Medieval History and the Rise of Troubadour Poetry

The Middle Ages: A Historical Context

The Middle Ages began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ended with the occupation of Constantinople by the Turks, spanning a thousand years. During this period, Romance languages emerged. Key characteristics of the Middle Ages included:

• Feudalism: Western countries adopted a system where vassals promised fidelity and services in exchange for protection.
• Church Power: The Christian Church held significant influence.
• Urban Growth: By the thirteenth century, cities grew, and the bourgeoisie emerged.
• Linguistic Uniformity: A model for written language was promoted to ensure linguistic consistency.

Poetry expressed emotions and was often sung. Latin poems, frequently religious in nature, were intended for individual reading, while the language of the troubadours was vulgar (vernacular), profane, and performed for a courtly audience.

Language and Cultural Development

In most of Europe, classical Latin remained the official language of the Church. Romance languages, which had been spoken since the seventh century, were not applied to writing until the eleventh century (Occitan).

The nobility cultivated innovative Occitan lyrical poetry, while ecclesiastical estates focused on religious subjects written in Latin. The monastery of Ripoll served as the most important educational and cultural center in Catalonia until the 14th century. The noble estate created highbrow works in Occitan known as trobadoresca. This lyrical art required technical preparation, as troubadours had to follow rigid rules regarding consonant rhyme and stanzas. The canon prioritized the creation of original work.

Themes in Troubadour Poetry

Troubadour poems revolve around three primary themes: love, war, and death.

• Love: The main genres include the song, the dawn, and the pastorela.
• War: Represented by the sirventes.
• Death: Represented by the planh (cry).

Key Genres Explained

• Fin'amors (The Song): The most characteristic genre of troubadour poetry. The troubadour acts as a vassal, expressing devotion to his lady and begging for acceptance, mirroring the feudal structure.
• Dawn and Pastorela: The dawn expresses the pain felt by lovers who perceive sunlight and must separate to avoid discovery.
• Sirventes: The most characteristic genre of war, which can address personal, political, or moral issues.
• Planh (The Cry): A funeral song where the troubadour praises the deceased and expresses grief.

Catalan Troubadours and Ramon Llull

Lyrical troubadour poetry was born in feudal Occitan courts in the first half of the twelfth century. Notable Catalan troubadours include:

• Palol Berenguer: Considered the oldest Catalan troubadour.
• Cerverí: The Catalan troubadour whose compositions have been most extensively preserved.

Ramon Llull was the first lyric poet to write in Catalan; he also authored an autobiography.