Medieval Living

One of the many things I enjoy about my participation in the Society of Creative Anachronism is attending “bardics” – gatherings where storytellers (bards) share wonderful tales and songs of days gone by. In fact, for the past two years, my humble tent (ok, its a 25′ diameter yurt) has been the site of several bardic events at a gathering referred to as Grand Outlandish. Not only do I get to enjoy the performances, but I also have the privilege of entertaining a variety of people as they gather under the protection of my roof. A nice warm fire glows softly in the center, providing a delightful ambiance as backdrop to the storytellers and singers.

So how do these Bards get to know all of these stories and songs? Well I think I’ve found one source . . . Cariadoc’s Miscellany. I ‘m sure there are more. contains a wealth of Medieval folk stories, from The Breton Lais to the Songs of Roland, Canterbury Tales to The Golden Asse. A very handy collection for the Bard in all of us.

Apparently there was a problem with my link to Cariadoc’s Miscellany – the problem has been fixed.

I happen to love R&B (rhythm and blues) – Sade being one of my favorite artists. But Medieval R&B you say? Well, actually R&B referres to a musical group performing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, call Renaissance and Baroque. Not only does this group perform a variety of Renaissance and Baroque period music, but they also conduct educational outreach programs to local schools in the Pittsburgh area. They also have a very nice little glossary of Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music terms . While I’ve heard of lutes and psaltries and the hurdy-gurdy, some new ones for me included the sackbut, chittarone, and the kithara. The latter, quoting from the R&B site, was “The most important plucked string instrument of Greco-Roman antiquity, larger and heavier than the lyre, which it resembles. The player held the instrument vertically resting upon the left side of the body. The classic kithara had seven strings and was used as a solo instrument and as accompaniment to song.” Lots of other good information there too for those interested in Medieval and Renaissance instruments.