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The lost song of Germanic epic
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 October 2016
Abstract
Despite the lack of notated evidence, something can be recovered of the lost song of medieval epic, a foundational musical tradition in late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Like the chant of the Christian Church, epic has come down to us in a distinctively Carolingian framing. Given the close relationship between liturgical recitation and epic song throughout late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, as well as Charlemagne's own active role in the codification of both Frankish epic and Roman chant, it is possible, as I suggest in conclusion, that these two repertoires resembled each other in significant ways.
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References
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43 My thanks to Timothy McGee for this insight.
44 Hiley, Western Plainchant, 292.
45 McKitterick, review of Levy, 286, note 20.
46 Here conflating Heusler, ‘Dichtung’, 440 (‘die Sammlung der “carmina antiquissima” Karl den Großen’), and Heusler, Andreas, Die altgermanische Dichtung (Darmstadt, 1957), 152 Google Scholar (‘Heldenlieder’).
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52 Previous tallies of literary reports on Germanic epic are, in chronological order: Heusler, ‘Dichtung’, 450–1 and 444–5; L.F. Anderson, The Anglo-Saxon Scop, University of Toronto Studies, Philological Series, 1 (Toronto, 1903), 7–11; Faral, Edmond, Les jongleurs en France au Moyen Âge (New York, 1970), 2–10 Google Scholar; Chambers, E.K., The Mediæval Stage, 2 vols. (Oxford, 1903), 1 Google Scholar: 25–7; Opland, Anglo-Saxon Oral Poetry, 40–60; and Harris, Joseph, ‘Sänger’, in Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde, 2nd edn, 10 vols. (Berlin, 2004), 26: 79–86 Google Scholar. Unless otherwise indicated, translations are by this author.
53 With some modifications by this author.
54 Fescennia was an ancient city known for its poetry; Dione is the mother of Venus.
55 With some emendations by this author.
56 With modifications by this author.
57 Pertz states in a note that some manuscripts read ‘Isbernlef’.