“The Death of Queen Jane” and its historical contexts
Introduction – Investigating “The Death of Queen Jane”
For a long time, “The Death of Queen Jane” has been considered a folk song that takes artistic liberties with the historic event of the birth of Edward VI to Jane Seymour in 1537. But is it possible that the song hints at a more complicated story, filled with propaganda and intrigue? Perhaps the ballad reflects the truth, whereas the official accounts have been altered by King Henry VIII’s government officials, eager to help him retain his power. Explore the intersection of Tudor history and folk ballads in this episode of Folk Files. Listen on the homepage using the audio player or head to the About page to find your favorite podcast platform.
In the Patreon blog post for this episode, I dive deeper into this ancient ballad and compare it to the children’s song “Gravel, Green Gravel.” The blog also discusses the thin line between lyric variations and typos. If you are not a Patreon member, you can access the blog for a one-time donation in the Patreon shop.
Host: Olivia Harding
Support Folk Files: https://www.patreon.com/c/FolkFilesPodcast
Musical Excerpts
Oscar Isaac
“The Death of Queen Jane”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfeKFKG3JWM
Cyril Tawney
“The Death of Queen Jane”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESUdOHChNKw
Joan Baez
“The Death of Queen Jane”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6ZNp9le6x8
Bedlam Early Music
“The Death of Queen Jane”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYGWmV2XAnU
Peggy Seeger
“The Death of Queen Jane”
https://youtu.be/7z0KILKEZhk?si=qmkqUwFtPVlKyaGH
Duncan Williamson
“The Death of Queen Jane”
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AB34LE2XNHS5FC8O
John Jacob Niles
“The Death of Queen Jane”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnUaWKysPQM
Isla Cameron
“The Death of Queen Jane”
https://youtu.be/mMmHkgq1_T0?si=MAzM8qm8_0wHxoAc
Karine Polwart
“The Death of Queen Jane”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT2uqT3am1M
Bothy Band
“The Death of Queen Jane”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYHkpjkZvJA