‘‘luf-talkyng’ in luf-talkyng’ in Medieval Medieval

Literature 3Literature 3

Thomas HoneggerThomas Honegger

t.m.honegger@swissonlt.m.honegger@swissonline.chine.ch

Troubadours, Troubadours, Trouvères and Trouvères and Courtly Love Courtly Love

http://www.db-thueringen.de/

content/top/index.xml

Peter Dinzelbacher Peter Dinzelbacher 1981 1981

«Über die Entdeckung «Über die Entdeckung der Liebe im der Liebe im

Hochmittelalter» Hochmittelalter» SaeculumSaeculum 32:185-208 32:185-208

‘‘ens affectiosum’ens affectiosum’

Guilhem IX of Guilhem IX of AquitaineAquitaine

= William IX of = William IX of AquitaineAquitaine

VII Count of PoitouVII Count of Poitou(1071-1126/27)(1071-1126/27)

11 poems11 poems

Eble of VentadornEble of Ventadorn(before 1096, died (before 1096, died

after 1147)after 1147)

William IX of AquitaineWilliam IX of Aquitaine5 courtly love poems5 courtly love poems5 burlesque/bawdy 5 burlesque/bawdy

poemspoems1 congé1 congé

““uns dels majors cortes uns dels majors cortes del mon e dels majors del mon e dels majors

trichadors de trichadors de dompnas” dompnas”

‘one of the most ‘one of the most courtly men in the courtly men in the

world and one of the world and one of the greates deceivers of greates deceivers of

ladies’ladies’

William IX of AquitaineWilliam IX of Aquitaine

Oscillation between Oscillation between bawdy misogyny and bawdy misogyny and courtly veneration => courtly veneration => ‘trovatore bifronte’‘trovatore bifronte’

Trovatore bifronteTrovatore bifronte

Biographical Biographical explanationexplanation

Audience-specific voiceAudience-specific voicePsychological Psychological explanationexplanation

Howard Bloch, 1991,Howard Bloch, 1991, Medieval Misogyny & the Medieval Misogyny & the Invention of W. Romantic Invention of W. Romantic

LoveLove

the the co-presence of the the co-presence of misogynistic and courtly songs is misogynistic and courtly songs is better explained by the fact that better explained by the fact that the two medieval discourses on the two medieval discourses on woman are not contraries but woman are not contraries but intermingling zones of a common intermingling zones of a common conceptualisation of genderconceptualisation of gender

Trovatore bifronteTrovatore bifronte

Women as secularised Women as secularised objects of acute sexual objects of acute sexual desire or as idealised desire or as idealised icons are reduced to the icons are reduced to the status of category.status of category.

Explanations for the Explanations for the Origin of Courtly LoveOrigin of Courtly Love

Inspiration of a genial Inspiration of a genial poet-noblemanpoet-nobleman

Biographical reasonsBiographical reasons Social reasonsSocial reasons

Biographical explanationBiographical explanation

Robert d’Arbrissel’s Robert d’Arbrissel’s monastery of Fontevraultmonastery of Fontevrault

Ermengarde of Anjou (1112)Ermengarde of Anjou (1112) Philippa (also called Philippa (also called

Mathilde) of Toulouse Mathilde) of Toulouse (1116/17)(1116/17)

Other explanationsOther explanations

Hispano-Arabic influenceHispano-Arabic influence Surviving matriarchal Surviving matriarchal

elementselements Cathar and Albigensian heresyCathar and Albigensian heresy Neoplatonic ideasNeoplatonic ideas Spring folk traditionsSpring folk traditions

Extant corpus of Extant corpus of troubadour lyricstroubadour lyrics

95 manuscripts95 manuscripts Ca. 2500 poemsCa. 2500 poems

William IX’s lyricsWilliam IX’s lyrics

MetaphorsMetaphors ThemesThemes TopoiTopoi AttitudesAttitudes

Audience in ‘Farai Audience in ‘Farai chansoneta’chansoneta’

General courtly audience General courtly audience (lines 1-8, 15-18, 31-34)(lines 1-8, 15-18, 31-34)

Aside (lines 9-10)Aside (lines 9-10) The lady (lines 13-14, 19-The lady (lines 13-14, 19-

28)28) The joglar Daurostre (lines The joglar Daurostre (lines

29-30)29-30)

