History Music

Do you ever use music while teaching History ? Use of music in teaching US History is easy, there is a ton of super stuff to use. But what about World History ?
I teach History of the Middle Ages. It is much harder to find music to help with this segment of history. What junior high student can handle Gregorian chants? Heck, I can't even handle Gregorian Chants. But, I recently discovered a "new" song to use in at least one of my units.

At the beginning of my Viking unit, I play Wagner's "Flight of the Valkyries". IMO, it is a great piece of music, from Wagner's Ring Trilogy Opera. Many of the kids have heard it, usually played as music on some TV commercial. After it is played, I ask them, "What is a Valkyrie?" Now, I have another song to add to my Viking Unit opening tunes......one I have heard before and a number of times over the past thirty or so years, but lets just say I discovered the lyrics. Its Led Zepplin's "Immigrant Song". Here are the lyrics:

Immigrant Song (Page/Plant )
Two, three, four
Ah-ah-ahh-ah, ah-ah-ahh-ah
We come from the land of the ice and snow
from the midnight sun where the hot springs blow

The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands
To fight the horde and sing and cry, "Valhalla, I am coming"

On we sweep with, with threshing oar
Our only goal will be the western shore

Ah-ah-ahh-ah, ah-ah-ahh-ah
We come from the land of the ice and snow
from the midnight sun where the hot springs blow

How soft your fields, so green
can whisper tales of gore, of how we calmed the tides of war
We are your overlords

On we sweep with threshing oar
Our only goal will be the western shore

S-so now you better stop and rebuild all your ruins
for peace and trust can win the day despite of all you're losin'
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Ahh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh

I know this will go over with some of my rocker kids. I will play the song and then pass out copies of the lyrics. Then ask my students what this song says about the Vikings. Then we'll get on with the unit.

If you'd like to hear this song, go to YouTube and search the video section with the song title (warning: It is easy to get sidetracked checking out your favorate tunes here.) There is also a funny spoof of Immigrant Song that is worth seeing/hearing.

Are there any songs/music you use for teaching Middle Ages History ? If so, please share it/them with us.

Thanks for reading my blog.