A little-known medieval poem written almost 800 years ago is called the Melrose Chronicle. It was
written in the 13th century by worldly Cistercian monks (thanks Geoff) and is an account of what happened
around the signing of the Magna Carta - and the plot thickens on that particular event. The poem, written in Latin, is remarkably clear. It begins: 'A new state of things begun in England; such a strange affair as had
never been heard; for the body wishes to rule the head, and the people
desired to be masters over the king.' Ah, the them and us situation between the Scots and the English was apparent then and still is now. Of course, 'the body wishes to rule the head' points to republicanism and that too is fraught. I mean I am all for it, but look who it has potentially brought us in the past, Maggie, Tony, Boris, Ken... goodness wee Eck and Nigel on opposing sides of the border - I shudder. Mind you playing to type is the nature of history - and we shouldn't be surprised. While we are concerning ourselves with issues of state (and Chaucer's medieval poetry with courtly love, warring nights and dodgy church people) a new translation of comic French poems
written in the same medieval period and known as the fabliaux has been translated into English published. They are comic, often anonymous
tales written by jongleurs in northeast France between circa 1150 and 1400, and are generally characterized by sexual and scatological obscenity,
and by a set of contrary attitudes—contrary to the church and to the
nobility. So while the Melrose brings you a commentary on the Magna Carta and not the saucy French ideas offering cuckolded husbands, randy priests, lusty
women—and a fondness for scatological humor - don't you just love those érotique française? It is Saturday morning and I am am off for a run. I have a copy of this and have had it for years, can't remember why I never posted - not so fond of the angelic voices in the background but the Brenda Fricker intervention is something else - and hearing Yates spoken by a woman gives this an altogether different meaning - enjoy, happy Saturday:
