Though there aren’t as many filk-homepages as there are filkers, there’s quite a number of them. They are as different as the filkers themselves, but they all have got one thing in common: They all try hard to answer this question:
What is filk?
Is this necessary? Does Kiri te Kanawa’s homepage explain what’s an opera? Do Iron Maiden answer heavy metal FAQs? Does Willie Nelson need give an introduction into country music? No, no and again no. But filkers explain filk. Each of them, and each of them differently. So now here’s the first answer to the above question:
Filk is the music that wants to be explained.
Actually, it’s like this: If a filker gets to know someone and casually mentions: »Oh, by the way, I’m a filker,« they expect to be asked: »And what on earth is that?« If it fails to come, the filker is unhappy. Maybe the other is not interested, maybe they already know what filk is – one way is as bad as the other. Filk defines itself by being unknown. On the one hand, filkers wish for all the world to filk. But alas! Filk wouldn’t be filk anymore, then. This music needs to be a little known niche product, and those who make it a sworn-in community.
Filk is the music made by filkers.
This truism, too, contains a lot of wisdom. As long as someone claims to be a filker, they can play whatever they like – in a way, it will always be filk, and there will always be filkers who like these songs. Silva, for instance, writes a lot of protest songs and singer-songwriter songs, but Silva is a filker, so it’s filk. Others are into rock, blues, there’s even been rap songs at filk conventions – without it being anything less filk than what the rest does.
Though one of the official definitions of filk (if there is one) goes like: Filk is the music of fantasy and science fiction, that’s not the right way to put it. There’s many a metal group that plays songs with a fantasy background, like Blind Guardian’s Lord-of-the-Rings-CDs. But does this make Blind Guardian a filk group? No, the filkers cry, far too commercial! Far too popular! For though you may life and breath filk, it mustn’t make you rich or famous. Also, there’s many a filk song that has neither to do with science fiction or fantasy.
Filk is the music filkers listen to.
There’s also the reverse case: Filkers often claim any kind of music they like (if it’s not too commercial or too famous) to be filk, only because it’s good music. Lots of singer-songwriters who may never even have heard about filk, let alone set foot to a convention, have their being played by filkers, and enjoyed by filkers.
There are also a lot of filkers who make no music at all but still insist, and rightfully so, to be filkers – just because they like this kind of music. And it’s important there are folks like them – wouldn’t it be horrible if filkcons were only attended by the handful of filkers who perform and have sets? Anyway, it’s a thin line between musicians and non-musicians in filk. Those who were known as mere listeners for years suddenly surprise with songs of their own or have their own set right away.
Filk is an attitude towards life.
This claim should by now, after all of my fondly presented arguments and explanations, be considered a fact. And now for the final conclusion:
Filk is filk.
But now what exactly is filk?
I wonder for whom the filkers write all of these long treatises? How many non-filkers happen to browse filk pages? And if they do, how long are they going to stay there? Let’s try it again, though:
There’s good reasons why the word Filk is closely related to the word Folk. Filk tunes often resemble good old folk songs – in style, harmonies, etc. If you don’t pay attention to the texts, it’s easy to confuse filk and folk. And why not? There’s lots of old folk songs telling stories as fantastical as a modern day filker would write.
The word Filk also origins – so goes the etymology – from the verb to filch, as in pilfer, screw or steal. That’s an insinuation on the fact that filk likes to recycle tunes, from »I was in need of a tune, and this one matched my lyrics« to brilliant parodies that change only a few words of the original song, giving it a whole new meaning.
Frequently, but not always, filk songs apply to books, films and TV series – there’s dozens of song about The Lord of the Rings, Star Trek or Doctor Who. Since many filkers are writers themselves, there’s a number of songs inspired by their own stories. And roleplaying sessions or characters find themselves featured over and over – to say nothing about the countless songs on IT, science and technology.
But that’s only a list of examples. It’s impossible to explain filk in brief, and that’s all right. It would be a pity is this music wouldn’t be this versatile. Who still has no idea of what filk is may try one of the following:
- visit lots of filker homepages, read their own definitions as well as their lyrics, so your idea of filk will blossom and grow
- attend filk conventions: In Germany, there’s DFDF in the springtime and FilkContinental alternating with Intermezzo in the fall. Get to know filkers. Buy their CD’s (mine first, of course!)
- join a filk forum, discord server or a filk mailing list.
And if still feal you have no idea: Don’t bother. Take it as it is. Create your own definition: