L'homme Arme

In class we listened to parts of a famous mass setting of this piece and we spoke about how it was used by many other composers as their source for the Cantus Firmes of their masses.  I now find myself more fascinated with this simple secular song than with the nearly 50 masses that were written based around it.  It seems that not much is known about the origin of the song, and what is known has lead musicologists to different theories.  Most historians believe it to be a secular folk song written about war.  This could refer to the crusades that were still being fought at this time.  In the version I found, it is monophonic mens and womens voices combined.  It is a tune that was so familiar to many of the people during the 15th century that it's use in the Mass would have been recognizable to anyone.  It is not known who composed it, or when it was composed exactly (sometime in the early renaissance).         

Original French	English
L'homme, l'homme, l'homme armé, L'homme armé L'homme armé doibt on doubter, doibt on doubter. On a fait partout crier, Que chascun se viengne armer D'un haubregon de fer.	The man, the man, the armed man, The armed man The armed man should be feared, should be feared. Everywhere it has been proclaimed That each man shall arm himself With a coat of iron mail