☝️ Key Points
- The song is a humorous and satirical portrayal of medieval chivalry.
- The verses introduce different knights and their actions or misfortunes, portraying them as flawed and human individuals.
- The stories range from clumsy and ridiculous situations to suggestive and scandalous events.
- The song concludes with the humorous comment that the knights went extinct due to their inability to quickly remove their armor to have sex.
- Overall, the song humorously mocks the knights and their virtues, showing them far from the idealized and romanticized notions.
Interpretation
The song 'Ja so warn's die alten Rittersleut' by
Fredl Fesl is a humorous and satirical look at medieval chivalry and its virtues. It paints a picture of knights that diverges greatly from romanticized ideals and portrays them as flawed and human individuals.
In the various verses of the song, different knights and their deeds or misfortunes are introduced. These range from clumsy and ridiculous situations, such as 'And the knight Alexander slips over the banister. There was a nail below, since then he sings in the boys' choir.', where the knight has a high voice due to an accident, to suggestive and scandalous stories, like in the case of 'During a crusade, the knight Franze, believe me, fathered 15 illegitimate children in one night in a harem.', where the knight fathered many children during a crusade.
The song ends with the humorous remark that knights became extinct because of their inability to quickly get out of their armor to have sex: 'If a knight wanted to have a fling, he had to struggle out of his armor, which spoiled his desire, that's why they're extinct now.'
Overall, the song is a humorous and satirical portrayal of medieval knights that is far from idealized and romanticized notions. It shows knights as flawed and ridiculous figures, and humorously takes aim at them and their virtues.