Troubadour Poetry: History, Courtly Love, and Key Figures
Troubadour Poetry
In the 12th century in Catalonia, the first examples of cultured lyric poetry in the Romance language appeared: troubadour poetry.
The Provençal Language of Poetry
It was not cultivated in Catalan, but in the Provençal or Occitan language until the 15th century. The reasons for the adoption of Provençal in Catalan territory were:
- The great success and prestige achieved by troubadour poetry throughout Western Europe.
- Geographical proximity fostered political, cultural, and economic ties between Southern France and the Catalan realms.
- The similarity between the Catalan and Occitan languages favored the use of Occitan by Catalan troubadours.
Feudal Poetry
In the South, a territory formed by independent noblemen, there was a shared language (Occitan), social organization, and policy—feudalism. The poetry reflected religious and secular themes: love, war, and the joys and sorrows of the people of that time. It reflected the ideals of feudal society: love and war.
Courtly Love (Love Ideology)
The lover became a vassal of the lady he loved, a noble and virtuous wife.
- Lord: Higher social status.
- Vassal: Swears loyalty to his lord; adopts a supplicating attitude towards the lady.
Key Terms: Gilós (jealous lover); Lausengiers, Malditzants (spies); Fenhedor (shy lover); Pregador (suitor); Senhal (secret code); Drutz (lover).
Minstrels and Jugglers
Troubadour: Poems written in the Occitan language, set to music. These could be high or low class. Professional troubadours made their living from this art. Noble troubadours composed for pleasure, as a recreational activity (Wilhelm Peiteieu).
Jester: Recited poems in public events. Low-class professionals who also danced and recited troubadour poetry. Lyrical minstrels sang, while epic minstrels recounted tales.
Three artistic styles existed:
- Find up (easily accessible to the audience)
- Find clusia (closed, difficult expression)
- Find rich (refined expression)
The goal was to achieve an aesthetic effect; originality in expressing experience was not the primary intention.
Themes and Sub-Genres of Troubadour Lyric
- Song: Subtle and poetic language praising a lady, following the guidelines of courtly love.
- Pastorela: Dialogue between a knight and a shepherdess.
- Alba: The arrival of dawn, lamenting the separation of lovers who have spent the night together in secret.
- Poetry of War: Represented by the servants.
- Planh: Lament for the death of someone.
- Tenso: Debate between two troubadours.
Between Catalan and Occitan Lyric: Ausias March
Jordi de Sant Jordi, a Valencian poet, followed troubadour themes but showed sincerity and broke the rigidity of courtly poetry.
Estramps Poem (Unrhymed)
- Topic: Troubadour themes (death for love)
- Form: Unrhymed verses
- Language: Provençal
A key feature is the nostalgia expressed in poems like”Prisoner”
Ausias March
From Gandia (Safor) 1394-1459 Valencia. For 28 years, he served as the king’s”Major Falconer” He married twice: to Isabel Martorell, and then to Jeanne Escorna; he had no children.
Innovative Poetry His poetry marked a break from troubadour lyric. Author of 128 poems, his work revolves around three themes: love and relationships with women, morality and spirituality, and death.
- Theme: Presents real women, surpassing the concept of courtly love.
- Style: Abandoned troubadour themes, using imagery from everyday life.
- Language: Very pure Catalan with few Provençalisms; he is considered the first poet to replace Provençal.
Ausias March conveyed his emotions with sincerity, preferring the power of images. Another characteristic of his poetry is individualism, which strengthens the feeling of intimacy.
Jaime Roig
A Valencian prince of the 15th century. His most outstanding work, Espill (a book of advice for women), is a representative work of literary misogyny, making accusations against women. Roig demonstrates the character of women in the first person, and Nara (1600 verses) is a set of circumstances that end up being moral advice.
Espill is a vicious caricature against women. The protagonist does not belong to the nobility but to a religious or welfare class and must work to get what he wants, seeking a bourgeois ideal.
Throughout the novel, he recalls many marriages with women who appeared false and bad to Solomon and tells him not to remarry. The work is full of misogynistic stereotypes; only the Mother of God and the wife of James Roig are spared.