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Geoff Chaucer on dancing..
A snipit from Chaucer as he describes a dance
(the dance here is called a carole which has been cited as being like our 'bop
dance' but in a circle with no arches). It's actually a translation from the
Roman de la Rose into English (by Chaucer). The original author was Guillaume de
Loris, writing about 1237, and in it Sir Mirth, Gladness, Courtesy, Cupid,
Frankness, and other personifications are dancing the Carole in a garden of
love.
So this carole includes turning, springing, flutes, singing, women casting their
tambourines into the air an catching them again and pretend kissing:
"Then mightest thou caroles seen,
And folk ther daunce and mery been,
And make many a fair tourning
Upon the grene gras springing.
Ther mightest thou see these floutours,
Minstrales, and eek jogelours,
That wel to singe did her peyne
Somme
songe songes of Loreyne.
For in Loreyen his notes be
Ful swelter than in this contree.
Ther was many a timbestere
And saylours: that I dar well sweare
Couthe hir craft ful parfitly.
The timbres up ful stilly
They caste, and hente ful ofte
Upon a finger faire and softe,
That they ne fayled never-mo.
Ful fetis damiselles two,
Right yonge, and fulle of semlihede,
In Kirtles, and non other wede,
And faire tressed every tresse,
Hadde Mirthe doon, for his noblesse,
Amidde the carole for to daunce;
But her-of lyth no remembraunce,
How that they daunced queyntly.
That oon wolde come al privily
Agayn that other, and whan they were
Togidre almost, they threwe y-fare
Hir mouthes so, that through hir play
It semed as they kiste alway;
To dauncen wel coude they the gyse;
What shulde I more to you devyse?
No bede I never thennes go,
Whyles that I saw hem daunce so."
While watching the dance, the poet is addressed by Courtesy:
"What do ye there, beau Sire?" quod she
Come her, and if it lyke you
To dauncen, daunceth with us now."
And I, withoute tarying,
Wente into the caroling.
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Chaucer
