Occitan Troubadour Poetry: Courtly Love, Themes, and Evolution
Occitan: A Romance Language
Occitan: A Romance language, also known as langue d’oc, spoken in regions like Provence, Gascony, and Limousin.
Courtly Love in Troubadour Poetry
Courtly Love: This term describes the amorous ideology characteristic of troubadour poetry. The Lord/Lady (often a married woman) is seen as an excellent and beautiful being. The troubadour, in a suppliant attitude, uses poetry to seek favors from the lady.
Stages and Personalities of Courtly Love
- Bashful Lover: The lover is initially shy and hesitant.
- Begging (pregador): The lover pleads for the lady’s affection.
- Tolerated in Love: The lover is eventually accepted, to some degree.
Secondary Characters
- Gilos: The jealous husband of the lady.
- Malditzants: Enemy spies of the troubadour.
Forms of Occitan Poetry
Encuentro: Musical poems written in Occitan, enjoyed by both the upper class (for pleasure) and the lower class (professionally).
The Art of Finding:
- Find up: Simple expression for a broad audience.
- For Clusia: Closed, more complex expression.
- For Rich: Refined, sophisticated expression.
Cans: A subtle and poetic subgenre that praises a woman following the guidelines of courtly love.
Pastorela: A dialogue between a knight and a shepherdess, often with romantic undertones.
Alba: A dawn song that laments the sadness of lovers separating after a night together.
Planh: A composition in which the troubadour laments the death of a character, commends the deceased, and prays for their soul.
Tenco: A debate or discussion between two troubadours who defend different views on loving issues.
Notable Troubadours and Their Works
William of Bergueda:
- Against Peter Berg: Criticized for ridiculing love with his wife.
- Against the Bishop of Urgell: Criticized for foul language and transparent behavior.
- Mataplana of Anti Pontius: Tells of a petty and cowardly traitor, but William writes a lament recognizing his lies after his death.
Ramon Vidal of Besalú: A 12th-century troubadour whose work includes The Punishment of the Jealous and attempts to find the poetic troubadour of Blind Guardian.
Cerverí: Served the Catalan kings, with poetry focused on politics, royalty, and moralizing intentions. He also defended the verse of the minstrel and saig.
George St. George: Explored the theme of death through love, using the image of a ship that remains in the retina even after death. His work is known for its Provençal language and nostalgic, prisoner-like feelings.
Evolution of Occitan Poetry
Innovative Poetry (Ausias Marc):
- Thematic: Focus on human images and real women, exceeding the concept of courtly love.
- Style: Abandoned traditional troubadour topics, using everyday language and bold, direct imagery.
- Language: Pure Catalan, substituting Provençal/Occitan poetic expression for Catalan.
Love-Love Sensual Spiritual Opposition: The poet cries because he loves his lady in a pure way, but also feels lust (sensual love).
Cycles: Signals, tensions, and intellectual love, sensual idealization of love, acceptance of maturity and sensuality, and tranquil love.
Jaime Roig: A 15th-century doctor from Valencia. His work, The Mirror, argues against the female gender, using a careful and rich anecdotal style with advice and moral lessons.
Character: After his father’s death, his mother sends him away, leading him to become a bandit and soldier. He encounters many women with bad marriages. His work is marked by misogynistic themes and insults against women.
Glossary
- Doublet: A garment that covers the trunk.
- Mercy: Compassion.
- Indulging: Behavior.
- Gay: Cheerful, festive.
- Host: Played in a campaign.
- Pelliza: A leather garment lining.
- Gonella: A long tunic girt at the waist.
- Guise: So.
- Fadat: Delighted, enchanted.