Feudal terminology in Feudal terminology in ‘Farai chansoneta’‘Farai chansoneta’

Ma dona (l. 3), ma bona dompna Ma dona (l. 3), ma bona dompna (l. 10, 16), dompna conja (l. 19), (l. 10, 16), dompna conja (l. 19), dompna (l. 28)dompna (l. 28)

Narrator bound to the lady (l. 6)Narrator bound to the lady (l. 6) Narrator ‘possession’ of the lady Narrator ‘possession’ of the lady

(l. 6-7) (l. 6-7) other poem: mi dons < meus other poem: mi dons < meus

dominusdominus

Feudal loyalty and loveFeudal loyalty and love

Johannes Afflacius’s Johannes Afflacius’s Liber Liber de heros morbode heros morbo (c. 1100): (c. 1100): intense sexual love is intense sexual love is compared to loyalty to compared to loyalty to one’s lordone’s lord

ServiceService

Occitan poets: service Occitan poets: service means dedicating one’s means dedicating one’s poetic efforts to the poetic efforts to the beloved ladybeloved lady

Northern French poets: Northern French poets: chivalric deedschivalric deeds

Feudal vs. servile Feudal vs. servile terminologyterminology

mi dons (< meus dominus) mi dons (< meus dominus) used solely for ladies, not used solely for ladies, not for lordsfor lords

Dying of loveDying of love

‘‘Fara chansoneta’ lines 15-Fara chansoneta’ lines 15-1818

Chaucer: Chaucer: loveris maladye of Hereosloveris maladye of Hereos

Amor hereosAmor hereos

Galen (130-200)Galen (130-200) Byzantine and Arabic medical Byzantine and Arabic medical

writerswriters Re-introduced to Italy by Re-introduced to Italy by

Constantine the African (died Constantine the African (died 1087) in his 1087) in his ViaticumViaticum..

ViaticumViaticum part of the required part of the required reading for medical students at reading for medical students at the end of the 12th century at the end of the 12th century at ParisParis

Amor hereosAmor hereos

Viaticum Viaticum => passionate love => passionate love medical reality => poetic medical reality => poetic descriptions become social descriptions become social realityreality

Testing situationTesting situation

‘‘Farai chansoneta’ lines 3-Farai chansoneta’ lines 3-44

‘‘asag’asag’

5 lineae amoris5 lineae amoris

visus (looking)visus (looking) alloquii (speaking)alloquii (speaking) tactus (touching)tactus (touching) osculi (kissing)osculi (kissing) coitus (that which is coitus (that which is

beyond)beyond)

5 lineae amoris in 5 lineae amoris in penitential literaturepenitential literature

““foly of unwardliche lokyne or foly of unwardliche lokyne or sight, foly of unwardliche sight, foly of unwardliche speche, foly of touching with speche, foly of touching with hand, [and] foly of unwardlyche hand, [and] foly of unwardlyche kussynge with mouth”kussynge with mouth” ((A Myrour to Lewde MenA Myrour to Lewde Men and and Wymmen, Wymmen, c. 1400, edited by c. 1400, edited by Nelson 1981:163).Nelson 1981:163).

5 lineae amoris in 5 lineae amoris in modern timesmodern times

attention gettingattention getting recognitionrecognition talktalk touch touch body synchronybody synchrony

Richard de Fournival on Richard de Fournival on kisseskisses

N’est pas saige qui de ce doute,N’est pas saige qui de ce doute,Que du sorpluc face dongierQue du sorpluc face dongierFome qui conjot le baisier.Fome qui conjot le baisier.Li baisiers autre chose atrait,Li baisiers autre chose atrait,Et quant il a la fome plaitEt quant il a la fome plaitQu’ale le vuet et le desirre,Qu’ale le vuet et le desirre,Du sorplus n’i a aul que dire;Du sorplus n’i a aul que dire;((Chastoiement des damesChastoiement des dames, ll. 124-, ll. 124-130, Fox 1950:136)130, Fox 1950:136)

The conceptual kernel of The conceptual kernel of Courtly LoveCourtly Love

sinceritysincerity loyaltyloyalty steadfastness in lovesteadfastness in love patient expectation of the gift of patient expectation of the gift of

lovelove voluntary granting of sexual favoursvoluntary granting of sexual favours love as an esteemed and gladdening love as an esteemed and gladdening

experienceexperience ennobling power of loveennobling power of love

Topsfield’s 4 stagesTopsfield’s 4 stages experimental phase (1100-1150)experimental phase (1100-1150) growing influence of courtly doctrine growing influence of courtly doctrine

(c. 1150-1180)(c. 1150-1180) Predominance of the ‘trobar leu’ Predominance of the ‘trobar leu’

(light and easy style) (c. 1180-1209)(light and easy style) (c. 1180-1209) Destruction of Occitan society Destruction of Occitan society

(Albigensian crusade 1209), love for (Albigensian crusade 1209), love for the courtly lady > love for the Virgin the courtly lady > love for the Virgin ((Topsfield, Leslie. 1975. Topsfield, Leslie. 1975. Troubadours Troubadours and Loveand Love. Cambridge: CUP). Cambridge: CUP)

Bernart de Ventadorn Bernart de Ventadorn (fl. 1150-80)(fl. 1150-80)

Poet of low extractionPoet of low extraction Archetype of the courtlyArchetype of the courtly

troubadour troubadour Wrote almost exclusivelyWrote almost exclusively

‘cansos’ (i.e. songs ‘cansos’ (i.e. songs about love)about love)

Bernart de Ventadorn Bernart de Ventadorn (fl. 1150-80)(fl. 1150-80)

‘‘Non es meravelha s’eu chan’Non es meravelha s’eu chan’ Opening lines in the tradition Opening lines in the tradition

of a ‘gap’of a ‘gap’ ‘‘valor’valor’ ‘‘amor’ (l. 3, 7, 9) vs. ‘Amors’ amor’ (l. 3, 7, 9) vs. ‘Amors’

(l. 21)(l. 21)

The God of LoveThe God of Love

Andreas Capellanus’ Andreas Capellanus’ De De amore / De arte honeste amore / De arte honeste amandiamandi (c. 1186) (c. 1186)

Le Roman de la RoseLe Roman de la Rose (1230-1270) by Guillaume (1230-1270) by Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de de Lorris and Jean de MeunMeun

Guilhem vs. BernartGuilhem vs. Bernart ‘‘hunger’ => hunger’ =>

activeactive Pain of suffering Pain of suffering

a nuisancea nuisance Dying of love: Dying of love:

medical realitymedical reality

‘‘joi’ is found in joi’ is found in the fulfillment of the fulfillment of the love-the love-relationshiprelationship

Passive victimPassive victim Pain of suffering Pain of suffering

positive in itselfpositive in itself Dying of love: Dying of love:

literary topos vs. literary topos vs. spiritual death of spiritual death of non-loversnon-lovers

‘‘joi’ comprises all joi’ comprises all aspects of lovingaspects of loving

Amor de lonhAmor de lonh

Jaufre Rudel: troubadour who Jaufre Rudel: troubadour who fell in love with the Countess fell in love with the Countess of Tripolisof Tripolis

4 Stages of a Lover4 Stages of a Lover

‘‘fenhedor’ (admirer)fenhedor’ (admirer) ‘ ‘precador’ (petitioner)precador’ (petitioner) ‘‘entendedor’ (accepted entendedor’ (accepted

petitioner)petitioner) ‘‘drut’ (lover)drut’ (lover)

Key to the lady’s heartKey to the lady’s heart

‘‘merces’ (BdV, ll. 23-24)merces’ (BdV, ll. 23-24) grace, mercy, pity, sympathygrace, mercy, pity, sympathy ‘‘merces’ is the expression of merces’ is the expression of

an enduring predisposition to an enduring predisposition to feel sympathy with anyone feel sympathy with anyone who is perceived as worthy who is perceived as worthy through family or feudal through family or feudal relationshipsrelationships

Guilhem vs. Bernart 2Guilhem vs. Bernart 2

union of union of mutual joy mutual joy between between equalsequals

extrovertextrovert self-assuredself-assured

voluntary voluntary submission to submission to the lady’s willthe lady’s will

introvertintrovert self-doubtingself-doubting

Types of LoveTypes of Love

Amour chevalresqueAmour chevalresque Amor de lonhAmor de lonh Amor segura (‘caritas’)Amor segura (‘caritas’) Amour courtois / Fin’ amorsAmour courtois / Fin’ amors