ABSTRACT
The dance, which occurs in all sources, and the companion New Cecilia Almain, were almost certainly named after Cecilia, sister of Eric, King of Sweden, and wife of the Margrave of Baden-Rodemarchen, who paid a notorious visit to England in 1565 and left under a cloud in April the following year. Cecilia Almain is exceptional among the named almains in that it lacks the customary sequence of four (Almain) Doubles. Moreover, the absence of the usual block of four Almain Doubles in this early manuscript is serious enough to call into question whether this dance was ever an almain at all. The texts of this dance are rich in minor variants, such as instructions to face a certain direction and to use particular feet.
