I have thoroughly enjoyed my brief time in this discussion group. I have learned much and hope that I have contributed value. Hopefully this post will not lodge my foot securely in my mouth. Let me first clarify with an confession: I am not a period purist. I am a 1599-1600 Scottish minstrel and bard who celebrates the songs and the stories of the common people. I am not high brow. I choose not to sing liturgical music. This means most of my sources (which may purport to reflect period songs and stories) were documented significantly after period. My goal is to represent my craft while maintaining a mood/tone compatible with Enchanted Ground (even if I technically fall short). That said, I am perplexed by some recommendations received within this astute group. For example, there are people who diss my primary source (Robert Burns) but favor the Child ballads. So, for the sake of argument ... * Robert Burns published his Scottish material between 1786 and 1793. In addition to original compositions, he was chief song collector and chief editor on the five volumes of the Scots Musical Museum. * The Brothers Grimm started publishing their German stories in 1812. * Hans Christian Andersen started publishing his Dutch stories in 1829. * And, Francis James Childs started publishing his English/Scottish material in 1857 (with the Child Ballads technically not being published until 1882). * Thomas Keightley first published The World Guide to Gnomes, Fairies, Elves, and Other Little People in 1880. * Peter Berresford Ellis collected and published his Celtic myths in the late 20th century. I do not discount those SCA schollars who pursue and identify legitimate period sources. These are worthwhile endeavors, and I intend to follow in their paths. But, each source referenced above set out to legitimately document oral sources, more or less in their original flavor. Bottom line: (1) HUGE KUDOS to you, if you discover period songs or stories which can be effectively performed before modern SCA audiences (either as-is or after some adaptation). (2) Kudos to you if you leverage a faithful (but after period) source (like the ones noted above) and effectively perform these before modern SCA audiences while maintaining the mood/tone of Enchanted Ground. The proof is in the pudding, and if the audience is not captivated by the performance, it matters little if the source was period. Please do not diss or shame someone elses source ... especially if you are not sure how legitimately period your source is. I will leave off discussing songs and stories of the current middle ages and SCA filks ... these have a legitimate seat at the SCA bardic table, but there are some I do not personally like (such as The Moose Song).
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 02:38:48 +0000
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