Bertran Folcon d'Avignon
Encyclopedia
Bertran Folcon d'Avignon or Bertran Folco d'Avinhon (fl.
1202–1233) was a Provençal
nobleman and troubadour
from Avignon
. He was a faithful partisan of Raymond VI
and Raymond VII of Toulouse
in Provence, and participated in the wars against the Albigensian Crusade
. He was inside the city during the siege of Beaucaire in 1216. In 1226 Raymond VII appointed him bailiff
of Avignon.
Of Bertran's poetic works are conserved only two coblas written in response to Gui de Cavalhon
. This exchange between Bertran and Gui is of some historical interest. Raymond VII had moved an army against Castelnou d'Arry
early in 1220 but was forced to lift his siege to deal with an offensive of Amaury de Montfort
. He returned to besiege the place in July and brought in Gui to oversee the circumvallation. In the third month of the siege, October–November, Gui decided to request the assistance of Bertran in a poem, with the intention of hurrying the town's surrender. Gui evidently knew Bertran from some previous encounter and they address each other with friendly satire. This entire story is found in Gui's vida
, with the exchange of coblas appended to it in manusciprt H.
According to Alfred Jeanroy
, Raimon de las Salas
composed a partimen
with Bertran, who proposed the dilemma: who are better at making war, feasts, and gifts, the Lombards
or Provençals? Raimon praises his compatriots and puts down Lombard women as big and ugly. Linda Paterson, however, does not identify Raimon's interlocutor, who is known only as Bertran, with Folco d'Avinhon.
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1202–1233) was a Provençal
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
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....
from Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
. He was a faithful partisan of Raymond VI
Raymond VI of Toulouse
Raymond VI was count of Toulouse and marquis of Provence from 1194 to 1222. He was also count of Melgueil from 1173 to 1190.-Early life:...
and Raymond VII of Toulouse
Raymond VII of Toulouse
Raymond VII of Saint-Gilles was Count of Toulouse, Duke of Narbonne and Marquis of Provence from 1222 until his death. He was the son of Raymond VI of Toulouse and Joan of England...
in Provence, and participated in the wars against the Albigensian Crusade
Albigensian Crusade
The Albigensian Crusade or Cathar Crusade was a 20-year military campaign initiated by the Catholic Church to eliminate Catharism in Languedoc...
. He was inside the city during the siege of Beaucaire in 1216. In 1226 Raymond VII appointed him bailiff
Bailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
of Avignon.
Of Bertran's poetic works are conserved only two coblas written in response to Gui de Cavalhon
Gui de Cavalhon
Gui de Cavalhon, Cavaillo, or Gavaillo was a Provençal nobleman: a diplomat, warrior, and man of letters. He was probably also the Guionet who composed tensos and partimens with Cadenet, Raimbaut de Vaqueiras, Mainart Ros, Pomairol, and a certain Guillem.-Knight and nobleman:Gui was born at...
. This exchange between Bertran and Gui is of some historical interest. Raymond VII had moved an army against Castelnou d'Arry
Castelnaudary
Castelnaudary is a commune in the Aude department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in south France. It is in the former province of the Lauragais and famous for cassoulet of which it claims to be the world capital, and of which it is a major producer....
early in 1220 but was forced to lift his siege to deal with an offensive of Amaury de Montfort
Amaury de Montfort
Amaury VI de Montfort was the son of the elder Simon de Montfort and Alice of Montmorency, and the brother of the younger Simon de Montfort.He participated in the Albigensian Crusade under his father's command...
. He returned to besiege the place in July and brought in Gui to oversee the circumvallation. In the third month of the siege, October–November, Gui decided to request the assistance of Bertran in a poem, with the intention of hurrying the town's surrender. Gui evidently knew Bertran from some previous encounter and they address each other with friendly satire. This entire story is found in Gui's 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...
, with the exchange of coblas appended to it in manusciprt H.
According to Alfred Jeanroy
Alfred Jeanroy
Alfred Jeanroy was a French linguist.Jeanroy was born at Mangiennes, Meuse, Lorraine. He was a leading scholar studying troubadour poetry, publishing over 600 works. He established an influential view of the second generation of troubadours divided into two camps: “idealists” and “realists”...
, Raimon de las Salas
Raimon de las Salas
Raimon de Salas or la Sala was a Provençal troubadour probably of the 1220s/1230s. His short vida survives. He left behind four or five poems, but he must have composed more, since he is vida records his composition of cansos, albas, and retroensas...
composed a partimen
Partimen
The partimen is a genre of Occitan lyric poetry composed between two troubadours, a subgenre of the tenso or cobla exchange in which one poet presents a dilemma in the form of a question and the two debate the answer, each taking up a different side. It was especially popular in poetic contests....
with Bertran, who proposed the dilemma: who are better at making war, feasts, and gifts, the Lombards
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
or Provençals? Raimon praises his compatriots and puts down Lombard women as big and ugly. Linda Paterson, however, does not identify Raimon's interlocutor, who is known only as Bertran, with Folco d'Avinhon.
Sources
- Egan, Margarita (1984). The Vidas of the Troubadours. New York: Garland. ISBN 0-8240-9437-9.
- Guida, Saverio (1972). "Per la biografia di Gui de Cavaillon e di Bertran Folco d’Avignon." Culture neolatina, 32, pp. 189–210.
- Guida, Saverio (2002). Premessa all’edizione in linea della tenzone fra Gui de Cavaillon e Bertran Folco d’Avignon (192.2, 83.2)
- Jeanroy, AlfredAlfred JeanroyAlfred Jeanroy was a French linguist.Jeanroy was born at Mangiennes, Meuse, Lorraine. He was a leading scholar studying troubadour poetry, publishing over 600 works. He established an influential view of the second generation of troubadours divided into two camps: “idealists” and “realists”...
(1934). La poésie lyrique des troubadours. Toulouse: Privat. - Paterson, Linda M. (1993). The World of the Troubadours: Medieval Occitan Society, c. 1100–c. 1300. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-55832-8.
External links
- Gui de Cavaillon · Bertran Folco d’Avignon, edited by Saverio Guida (1973)