gleemen

Wandering musical performers

Gleemen is the plural of gleeman, a medieval term for a traveling entertainer—a singer, musician, or performer who provided amusement at feasts and gatherings.

The word survives mainly in historical contexts and fantasy literature, where it evokes wandering minstrels moving from town to town: The gleemen arrived at the inn with lutes and tales.

bard

troubadour

Medieval Provençal lyric poet

rhapsodist · balladeer · songster · meistersinger · versifier · lyricist · raconteur · poet · reciter · storyteller

musical

lute

Pear-bodied fretted strings

  • harpPlucked orchestral strings
  • lyreSmall plucked string instrument
  • balladNarrative poem or song

melody · song · recital · serenade · ditty · madrigal · chanson · accompaniment · mandolin · fiddle

medieval

tavern

Public drinking establishment

  • feastElaborate ceremonial meal
  • courtTrial venue or sports surface
  • hallInterior connecting pathway

manor · guild · wandering · itinerant · patronage · nobility · castle · banquet · revelry · entertainment

performer

jester

Royal household comedian

mime · clown · tumbler · fool · showman · comedian · impersonator · magician · harlequin · motley

itinerant

wanderer

Rootless, roving person

wayfarer · nomad · journeyman · drifter · pilgrim · rambler · road · crossroads · lodging · circuit

Opposites
performer vs. audience

gleemenaudience

Gathered viewers collectively

listeners · spectators · patrons · hearers · onlookers

entertainment vs. solemnity

gleemenmonks

Cloistered religious men

clergy · priests · mourners · penitents · friars

itinerant vs. settled

gleemenpeasants

Low-ranking agricultural workers

serfs · villagers · householders · landowners · yeomen

Family

gleeman

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Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Rated G