Al-hal-day (All Hallow's Day)

Today, 1st November, is traditionally All Hallow's Day, now more commonly known as All Saints' Day. Like many landmarks of the medieval year, it is mentioned in the Sir Gawain and the Green Knight poem (so many feastdays are mentioned in the poem that it functions almost as a calendar or guide to the medieval year).

Earlier I posted about Michaelmas Day, which heralds the onset of winter and reminds Gawain that he must leave the safety of Arthur's court and set out on his quest for the Green Knight (see my post here). However, Gawain procrastinates (well, who wouldn't, in his situation!) and does not leave Camelot until early November. On All Saints' Day Arthur provides in Gawain's honour a large and hearty feast, and, after much prolonged leave-taking, the knight leaves the next morning:

Yet quyl Al-hal-day with Arther he lenges,

And he made a fare on that fest, for the frekes sake,

With much revel and ryche of the Rounde Table.

Knyghts ful cortays and comlich ladies,

Al for luf of that lede in longynge thay were;

Bot never-the-lece ne the later thay nevened bot merthe,

Mony joyles for that jentyle japes ther maden.

For aftter mete with mournyng he meles to his eme,

And spekes of his passage, and pertly he sayde:

'Now, lege lorde of my lyf, leve I you ask.

Ye knowe the cost of this cace, kepe I ni more

To telle yow tenes therof, never bot trifel;

Bot I am boun to the bur barely to-morne,

To sech the gome of the grene, as God wyl me wisse.

Thenne the best of the burgh bowed togeder,

Aywan and Errik and other ful mony,

Sir Doddinaval de Savage, the duk of Clarence,

Launcelot and Lyonel and Lucan the gode,

Sir Boos and Sir Bydver, big men bothe,

And mony other menskful, with Mador de la Port.

Alle this compayny of court com the kyng nerre,

For to counseyl the knyght, with care at her hert.

There was much derne doel driven in the sale,

That so worthé as Wawan schulde wende on that ernde,

To dryye a delful dynt, and dele no more

              wyth bronde.

The knyght mad ay god chere,

And sayde: 'Quat schuld I wonde?'

 Of destinés derf and dere

What may mon do bot fonde?'

And to finish off - I know Halloween this year has been and gone, but this post (from the UK, a day behind NZ) landed in my email inbox this morning and I couldn't resist sharing it. It's an old post from the Medieval Manuscripts Blog, "Dress Up for Halloween, Medieval Style," a darkly humorous list of costume ideas based on the weird and wonderful creatures found in the margins of medieval manuscripts. And it does have some relevance to my post today, as it features woodwoses - the mythical tree-men also mentioned in SGGK.

Manuscript of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, from the British Library via

All Hallow's Eve and the Lyke-Wake Dirge

(empty) Roman sarcophagi in the Multiangular Tower, York

To mark Halloween - or, in its older form, All Hallow's Eve - I found for your delight this cheery little medieval poem. Written in the dialect of north Yorkshire, it is a funeral dirge, thought to have been sung or chanted while keeping watch (wake) at the side of a corpse (lyke; this old word for corpse survives today in lychgate, the covered gateway into church grounds, where the bier would await the arrival of the priest conducting the funeral). The poem displays the typical medieval preoccupation both with Purgartory and with the Corporal Works of Mercy - well, three of them at least: to clothe the naked ("If ever thou gavest hosen and shoon"), to feed the hungry, and to give drink to the thirsty ("If ever thou gav'st meat or drink"). This leads into the pious hope that a life well lived will result in "Christ receiv[ing] thy saule."

This ae nighte, this ae nighte,
Every nighte and alle,
Fire and fleet and candle-lighte,
And Christe receive thy saule.

When thou from hence away art past,
Every nighte and alle,
To Whinny-muir thou com'st at last;
And Christe receive thy saule.

If ever thou gavest hosen and shoon,
Every nighte and alle,
Sit thee down and put them on;
And Christe receive thy saule.

If hosen and shoon thou ne'er gav'st nane
Every nighte and alle,
The whinnes sall prick thee to the bare bane;
And Christe receive thy saule.

From Whinny-muir whence thou may'st pass,
Every nighte and alle,
To Brig o' Dread whence thou may'st pass,
And Christe receive thy saule.

From Brig o' Dread whence thou may'st pass,
Every nighte and alle,
To Purgatory fire thou com'st at last;
And Christe receive thy saule. 

If ever thou gav'st meat or drink,
Every nighte and alle,
The fire sall never make thee shrink;
And Christe receive thy saule.

If meat or drink thou ne'er gav'st nane,
Every nighte and alle,
The fire will burn thee to the bare bane;
And Christe receive thy saule.

This ae nighte, this ae nighte,
Every nighte and alle,
Fire and fleet and candle-lighte,
And Christe receive thy saule.

I do think middle English literature is much more fun read in the original, so I am not going to translate the poem. In any case, the language of this version isn't hard, especially when you simply drop the final e from many words. A few tricky words I have glossed below:

fleet ~ some say this should be sleet, as in frozen rain. Others say it should be slate, as in the roofing material. However, fleet appears to be an old word for home, or house. I prefer this, as it alliterates with fire. 

saule ~ soul

hosen ~ clothes

shoon ~ shoes

whinnnes, Whinny-muir ~ whin = thorn and muir = moor

bane ~ bone

Brig ~ not a sailing ship; a bridge

The song has been set to music by Benjamin Britten. The band Pentangle (medieval buffs will know that the name comes from the five-pointed star emblazoned on Gawain's shield in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight) also released their own version, which you can listen to here:

Telegraph | Authenticity and the Globe

Interesting opinion piece from the Telegraph's Dominic Cavendish about the London Globe theatre:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/26/

All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their entrances and their exits; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.

This day is called the feast of Crispian

Today, 25th October, is the feast day of St Crispin, forever beloved by Shakespeare fans because it provides them with an excellent excuse to chant the famous eve-of-battle speech in Shakespeare's Henry V.

He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,

Will stand a-tip toe when the day is named,

And rouse him at the name of Crispian.

However, St Crispin's day this year was by many Aucklanders eagerly awaited for a different reason, albeit one connected with Shakespeare...

He that shall live this day, and see old age,

Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,

And say, 'Tomorrow is St Crispian.'

The Pop-Up Globe is returning this summer (glory hallelujah!) and the season dates and performances were released today, St Crispin's Day.

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.

The season runs from 23rd February to the 14th May; the plays are Othello, As You Like It, Much Ado About Nothing, and (appropriately, given the day of the announcement) Henry V. Full details here:

 http://www.popupglobe.co.nz/

And gentlemen in England now a-bed

Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,

And hold their manhoods cheap while any speaks

That fought with us upon St Crispin's Day.

I cannot decide whether 25th October was deliberately chosen for the season launch, or whether it was (very) happy coincidence. (I suspect the latter as there is no mention of St Crispin anywhere in the website, or on Facebook). Oh well... it doesn't matter.

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, 

Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

 The main thing is - the Pop-Up Globe is coming back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shylock with Guy Masterton

The Once and Future Humanities (public lecture)

Professor John McGowan, of the University of North Carolina, is presenting this year's Hood Lecture in English, titled The Once and Future Humanities, this Wednesday 12th October, 6:30pm in the Engineering building (room 401).

Further information here: http://www.arts.auckland.ac.nz/en/about/events/2016/10/the-once-and-future-humanities.html

UoA Graduation Media Release

See the University of Auckland homepage (scroll down), or https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/about/news-events-and-notices/news/news-2016/10/liggins-institute-daughters-graduate.html