Music in District 12

Through out the Hunger Games trilogy, Katniss mentions songs her father used to sing and that Katniss would eventually pick up. Music becomes an important part of Katniss' life as she even mentions "We may have been the smallest district in Panem, but we know how to dance" (Mockingjay). This relates to the Appalachia region where District 12 is supposedly located in the futuristic Panem. Music is very important to Appalachian people, as Mr. Walt Michael explained to us in his lecture. He explained a specific type of song very popular in the Appalachia region called ballads. We see examples of these in Katniss' songs she sings through out the trilogy.

A ballad is a story but as a song, a song that tells a story in other words. One of the most famous Appalachian ballads is "John Hardy". Mr. Michael played it for us during his lecture. It is a story of the historic figure John Hardy who shot someone in a card game and ran away. He was later captured and hanged for his crime. His hanging was quite the spectacle in the town as most of the town showed up to see him hanged. The song goes into detail about his escape and how he was captured which makes it an interesting way to tell a story. It also becomes a fun and easy way to learn history.

One of the songs Katniss sings is called "Deep in the Meadow" and it is also a ballad similar to the ones from the Appalachian region. The song goes:

Deep in the meadow, under the willow

A bed of grass, a soft green pillow

Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes

And when you awake, the sun will rise.

Here it's safe, here it's warm

Here the daisies guard you from harm

Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true

Here is the place where I love you.

Deep in the meadow, hidden far away

A cloak of leaves, A moonbeam ray,

Forget your woes and let your troubles lay

And when again it's morning, they'll wash away.

Here it's safe, here it's warm

Here the daisies guard you from every harm

Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true

Here is the place where I love you.

The song is a story about slowly drifting off and saying that when you awaken, everything will be better. Katniss sings this to Rue as she is dying but she had also sung it to Prim whenever she was ill. The Appalachian songs tend to tell full length stories about troubles or historical people but Katniss' sing is still a story.

Katniss does not really mention using any instruments for their celebrations. She only mentions singing and dancing. Appalachian music tends to use Banjos and Guitars as Mr. Michaels told us. He even brought one of each out to play the songs for us. I imagine that for Katniss' songs similar instruments would be played.

Song Lyrics: "The Hunger Games" Pages 221-222

Images: 

http://www.arc.gov/images/appregion/regionmap.gif

http://www.appalachianhistory.net/montanip/wp-content/uploads/image-import/hardy.jpg

http://images5.fanpop.com/image/polls/1001000/1001186_1334346860309_full.png

http://www.forgottenwisdom.org/banjoorchestra/images/instruments.jpg