Lyr Add: Mediaeval ballad on Thomas Becket

Subject: Mediaeval ballad on Thomas Becket
From: GUEST,Jack Campin
Date: 18 Nov 06 - 08:44 PM

Maybe somebody here knows more than I do about this one?

http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/Music/Songs/Becket.html

Pretty early for a political protest song.

Subject: Lyr. Add: A, a, a, a, Nunc gaudet ecclesia 15th c.
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Nov 06 - 10:23 PM

Source: Edith Rickert, "Ancient English Christmas Carols: 1400-1700," Chatto & Windus, 1914, p. 129.

LYR. ADD: A, A, A, A, NUNC GAUDET ECCLESIA

1.
Listeneth, lordlings, both great and small,
I shall tell you a wonder tale,
How Holy Church was brought in bale,
Cum magna injuria.
2.
The greatest clerk in all this land,
Thomas of cantebury, I understand,
Slain he was by wicked hand.
Demonis potencia.
(By the power of the devil)
3.
Knights camen fro Henry king,
Wicked men without leasing (i. e., truly)
There they diden a wonder thing,
Ferventes insania.
(Raging in their madness)
4.
They sought him all about,
Within the palace and without;
Of Jesu Christ they had no doubt, (fear)
In sua malicia.
(In their madness)
5.
They opened their mouths wonder wide,
To Thomas they spacken mickle pride,
"Traitor, here, thou shalt abide,
Ferens mortis tedia."
(Bearing the burden of death).
6.
Thomas answered with milde cheer,
"If ye will me slay in this manner,
Let them pass, all that are here,
Sine contumel(i)a."
(Without disgrace).
7.
Before his altar he kneeled adown,
There they began to pare his crown;
They stirred the braines up so down, (upside down)
Optans celi gaudia.
(Hoping for the joys of heaven).
8.
The tormentors about (they) start
With deadly wounds they gam him hurt;
Thomas died in Mother-Church,
Pergens ad celestia.
(Attaining to heaven).
9,
Mother, clerk, widow, and wife,
Worship ye Thomas in all your life;
For fifty-two points he lost his life, (The Constitution of Clarendon, 1164)
Contra regens consilia
(Contrary to the king's counsels).

This version is a bit more readable.
Not my idea of a carol; 'political protest song'- I see your point. The website below doesn't mention the original source. An article by Louise Pound suggests minstrel songs, improvisations of peasant communes, etc. Most seem to have been designed for recitation. Little is known about them. I don't have the article, from PMLA vol. 35, no. 2, 1920 (Pub. Modern Language Assn. of America). There should be some information on the web, or perhaps McGrath will comment.


From "The Hymns and Carols of Christmas." www.hymnsandcarols0fchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/listeneth_lordlings_both_great_an.htm

Subject: RE: Mediaeval ballad on Thomas Becket
From: masato sakurai
Date: 18 Nov 06 - 10:52 PM

According to Richard Leighton Greene, The Early English Carols, 2nd ed. (Oxford, 1977, pp. 60-61[no. 114], 369-370 [notes]), it's from:

a. British Museum. MS. Sloan 2593 XV cent.
b. Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge. MS. 383, pp. 68, 69. XV cent (burden and stzas. 1, 3, 2, 4-6, 8, 9).
c. Public Record Office. Chauncery Miscellanea, Bundle 34, File 1, No. 12, f.Irand v. XV cent.
d. Balliol College, Oxford. MS. 354, ff. 227v, 228r. XVI cent. (burden and stzas. 1-5, 7).

Medieval carols include "political" ones.

Subject: RE: Mediaeval ballad on Thomas Becket
From: masato sakurai
Date: 19 Nov 06 - 01:33 AM

From Greene (a. British Museum. MS. Sloane 2593 XV cent):

f. 23v

A, a, a, a,
Nu[n]c gaudet ecclesia.

[1]
Lestenytgh, lordynges, bothe grete and smale;
I xal you telyn a wonder tale,
How Holy Cherche was brow[t] in bale
   Cum magna iniuria.

[2]
The greteste clerk of al this lond,
Of Cauntyrbery, ye vnderstond,
Slawyn he was [with] wykkyd hond,
   Demonis potencia.

[3]
Knytes kemyn fro Hendry Kyng,
Wykkyd men withoute lesyng;
Ther they dedyn a wonder thing,
   Feruentes insania.

[4]
They sowtyn hym al abowtyn,
Withine the paleys and withoutyn;
Of Jhesu Cryst hadde they non dowte,
   In sua malicia.

[5]
They openyd here mowthis wonder wyde;
To Thomeys they spokyn mekyl pryde:
'Here, tretour, thou xalt abyde,
   Ferens mortis tedia.'

[6]
Thomas answerid with mylde chere,
'If ye wil me slon in this manere, [f. 24r
Let hem pasyn, alle tho arn here,
   Sine contumilia.'

[7]
Beforn his aunter he knelyd adoun,
Ther they gunne to paryn his crown;
He sterdyn the braynus vp and doun,
   Optans celi gaudia.

[8]
The turmentours abowtyn sterte;
With dedly wondys thei gunne him hurte,
Thomas deyid in Moder Cherche,
   Pergens ad celestia.

[9]
Moder, clerk, wedue, and wyf,
Worchepe ye Thomeys in al your lyf
For lii poyntes he les his lyf,
   Contra regis consilia.

Subject: RE: Mediaeval ballad on Thomas Becket
From: GUEST,Jack Campin
Date: 19 Nov 06 - 07:22 AM

Anybody know what the 52 points were?

Subject: RE: Mediaeval ballad on Thomas Becket
From: leeneia
Date: 19 Nov 06 - 09:05 AM

Interesting! Thanks for posting.

Subject: RE: Mediaeval ballad on Thomas Becket
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 19 Nov 06 - 12:35 PM

The Constitutions of Clarendon, 1164 - however it only contains 16 points. (But it does say at the end "There are, indeed, many other great customs and dignities of holy mother church and of the lord king and barons of the kingdom, which are not included in this writing, but which are to be preserved to holy church and to the lord king and his heirs and the barons of the kingdom, and are to be kept inviolate for ever."

"Carol" just means song with a secular tune, as opposed to plain chant - the idea that Carols have to have something to do with Christmas is a modern idea. (Though in fact Thomas was martyred on the fifth day of Christmas, on December 29th, so in this case there is a seasonal connection.

Subject: RE: Mediaeval ballad on Thomas Becket
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 19 Nov 06 - 01:36 PM

The American "Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary" (10th ed.) somewhat limits 'carol'.
1. an old round dance with singing.
2. a song of joy or mirth.
3. a popular song or ballad of religious joy.

One must resort to the Oxford Dictionary for enlargement on 1., wherein is quoted from Caxton, 1483, under 1c, " Thassembles of martirs, the Countes of Confessours, the Carolles of Virgyns," and other quotations to encompass "song with a secular tune" (MacGrath, above).

The version in "Ancient English Christmas Carols" by Rickert seems to have originated with the Sloan MS in the British Museum, with spelling modernized (Masato, above).