> Young Tradition > Songs > The Agincourt Carol
> Steeleye Span > Songs > Silly Sisters: Agincourt Carol / La Route Au Beziers
> June Tabor > Songs > Silly Sisters: Agincourt Carol / La Route Au Beziers

The Agincourt Carol

[trad.]

This song celebrates the victory of King Henry V over the French at Agincourt in 1415 which gave England for the first time the upper hand in the War of Hundred Years. Henry V had neither “good life” nor “good ending”; and his early death in 1422 and the subsequent defeat in France started the War of the Roses.

The Young Tradition sang The Agincourt Carol in 1968 on their last LP, Galleries. They were accompanied by The Early Music Consort and Dolly Collins. Heather Wood commented in the album's sleeve notes:

King Henry V was so appalled by the cost in lives of the victory of Agincourt thet he forbade it to be made the subject of song, but the author of this carol was spared because of the quality of his verse. Well, it's a nice story. This song was something of an endurance test for the musicians who played it straight through without a break. David Munrow, on shawm, practically collapsed afterwards.

The Silly Sisters (June Tabor and Maddy Prior, accompanied by Dan Ar Braz, guitar; Huw Warren, keyboards; Jim Sutherland, percussion; Paul James, soprano saxophone; Nigel Eaton, hurdy gurdy) recorded verses 1 and 6 of the Agincourt Carol in 1988 for their second album, No More to the Dance.

Ewan MacColl used the Agincourt Carol as basis for his song Bring the Summer Home.

Lyrics

Owre kynge went forth to Normandy,
With grace and myyt of chivalry;
The God for hym wrouyt marvelously,
Wherefore Englonde may calle, and cry

Chorus (after each verse)

Deo gratias
Deo gratias
Anglia redde pro victoria.

He sette a sege, the sothe for to say,
To Harflue toune with ryal aray;
That toune he wan, and made a fray,
That Fraunce shall rywe tyl domes day.

Then went owre kynge, with alle his oste,
Thorowe Fraunce for all the Frenshe boste;
He spared 'for' drede of leste, ne most,
Tyl he come to Agincourt coste.

Than for sothe that knyyt comely
In Agincourt feld he fauyt manly
Thorow grace of God most myyty
He had bothe the felde, and the victory

Ther dukys, and erlys, lorde and barone,
Were take, and slayne, and that wel sone,
And some were ledde in to Lundone
With joye, and merthe, and grete renone

Noe gratious God he save owre kynge,
His peple, and all his wel wyllynge,
Gef him gode lyfe, and gode endynge,
That we with merth mowe savely syng