Crossover: Jewish Hobos, Part 2 /There is No Klezmer Guitar, Part
The first Jewish Guitar Playing Hobo? / The 13th Century Revival
Why should I wander sadly,
My harp within my hand,
O'er mountain, hill, and valley?
What praise do I command?,
Full well they know the singer
Belongs to race accursed
Sweet Minne* doth no longer
Reward me as at first.
Be silent, then, my lyre,
We sing 'fore lords in vain.
I'll leave the minstrel's choir,
And roam a Jew again.
My staff and hat I'll grasp, then,
And on my breast full low,
By Jewish custom olden,
My grizzled beard shall grow.
My days I'll pass in quiet,
Those left to me on earth,
Nor sing for those who not yet
Have learned a poet's worth.
*translated: “love” but meaning the thing the minnesingers sang about. His love of singing songs just didn’t cut it anymore.
Nice to know the music biz hasn’t changed much. 13th century wandering “socialistic” moody poet singer Susskind of Trimberg. “He traveled, lute in hand, from castle to castle entertaining… with poetry and song. He derived his livelihood from handouts.” From Sendrey.
The invaluable Jewish Lute essay from Joachim Braun points to some other key 13th century texts, including the Psalm manuscript in the library of Palma [Pictures forthcoming when I find them], which includes beautiful images of not one, not two, but five lute situations. It is his opinion that this document, along with some others from this time, demonstrates that “In the late 13th-14th centuries learned Jewish men, probably including the Rabbis, the wealthy, educated circles, and persons of status…accepted the lute-type instruments, particluarly the gittern-formerly tavern, nightlight, serenade, even thieves’ instruments- as being the temple instruments of the past- the knnor or nevel.” (Braun, p.136)
This development happens through time, but also through space, as it cruises into 15th century Ashkenaz I (Middle Europe) and which we will focus on soon.
One crucial image from this period deserves attention:
First of all, oh snap, are those Jews playing bones?
Brun calls them “rarely depicted concussion sticks.” Have to file that one for later.
Anyway, this image along with a few others from this time (which I’ll stick in the appendix as I find them) depicts, not a contemporary scene, but an illustration of the Biblical situation in “And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand….” Here’s another from the Kaufman Haggadah, also from the 13th century.
Here’s one a bit later (14th century) of a wedding accompanied by the sweetest little Lute situation you ever did see:
Anyway, see Braun’s article for a full catalog of these images. What can we make of them? There’s definitely a shift in the prevalence of these images starting around the 13th century. Why? This is not entirely clear. You could say there was a brief window of prosperity and mild tolerance, but I wouldn’t push it! The 13th century saw the Muslims all but pushed out of Spain, and the Jews actually lost privileges generally. And, there was always trouble around the corner. Was this a brief afterglow from a better time? Dunno.
Bottom line: The lute, after it’s long associations with mediterranean paganism, was reintroduced into Europe and Jews were picking it up. In addition, as they moved into Middle Europe, they took the lute with them. This would continue, as we’ll see until it “mysteriously disappears” again in the 17th century.