Since 1993 I've been a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. I've spent my time actively researching games, music, poetry, theatre and other forms of entertainment from before 1600 C.E. The time has come to get all that research out of my notebooks, and released into the wild for other people to make use of.
Some things to note:
Some things to note:
- Where possible, I have stated my sources. In many cases, especially the sheet music, I no longer know where I found my source material: a lot was given to me well over a decade ago - some in the form of photocopies, a lot I made notes of but failed to properly document my source, some has come from websites that are now defunct, some has come by word of mouth, some I've simply lost part of my original material, including the source. If I don't know my original sources, I'll say so. That doesn't mean that what I have posted is not period - for example, I re-transcribed all the music I have posted, and for a long time I didn't attach the source data to the files. The composer and the dates are accurate, and the music is period, but I may not know who or where I got it from any more (and, of course, that means there are potentially transcription errors.) If you recognise any of the material's origins, or if I have inadvertently transgressed your copyright, please let me know so I can properly credit you.
- Speaking of copyright - any music, poetry, play or document published prior to 1600 is well past copyright. HOWEVER! Transcriptions, translations, redactions, arrangements, comments and clarifications may not be. Again, where ever possible, I will state my sources.
- Anyone is free to make use of the material on this website, for their own amusement and for the amusement of others, if done in a non-professional/not-for-profit way. If you wish to use material from this website as part of your own ongoing research, please do credit all the relevant sources (including me.) Please don't post content or files to other websites - link back here instead.
- Why Joyous Demaundes? "Demaundes Joyous" is the name of a 1511 book of English jokes, in riddle ("demaunde") form. Any entertainment, and especially performance entertainment, is demanding of one, but there is great joy in doing it. So that's why.