At the Renaissance Faire with my boyfriend.

It’s now April, the time of year when I used to go to the renaissance faires in Southern California. Now that I live in Massachusetts, I miss the two faires I used to frequent, and have to wait until fall for our local faire to come to town.

Recently, I’ve noticed that some of the songs I recognize from the renaissance faires have been showing up in some YA novels. I’m not sure if this means anything, but I don’t mind. I love reading song lyrics and being able to recognize them.

Impossible by Nancy Werlin – “Scarborough Faire”

“Scarborough Faire” is integral to this book by Werlin. Three impossible tasks are outlined in the song, and the main character, Lucy, must complete them if she is to break the enchantment that has caused all of the women in her family to have a child and go mad at a young age.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness – “Early One Morning”

Todd has heard this song his entire life. It’s been sung by his guardian Ben, who learned it from Todd’s mother before she died. It’s a song that stands for everything good in Todd’s life, and for the love of his family for him.

After the Snow by S.D. Crockett – “Wandering Aengus”

We get snippets of the lyrics of this song, first written as a poem by W.B. Yeats. It comes to mean something by the end of the story, but you’ll have to read the book to find out what!

Have you noticed any of these songs in the books you read? What did I leave out? Do you have any favorite songs or musical groups from the renaissance faire? Do you go to renaissance faires, or am I just a big dork? Let me know!