Definition
Bardcore — also known as “tavernwave” or “medievalcore” — is a musical microgenre and internet trend in which modern pop songs, rock anthems, and video game music are rearranged and performed in a medieval or Renaissance style. The covers typically feature instruments such as lute, recorder, hurdy-gurdy, and frame drum, with vocals sung in a faux-archaic English or pseudo-Latin. The trend exploded on YouTube in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdowns, when a musician named Cornelius Link (and later the channel Hildegard von Blingin’) began uploading medieval-style covers of songs like “Pumped Up Kicks,” “Bad Romance,” and “Astronomia” (the “coffin dance” song). Bardcore is simultaneously a sincere appreciation of early music and an ironic commentary on the disposable nature of modern pop.
Why It Matters
Bardcore matters because it is a perfect example of how the internet remixes history. By taking contemporary songs and translating them into medieval musical language, bardcore creates a temporal dissonance that is both funny and strangely moving. Hearing Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” played on a lute with lyrics like “I pray, wilt thou be my romance?” is absurd, but it also reveals something about the song’s emotional core: the melody and structure are strong enough to survive the translation. Bardcore is thus a form of musical archaeology, stripping away production and cultural context to test whether a song can stand on its own. The trend also reflects a broader internet fascination with the medieval period — from video games like Crusader Kings and Skyrim to TV shows like The Witcher and House of the Dragon. The past, it seems, is the internet’s favorite costume.
Example
A YouTube video titled “Pumped Up Kicks — Medieval Style.” A musician in a simple tunic sits in a candlelit room, playing a lute. The lyrics have been rewritten in archaic English: “All the other youths with the pumped-up footwear, ye best run, better run, outrun my crossbow.” The video has 10 million views. The comments are a mixture of genuine appreciation for the musicianship and jokes about “taking the song back to its roots.” Someone points out that the original song is about a school shooting, and the medieval version is somehow even darker. The internet laughs and shivers simultaneously. This is bardcore: history and irony, beauty and unease, all in one video.
The Internet Angle
Bardcore is an entirely internet-native genre. It could not exist without YouTube’s algorithm, which recommends medieval covers to viewers who have watched The Witcher or listened to Celtic music. The trend has spawned countless imitators, from professional early music ensembles to teenagers with GarageBand and a recorder. On Reddit, r/bardcore shares new covers and debates the “authenticity” of different approaches. On TikTok, bardcore snippets are used as backing tracks for fantasy-themed cosplay and LARPing videos. The internet has thus created a self-sustaining ecosystem around a fake medieval genre, proving that historical accuracy matters less than vibes. Bardcore is not about the Middle Ages. It is about what the internet thinks the Middle Ages sounded like.
Related Terms
Medieval, Renaissance, YouTube, Music, Cover, Lute, Hildegard von Blingin’, Cornelius Link, Meme, The Witcher, Skyrim, COVID-19, Internet Culture