Ane Dance in the Quenis Chalmer facts for kids
Ane Dance in the Quenis Chalmer or A dance in the Queen's chamber is a funny poem written in the old Scots language by a famous poet named William Dunbar.
This poem describes a lively dance happening in the room of Margaret Tudor. She was the wife of James IV of Scotland, who was the King of Scotland at the time. The poem introduces different people from the royal court. It describes their dance moves in a very funny way. A line that repeats often in the poem is, "A merrier dance might no man see," meaning no one could see a happier dance.
Some of the dancers mentioned include Master Robert Schaw. He was a doctor who gave medical advice to the Queen's pharmacist, William Foular. Master Schaw likely helped the women of the court with their health. To make the poem even more fun for the court, Dunbar includes himself as a dancer. He describes himself as clumsy, even losing a slipper while dancing!
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Dancing at Court
This poem gives us a peek into what life was like at the Scottish royal court. It shows how people entertained themselves. Poems like this were often shared and enjoyed by the King and Queen. They helped to make court life more interesting and fun.
Who Was Margaret Tudor?
Margaret Tudor was an English princess. She became the Queen of Scotland when she married King James IV. Their marriage was important for peace between England and Scotland. She lived in grand places like Linlithgow Palace.
Meet Sir John Sinclair
One of the people in the poem is Sir John Sinclair. The poem says:
- Sir Jhon Sinclair begowthe to dance,
- For he was new cum owt of France.
- For ony thing that he do mycht
- The an futt yeid ay onrycht
- And to the tother wald nocht gree.
- Quod an, "Tak up the quenis knycht!"
- A mirrear dance mycht na man see.
This means Sir John Sinclair started to dance. He had just come back from France. No matter what he tried, one of his feet always went the wrong way. It just wouldn't agree with the other foot! Someone said, "Help the Queen's knight!" The poem ends by saying, "A merrier dance might no man see."
Sir John Sinclair's Role
Sir John Sinclair was a helper to Queen Margaret Tudor. In April 1513, an English diplomat named Nicholas West visited Linlithgow Palace. Sir John Sinclair was the one who met him and took him to Queen Margaret. He might also be the same person who played cards with King James IV in 1490 and 1491. This shows he was an active part of the royal court.
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