Page "Medieval dance" Paragraph 24

In a life of Saint Dunstan composed about 1000, the author tells how Dunstan, going into a church, found maidens dancing in a ring and singing a hymn.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary ( 1933 ) the term " carol " was first used in England for this type of circle dance accompanied by singing in manuscripts dating to as early as 1300.

The word was used as both a noun and a verb and the usage of carol for a dance form persisted well into the 16th century.

One of the earliest references is in Robert of Brunne's early 14th century Handlyng Synne ( Handling Sin ) where it occurs as a verb.