Description
The Middle Ages was a period of illiteracy. Luther perceived music as an important way for a person to learn biblical concepts. What could be better than to memorize tunes and lyrics that could be repeated in the mind over and over during the week? For reform to capture the mind of the church it was necessary to reach both the common man and the intellectuals of the day. Luther saw music as that medium. Luther’s double-meaning metaphors like those used in this hymn (“the prince of darkness grim” – Satan and the Pope) helped to spark reactionary fervor from the masses. This paper is more academic and was presented at The Midwest American Popular Culture Association and The Midwest American Culture Association.
