History with a Hook: How Horrible Histories Makes the Past Stick
Let’s face it, not all of us enjoyed school, but regardless of what grade you achieved in GCSE History, we are all united by our enjoyment of the funky Horrible Histories songs. The programme first aired in the UK on the 16th of April 2009 and has continued to be a cult classic to this day. From singing ‘We sell any monk’ to the iconic Charles the Second, what’s not to love?
This blog post analyses the role of Horrible Histories through
the medium of their historical songs, exploring how history is made accessible whilst
not detracting too far from the actual events as they happened.
Tonight, We’re Gonna Party Like It’s 1066
In this section, I shall introduce three songs from the
programme. After establishing the context of the song, the historical agents
present in it, and the message behind it, I will analyse the relationship
between these elements in how the medium presents history.
First up it’s good ol’ Charles the Second.[1]
The song features a rather interesting pop-style rap, in which Charles II is
surrounded by his supporters. It goes into his party life, his love interests
and his role in extinguishing the Great Fire of London (1666). Nell Gwyn, one
of Charles’ supposed lovers is named in the song. And for the ‘Merry Monarch’
much of his behaviour feels apt.
Charles II’s song is upbeat and presents him in a flattering light. Now, for those of you not as historically aware, don’t fear, as my trusty summary is here…* Charles II was reinstated as monarch following the death of Oliver Cromwell, who had acted as Lord Protector from 1653 to 1658. Cromwell was the leader of the oppositional party, the Roundheads, in the English Civil War, which resulted in Charles I (Charles II’s father) being tried and executed. So, this celebration is a return to a more celebratory period, so it's no surprise it’s presented in such an upbeat way. The song is quite clever; it gives the listener the basic overview of Charles’ reign and presents him in a complementary light.
Songs created for the show follow two themes: either
individually focused or on a specific event. The songs created for individuals like monarchs tend to be funnier, with a lot more creative liberty being taken, whereas the song for Rosa Parks is both entertaining and educational.[2]
The key takeaway of her experience in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955 is told in
such an impressive way. The show-writers cleverly weave her story around the
jazz-esque song they set it to. The mantra that Rosa Parks did not move for a
white man and was arrested for this is echoed through the repeated chants of ‘she
sat on the bus’ and ‘we stayed off the bus’.
Parks’ story is part of the wider Civil Rights movement of
the twentieth century and is incredibly important. Her story is of an everyday
person taking a stand and because it was so well documented, this historical
event can be told with much greater precision and in a more sensitive light.
Finally, back to our monarchs with ‘Born 2 Rule’ from the
Four King Georges.[3]
Here we are introduced to George I, George II, George III and George IV, as
well as their retrospective historical takeaways. In the case of poor George
III – who was a monarch at such a crucial time like the American Civil War – is
reduced to simply being “the mad one”. At the end of the song they even have
the actor of George III shout out “banana” to highlight how weird and different
he was from the other monarchs. This follows long-standing popular belief of
his madness from unexplained behaviour at the time in which he was alive. However, modern scholars have dismissed the notion he was simply ‘mad’ and instead have
turned to more grounded explanations for his behaviour such as porphyria or
bipolar disorder.
This song is satire. It aims to poke fun at how the kings are remembered. It is not accurate and it should obviously not be viewed in that light. What it does do successfully though is introduce the differences of the kings. If we imagine we are a 10/11-year-old student coming across the Georgians for the first time, these small distinctions may help. Writers clearly created these succinct takeaways as purposeful reminders – entertaining and, to an extent, educational.
What do historians think?
When I was sitting in a meeting for my upcoming special
subject, my tutor lit up at the mention that I had chosen to study the course,
for obviously academic rigour, but also due to the fact that there is a
Horrible Histories song on Joan of Arc, too. So even Oxford Professors do like
the humour in which their subjects are passed onto the general public.
Historians have devoted a significant portion of their time to
dissecting the role of visual arts and their affiliation to history as a
subject. Ellis has argued that television itself has a ‘three-fold relationship
with history’; it does, it makes, and it has its own history too.[4]
If we draw on Ellis’ observation in relation to Horrible Histories, we can see
how a programme itself can fit all three categories. Despite the program's
obvious name suggesting it would ‘do’ history, it also went on to be undeniably
popular and has made history through its enduring legacy. I am sure the
historians of two centuries to come shall find it rather amusing to study these
songs as representative of how many of the younger British public are exposed
to historical ideas and events. Ellis is correct to assert that television is
not just a one-dimensional approach to engaging with the field of history.
Still, as public commentators like Karolina Zabrowska – a public historian on YouTube
- have argued, it is not entirely accurate in its depiction of historical
events. From costuming to staging, media often appear inconsistent with what
academics may view as ‘proper’ or ‘authentic’ history.
The media and the use of these songs in Horrible Histories
are not to be taken as the sole historical fact, but as a simple explanation to
engage and pique interest. They are designed to lure the viewer in, not to
present a PhD defence.
The Takeaway
Horrible Histories is a phenomenal resource for fostering a
deeper interest in history. Someone is more likely to come across a song and stop
and think ‘wait, did he or she really do that?’ and want to find out more, than
if they see a series of dense history books on the matter. It offers those who may
not enjoy the traditional way of learning a new approach to unlocking the past.
Despite some of the quick choices for a few of the songs, it
is a fantastic summary of certain events and details of people’s lives. It remains,
for this very reason, my favourite reference point when I need some revision
cheer.
Which song is your favourite?
*Don’t worry if you never studied this properly at school, I
don’t think I did at GCSE either, and I live in Huntingdon – Cromwell’s parliamentary
seat!
A lot of the popular songs have their status for good reason, so I'd never disagree with someone who said 'Charles II' or the Monarchs songs were their favourites. That said, a couple underrated gems for me include 'The Borgia Family', 'Ain't Staying Alive' and 'Crassus: Minted'.
ReplyDeleteGood choices William, but lets not forget about Joan of Arc... she slaps... and Mary I (wuthering heights cover)...
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