Sunday 25 October 2020

605th Anniversary of Agincourt 1415

A Henry! A Henry!  









A Oxford! A Oxford!







It was one of those days. From a French perspective, everything that should have happened did not. Ditto from the English perspective. It is safe to say neither Jean II le Meingre Boucicaut nor Henry V were expecting the battle to follow the pattern illustrated in the popular Agincourt Hymn written sometime in the early 15th Century. We now have Jean II le Meingre Boucicaut's plan for the battle which included two attacks by Mounted Men at Arms on the flanks of the Archers. A plan foiled on the day by delays and Henry V taking the initiative and marching forward to a point on the battlefield where his flanks were protected. Or that is the assumption. We do not know if Henry marched forward in an attempt to goad the French into attacking and guard his flanks. That argument will go on for many years to come. That is the way of things.

A Camoys! A Camoys!






Suffice to say:

Deo gratias Anglia redde pro victoria!
[Give thanks, England, to God for victory!]
Owre Kynge went forth to Normandy
With grace and myght of chyvalry
Ther God for hym wrought mervelusly;
Wherefore Englonde may call and cry}}
Chorus
Deo gratias!
Deo gratias Anglia redde pro victoria!
He sette sege, forsothe to say,
To Harflu towne with ryal aray;
That toune he wan and made afray
That Fraunce shal rewe tyl domesday.
Chorus
Then went hym forth, owre king comely,
In Agincourt feld he faught manly;
Throw grace of God most marvelously,
He had both feld and victory.
Chorus
Ther lordys, erles and barone
Were slayne and taken and that full soon,
Ans summe were broght into Lundone
With joye and blisse and gret renone.
Chorus
Almighty God he keep owre kynge,
His people, and alle his well-wyllynge,
And give them grace wythoute endyng;
Then may we call and savely syng:
Chorus[5]

Facsimile of the Agincourt Carol in the Trinity Carol Roll (Trinity MS O.3.58)

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for the nod to some splendid history. A day I never forget as it is also my sons birthday and we only really realised the coincidence when we visited the battlefield about ten years ago. 👍

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's one of those days that really stand out. Perhaps tool much so as it was a very long time ago. I usually remember it but once or twice I've slipped up too lol

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