Orientis partibus

Giles C. Watson has added a photo to the pool:

Orientis partibus

From eastern lands came an ass
Asinine and bold as brass,
Strong as any handsome ox
Bearing burdens, hauling rocks.
Hup! Hup! Giddyup, Sir Ass!

High up the hills of Sychen
Donkey-sired under Reuben,
He sloshed across the Jordan
A-braying like an organ.
Hup! Hup! Giddyup, Sir Ass!

In mules, roebucks, put no trust
Theyll not see Sir Ass for dust.
Madianite, swift and hairy,
Faster than a dromedary!
Hup! Hup! Giddyup, Sir Ass!

Pierre de Corbeil: Conduit Manuscrit de Sens , paraphrased from the Latin by Giles Watson. This lyric opens the reconstructed text of the thirteenth century Feast of Fools, as performed by Obsidienne on their album La Fte des Fous, (Calliope, 2005). Pierre de Sens was a scholastic philosopher, and was Bishop of Sens until his death in 1222. The song was most likely sung as a part of the Donkeys Festival at the Feast of the Circumcision on January 1, and in the course of the mass, a donkey was ridden into the church, in honour of the Flight into Egypt. Asses occupied an ambivalent place in mediaeval lore: they were at once symbols of folly, and creatures revered because of their association with Christ. Elements of misrule were often associated with the Feast of Fools, sometimes with official sanction, and sometimes without it. The festivities often involved the promotion of a young boy to the office of Bishop for a day. By the late twelfth century, the Bishop of Paris found it expedient to strictly regulate the Feast of Fools, in order to prevent orgiastic behaviour. He forbade the wearing of animal masks and the performing of obscene songs: a tacit a! dmission , no doubt, that such practices were already widespread. In this respect, the Feast of Fools seems to have reflected more ancient pagan traditions and practices associated with the Calends in early January.

The picture shows detail from a sixteenth century window in Fairford parish church, Gloucestershire. Other pictures of this window, and of a related one, are in the comments below.

The song can be heard in the original Latin here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWdWTsZ7lO8&playnext=1&li...