Medieval Minstrelsy: The Lives and Occupations of England's Musical Professionals

Throughout many centuries, the traveling musicians of medieval Europe have sparked interest in countless writers and poets, and the minstrels of England are no different. No novel from today’s medieval fantasy genre would be complete without a dragon, a knight, and a daring minstrel who carries in his tunes the secrets of millennia, traveling alone with more magic in his pocket than coins. Unfortunately, the evidence to suggest the existence of this minstrel is devastatingly lacking. The research that does exist, however, gleaned from court records and personal memoirs, paints a different picture and identifies him as not just a bard, but a qualified musician. The minstrels of medieval England were professionals in their fields, despite being considered low-class. They boasted notable skill for their time, filled a wide variety of jobs in the medieval world, and collaborated with one another in troupes and unions to establish protected careers for themselves and other musicians. While history still leaves room for debate between what one could call the realists and the hopefuls, each hoping to fill the gaps in time with normalcy or romance, there can be no doubt about the professional nature of the English minstrels’ lives and careers.