- Origin
- Verse forms
- How did they earn a living?
- Famous troubadours
- Italian troubadours
- Types of troubadours
- Troubadours
- Trovers
- Minnesinger
- References
The troubadours were medieval poets, lyrical singers and musicians, who emerged in the Provence region (France) at the end of the 11th century. They were primarily Bohemian poets, many of them nobles or sons of wealthy merchants, who preferred literature and the arts to money or politics.
The troubadours were genuine artists and creators of art, as they wrote their own poems and musical compositions unlike the minstrels and minstrels, who performed the music, songs and poems of the troubadours. Most of the troubadours' works were dedicated to love.
Initially the songs and poems of the troubadours were accompanied musically by the minstrels. Later the figure of the minstrel emerged, who was a dedicated non-wandering minstrel. Among the most famous troubadours is Marcabru (12th century), of humble origin, who animated the court of King Alfonso VIII of Castile.
Likewise, Bernart de Ventadorn, Raimbaut de Vaquieras, Aimeric de Peguilhan, Folquet de Marseille and Guillebert de Berneville stand out. The troubadour movement became popular and spread rapidly from France to Europe, especially in Spain, Italy and Germany. With the arrival of the Renaissance in the 13th century, the troubadour culture disappeared.
Origin
The term troubadour is of French origin and comes from the Occitan word trobar, which means "to invent" or "to find." Indeed, this was one of the characteristics of the troubadours: to create poems and love songs for their own repertoire or for that of the minstrels who accompanied them.
Other authors link the word troubadour with the Provençal word trobar. The term is derived from the Latin noun trope, which means "song"; and the suffix '-dor', which means 'agent'.
The troubadours wrote their songbooks in a cultured variety of the Provençal language, which originated in Occitania in the late 11th century. From there it spread throughout Europe, especially northern Italy and Spain (Catalonia).
Verse forms
One of the verse forms most used by troubadours was the song or cançó, which consists of five or six stanzas with an envoy. They also used the dansa or ballad, a dance song accompanied with a chorus; as well as the pastorela, which narrated the request of love by a knight to a shepherdess.
Other forms were jeu parti or débat, in which a debate was established between two poets about love; and the dawn, or morning song, a type of poetry in which lovers are warned by a night watchman about the jealous husband who can arrive at any moment and surprise them.
In the repertoire of the troubadours there were also the frames, which consisted of a lyrical conversation between two or more people. As a rule, they argued about love, religious, metaphysical or satirical matters.
The songs of the troubadours were monophonic; that is, it was a type of non-harmonized melody, accompanied by medieval secular music. Some 300 songs and poems survive in salvaged manuscripts.
How did they earn a living?
Most of the troubadours were people belonging to high social classes with a penchant for bohemian life. For this reason, they did not have great financial needs. Unlike the minstrels, who did need their art to sustain themselves, the troubadours lived a comfortable life.
They were in great demand in medieval courts and theaters to entertain the ladies with their poems and love songs.
Many troubadours trova just for fun or hobby. However, others of lower social status did so to establish relationships and gain prestige. In this way they managed to enter the courts and win the protection of the nobles.
Given their high prestige and unprecedented influence, noble or wealthy troubadours even gave their opinions on political and social matters in the courts where they performed.
Famous troubadours
The first known and famous troubadour is said to have been William IX of Aquitaine (1070-1126). The Duke of Aquitaine and Count of Poitiers was one of the most prominent of his class, although others are believed to have existed before him.
The famous troubadour Marcabru (12th century) also stands out, who used to animate the court of Alfonso VIII of Castile. This troubadour was of humble origin.
Bernart de Ventadorn was another prominent troubadour, made famous by the Song of the Lark. Also noteworthy are the troubadours Raimbaut de Vaquieras, Aimeric de Peguilhan, Folquet de Marseille -considered a scholar- and Guillebert de Berneville.
Other notable troubadours are also mentioned, such as Bernard Mir, Guilhem de Dulfort and Pierre Rogier de Mirepoix, as well as Chrétien de Troyes, the highest representative of the trova in the language of oïl.
Italian troubadours
In Italy the poets Dante and Cavalcanti stand out, representatives of the stil nuovo. By the year 1300, with the arrival of the Renaissance, the figure of the troubadour disappeared. The last troubadour was Guiraut Roquier.
King Richard the Lionheart and Thibaut IV, the King of Navarre, were also considered famous troubadours in history. Adam de la Halle, author of the work Jeu de Robin et de Marión, among others, also stood out.
This group also includes Pope Clement IV (before he became Pope), William of Poitiers, Frederick III of Sicily and Peter the Great, as well as characters from the Catalan nobility, such as Guerau de Cabrera.
Between the years 1110 and 1280, more than 450 troubadours who composed in the Occitan language were registered.
Types of troubadours
Some authors make the distinction between the troubadours by their place of origin and the language they used to compose their poems and songs.
Troubadours
They came from the south of France (Provence), they were poets and musicians who wrote their works in the language of Oc.
Trovers
Originally from the north of France, they were also poets and musicians who wrote their works (music and poems) in the language of oïl.
Minnesinger
They were German troubadours, they composed their works in German and basically wrote about love.
References
- What is a Troubadour? Retrieved on March 21, 2018 from sobrehistoria.com
- Definition of troubadour. Consulted of definition.de
- Troubadours. Consulted of medieval-life-and-times.info
- Minstrels. Consulted from lordsandladies.org
- Definitions and origin of trova. Consulted of paralerepensar.com.br
- Troubadour. Consulted of es.wikipedia.org
- Troubadours and troubadours. Consulted of musicaedadmedia.webnode.es
- Castilian troubadours. Consulted of dim.uchile.cl