Arnaut Guilhem de Marsan
Encyclopedia
Arnaut Guilhem de Marsan (fl.
1160–1180) was a Landais nobleman and troubadour
. He was descended from a cadet branch
of the viscount
s of Marsan
and was himself lord of Roquefort and Montgaillard
and co-lord of Marsan.
Arnaut was a member of the 1170 escort of Eleanor, daughter of Henry II of England
, from Bordeaux
to the Spanish border for her marriage to Alfonso VIII of Castile
. He is attested in a charter of Eleanor of Aquitaine
.
Arnaut Guilhem was also an Occitan lyric poet who composed one of the earliest ensenhamen
s or didactic poems: the Ensenhamen del cavaier (teaching of the cavalier). The medievalist Mark Johnston notes that his work is similar to that of another 12th-century troubadour poet, Garin lo Brun
.
According to an Occitan vida
, the troubadour Peire de Valeira
was from Arnaut Guilhem's lands. Arnaut Guilhem was the ancestor of three branches of the house of Marsan through his three sons: the co-lords of Marsans and lords of Roquefort and Montgaillard; the lords of Cauna
; and the lords of Tardets.
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1160–1180) was a Landais nobleman and troubadour
Troubadour
A troubadour was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages . Since the word "troubadour" is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a trobairitz....
. He was descended from a cadet branch
Cadet branch
Cadet branch is a term in genealogy to describe the lineage of the descendants of the younger sons of a monarch or patriarch. In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets – titles, realms, fiefs, property and income – have...
of the viscount
Viscount
A viscount or viscountess is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
s of Marsan
Marsan
Marsan is a commune in the Gers department in southwestern France.-Population:...
and was himself lord of Roquefort and Montgaillard
Montgaillard
Montgaillard is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:* Montgaillard, Ariège, in the Ariège department* Montgaillard, Aude, in the Aude department* Montgaillard, Landes, in the Landes department...
and co-lord of Marsan.
Arnaut was a member of the 1170 escort of Eleanor, daughter of Henry II of England
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
, from Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
to the Spanish border for her marriage to Alfonso VIII of Castile
Alfonso VIII of Castile
Alfonso VIII , called the Noble or el de las Navas, was the King of Castile from 1158 to his death and King of Toledo. He is most remembered for his part in the Reconquista and the downfall of the Almohad Caliphate...
. He is attested in a charter of Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. As well as being Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, she was queen consort of France and of England...
.
Arnaut Guilhem was also an Occitan lyric poet who composed one of the earliest ensenhamen
Ensenhamen
An ensenhamen was an Occitan didactic poem associated with the troubadours. As a genre of Occitan literature, its limits have been open to debate since it was first defined in the 19th century...
s or didactic poems: the Ensenhamen del cavaier (teaching of the cavalier). The medievalist Mark Johnston notes that his work is similar to that of another 12th-century troubadour poet, Garin lo Brun
Garin lo Brun
Garin lo Brun or le Brun was an early Auvergnat troubadour.-Life:Garin lived in the Diocese of Le Puy-en-Velay, where his family owned castles. He was himself lord of Châteauneuf-de-Randon in the Limousin and a vassal of Ermengarde of Narbonne and of Eleanor of Aquitaine. His origins were either...
.
According to an Occitan vida
Vida (Occitan literary form)
Vida is the usual term for a brief prose biography, written in Old Occitan, of a troubadour or trobairitz.The word vida means "life" in Occitan languages. In the chansonniers, the manuscript collections of medieval troubadour poetry, the works of a particular author are often accompanied by a...
, the troubadour Peire de Valeira
Peire de Valeira
Peire de Valeira, Valeria, or Valera was a Gascon troubadour. Since troubadour poetry probably originated in northwest Aquitaine and first spread—within a generation—south into Gascony, Peire was one of the earliest troubadours...
was from Arnaut Guilhem's lands. Arnaut Guilhem was the ancestor of three branches of the house of Marsan through his three sons: the co-lords of Marsans and lords of Roquefort and Montgaillard; the lords of Cauna
Cauna
Cauna is a commune in the Landes department in Aquitaine in south-western France....
; and the lords of Tardets.