Agincourt Carol Agincourt Carol The Agincourt Carol (sometimes known as the "Agincourt Song", the "Agincourt Hymn", or by its chorus and central words, "Deo gratias Anglia") is an English folk song written some time in the early 15th century. It recounts the 1415 Battle of Agincourt, in which the English army led by Henry V of England defeated that of the French Charles VI in what is now the Pas-de-Calais region of France. The carol is one of thirteen on the Trinity Carol Roll, probably originating in East Anglia, that has been held in the Wren Library of Trinity College, Cambridge since
Ransom of King John II of France through personal feats of arms, or 'prowess', and in which victory was a sign of God's favour, the prospect of a decisive battle must have been politically appealing to the troubled King. The Battle of Poitiers was a disaster for the French. As at the Battle of Agincourt sixty years later, many French forces did not fully participate. Prominently, Dauphin Charles and his younger brother Louis left the battle early, possibly as a result of an order from John. At least their departure meant that they avoided capture by the English; King John was less fortunate. John had taken precautions