In my research for _Yesterday's Songs Transformed_, I went hunting for
the origins of the Barbarian Birthday Dirge. The most definitive
explanation I can find is this one:
http://eldwin.loveshade.org/music/scabirthdaysong3.html
“The Mongolian Birthday song [above], ala Caid, was actually
created at this tourney. I had heard a snippet of a song as
rendered by Duke James Grayhelm. When I asked for more, he had
said that was all there was or all he knew. I took it back to
Caid (Robear du Bois and I had been "researching" Mongol
dancing – the Mongol Stomp I believe it was called), and
introduced the song snippet to the populace at this event and
hosted a contest to come up with new verses. At day's end, we
retained the original verse and accepted three more. It became
a Caiden standard at all subsequent birthday celebration. While
the song has been wildly accepted, no one seems to want to do
the stomp. (It's a somewhat physically painful dance, go
figure.) “Sung to a "Russian" style dirge (I think you'll know
the "tune" I mean.)”
– Martin the Temperate
It's plausible. The song almost certainly originated in the SCA. Gabriel
Helou maintained a FAQ on the song at one time, but said only that "the
origins are shrouded in mystery."
A web search reveals that Duke James Greyhelm or Grayhelm had an
illustrious career in the SCA, I can't find any recent references to
him, so he might not be active in it any more. His mundane name doesn't
turn up in anything I've found.
If anyone can add to this information, please let me know.
--
Gary McGath
http://www.mcgath.com