8 - Orality and Performance

Summary

Introduction

But the Minstrels continued a distinct order of men for many ages after the Norman Conquest […]. I have no doubt but most of the old heroic ballads in this collection were composed by this order of men; for although some of the larger metrical romances might come from the pen of the monks or others, yet the smaller narratives were probably composed by the minstrels who sang them. From the amazing variations which occur in different copies of the old pieces, it is evident they made no scruple to alter each other's productions; and the reciter added or omitted whole stanzas according to his own fancy or convenience.

‘This collection’ refers to the Reliques of Ancient English Poetry by Thomas Percy, first published in 1765. Percy appended ‘An Essay on the Ancient Minstrels in England’, from which the introductory quotation comes. The picture painted by Percy of the minstrel as both the performer and composer of popular Middle English romances was already in his time severely criticized, a criticism that led Percy to some modifications in later editions of his essay. When reading Percy's essay today, almost 250 years after its first publication, it is gratifying to see that progress in philology has given us reliable editions of most Middle English romances, and that advances in palaeography, codicology and historical linguistics have put our interpretations of these texts on a reasonably firm basis. It is, however, also somewhat discouraging to realize that the figure of the minstrel is still shrouded in mystery and that his role in the creation, transmission and performance of Middle English romances continues to be a matter of dispute.

One thing seems uncontroversial: the Middle English popular romances were meant to be heard. Many of them begin with the narrator addressing his audience and asking them to listen to his tale. Here are some examples: