Troubadour Poetry, From Dawn to Dawn

The Troubadours were composers and performers of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages, between approximately 1100 and 1350. The word 'troubadour' originated from the Occitan trobador, related to trobar, meaning to compose or invent. Some historians suggest Arabic influences in the origins of troubadours, citing the Arabic word ṭaraba, meaning music. This remains a subject of debate, however. Female troubadours were known as trobairitz.

The tradition of the troubadours began in the late 11th century in Occitania and later expanded to Italy and the Iberian Peninsula. Under their influence, parallel movements emerged in disparate parts of Europe, including the Minnesang in Germany, trovadorismo in Galicia and Portugal, and the trouvères in northern France.

Dante Alighieri, in his “De vulgari eloquentia”, characterised the troubadour lyric as a blend of rhetoric, music, and poetic fiction. After reaching its zenith around the 13th century, the popularity of the troubadours’ art declined in the 14th century, ultimately fading with the advent of the Black Death in 1348.

Troubadour songs typically dealt with themes of chivalry and courtly love. Their compositions were often metaphysical and intellectual, ranging from humorous to vulgar satires. The works were categorized into three distinct styles: trobar leu (light), trobar ric (rich), and trobar clus (closed), with various genres including the canso being particularly popular.

A significant part of early medieval culture, their legacy is evident in the enduring popularity of their compositions, which offer insight into the societal values and artistic expressions of their time.

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