Strike the harp

In part four, we now encounter the world of the minstrel, or "little servant" from which the word is derived. Minstrels, and their later counterparts, the Troubadour, were very much an integral part of the Medieval lanscape and the fabric of court life. And some were quite famous, as their names have been passed down to us throughout history, the most of course being Geoffrey Chaucer.

But in this segment, we learn of other names too such as that of Tyfair, the minstrel of William the Conqueror, who pretty much got the Battle of Hastings, and the subsequent end of Saxon England off to a flying start by juggling his sword and a spear. There is also Richard who in 1306 prevented a fire from destroying Windsor Castle while on watch duty.

Here too is the Song of Roland, a 4000 line epic poem that was the greatest "Chanson D'jest" of the Norman Period, and of the songs of Duke William IX of Aquitane who changed the4 face of minstrelry with the introuduction of poems in the langauage of the street, which gave Chaucer his start.

So, if the Hit Parade for 1350 is your bag, your going to dig these crazy tunes, and the people who sang them.