The Trobairitz

The Origins of the Trobairitz

1170 – 1260

Occitania

Provençal

Role of women

William IX, Duke of Aquitaine

Born October 22, 1071

First known Troubadour

Popularized the use of vernacular

Relationship with the Church

Grandfather to Eleanor

Died February 10, 1126

Fin’ AmorsOccitan Courts

Possible InfluencesArabic poetryClassical LatinCult of the Virgin

Mary

Love in Chivalric terms

Women and Fin' AmorsMarried, Noble

Ladies

Venerated the Lady

Idealized love

Submissive

Possible Motives

Who Are the Trobairitz?

Ladies of the courts

Patrons

Subjects of their male counterparts’ poems

Tune byCountess of Dia

TroubadoursDiverse social

classesDukes and KnightsLower classes

Took on personasDefended ideals of

fin’ amorsSymbolic value in

their Ladies

LadiesSubject of poemsPatrons

Wrote in 1st person singular

Skepticism about courtly love

Concrete understanding of their worth

Trobairitz and TroubadoursTrobairitz

Types of Trobairitz Poetry

Chanson

Tenson

Sirventes

Lives of the Trobairitz

Difficulties with histories

Vidas

Razos

Attribution and Manuscripts

Countess of Dia

Most prolific surviving female troubadour

Beatrice?Four chansonOnly surviving work

with musicBetrayed loverKeeps her prideEnds with a warning

Bieiris de Romans

Trobairitz writing about another woman

Unique in Occitan poetry

Possible interpretations

Decline of the Trobairitz

Albigensian Crusade

Cathars and Waldensians

Heretical Poetry

Evolution of fin’ amors

Gormonda de Monpeslier

Only Sirventes

1226 – 1229

Defends Albigensian Crusade