met in my English studies – familiar, indecipherable. Impossible to translate in an exam setting.
I initially picked this song because it features yet another harpsichord. Which is more of a baroque instrument than anything. Quick google and… baroque is not medieval. Whoops!
Traditional Folk – Byrd one breere/Bird on a Briar
This song is known as one of the earliest love poems in the English language. The subject of the song is a beautiful woman who flits around like a bird in a tree. But the language is tinged with questions of transformation and death.
It’s a little profane, ‘Might I have her at my will,’ the speaker sings of their love, but revering too, ‘she may save me from my sorrow’. Read Carol Rumens’s analysis in the Guardian’s poem of the week for more insight on its endless complexity.
I’ll end my guide on a historically accurate high. For full effect, I recommend matching your environment to the music, so while listening, take a walk around St Mary Redcliffe, a true Gothic church, and visit the 13th century ruins of Temple Church in Castle Park.
Featured Image: Hana Sakurai WernhamFeeling medieval yet?
