"Gaudeamus" has been the traditional University
student's song for two hundred years, and the tune is
still played (and even sung along to, depending on the
University) at graduation ceremonies today.
Historically, it has also been the University student's
traditional DRINKING song, and is regarded as the
original embodiment of the free and easy student
life.
History
Although Gaudeamus is regarded as being the oldest
surviving student's song, claims that it was written as
early...(+)
"Gaudeamus" has been the traditional University
student's song for two hundred years, and the tune is
still played (and even sung along to, depending on the
University) at graduation ceremonies today.
Historically, it has also been the University student's
traditional DRINKING song, and is regarded as the
original embodiment of the free and easy student
life.
History
Although Gaudeamus is regarded as being the oldest
surviving student's song, claims that it was written as
early as the 13th century are largely unfounded. A
latin manuscript dated 1267 does indeed contain the
words to verses two and three of the modern Gaudeamus
(as part of a poem entitled "Scribere Proposui");
however, it did not contain the words 'Gaudeamus
Igitur' or, indeed, any of the modern first verse, and
was set to music which bears no resemblance to the
well-known modern melody.
The earliest known appearance of something close to the
modern lyrics is in a handwritten student songbook from
Germany dating between 1723 and 1750; these were picked
up by C.W. Kindleben, but he made important changes to
them before he published the resultant (modern) lyrics
in his "Studentlieder " in 1781 (the German origins of
the modern lyrics explain the rather un-Latin word
'antiburschius' in the seventh verse, which is
'Latinised' German referring to student
fraternities).
The melody, however, is of less certain origin; it was
already quite well-known when C.W. Kindleben published
his lyrics.
