Also sometimes known as "The Agincourt Hymn", "The
Agincourt Carol", "Our King Went Forth to Normandy" or "Deo Gratias Anglia",
which are also words used in the chorus, this folk song was written in
England in the first decade to fifteen years of the 15th century
either just before or on the return of Henry V from battle.It describes the Battle of
Agincourt, which was fought in France by the armies of Henry V of England
and Charles VI of France, where Charles VI was defeated.It is doubted how much of the song
would have been sung at that time though as Henry V put a ban on singing by
minstrels in thanks for the victory as he felt all thanks should be given
to God.To this end he put on an "Order of Silence", but it is also
known that the song "Battayle of Agincourt" was adapted for harp
around that time. Although not widely known, it was used in the
soundtrack for the film Henry V
, which starred
and was directed by Sir Laurence Olivier.An original manuscript of the text is housed in the
Bodleain Library, Oxford, England and was published in 1779 by J. Stafford
Smith in his Collection of Ancient English Songs, and in 1889 in Reliques
by Percy and by Burney in his History of Music Vol. II.
