Guilhem de Montanhagol
Encyclopedia
Guilhem Montanhagol (fl.
1233–1268) was a Provençal
troubadour
, most likely active in Toulouse
, but known in the courts of Provence
, Toulouse, Castile
, and Aragon
. Guilhem left behind seven cansos
and six sirventes
. He also left behind one tenso
(specifically, a partimen
) with Sordello
(perhaps suggesting a brief sojourn in Lombardy
) and his total surviving output comes to fourteen pieces.
The meaning of Guilhem's name has been debated. "Montanhagol" means "from Montanhac", but it is not known which Montanhac that could be. For a long time it was thought that the correct form of the troubadour's name was simply "Guilhem Montanhagol", since the "de" (of) would be redundant. Contemporary documents, however, clearly use "de".
He was of humble birth. According to his vida
he was from Provence, though some modern scholars suspect he was a Toulousain. His vida records that he was "a good inventor (trobaire) of poetry, and a great lover." His lover was a lady named Jauseranda from Lunel
, the lord of which castle, Raymond Gaucelm V, Guilhem probably knew.
His cansos are awkward, and he emulated the earlier troubadours, praising mezura (moderation) among all the virtues. He stated that "from love proceeds chastity" (d'amor mou castitatz), which may mean no more than that love is necessary for fidelity. He has been viewed, most ardently by Cesare de Lollis, as a precursor of the Dolce Stil Novo
and as an important link between Occitan and Italian literature
through his work with Sordello. He has been credited with an innovative picture of courtly love
blended with Christian morality, and indeed he refers to noel dig de maestria ("a new saying of mastery"), though this is probably not an indication of any conscious reformation.
Guilhem's political sirventes concern Toulousain and Spanish politics. Writing in the aftermath of the Albigensian Crusade
which devastated Languedoc
, Guilhem was an opponent of the Papal Inquisition, though not of the Church itself. He encouraged the gentle correction of the Cathars, but not their violent suppression by means of war.
Guilhem was grieved in a planh
written by his brother-in-law Pons Santolh
.
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1233–1268) 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...
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....
, most likely active in Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, but known in the courts of Provence
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...
, Toulouse, Castile
Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
, and Aragon
Kingdom of Aragon
The Kingdom of Aragon was a medieval and early modern kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day autonomous community of Aragon, in Spain...
. Guilhem left behind seven cansos
Canso (song)
The canso is a song style used by the troubadours. It consists of three parts. The first stanza is the exordium, where the composer explains his purpose. The main body of the song occurs in the following stanzas, and usually draw out a variety of relationships with the exordium. The canso can end...
and six sirventes
Sirventes
The sirventes or serventes is a genre of Occitan lyric poetry used by the troubadours. In early Catalan it became a sirventesch and was imported into that language in the fourteenth century, where it developed into a unique didactic/moralistic type...
. He also left behind one tenso
Tenso
A tenso is a style of Occitan song favoured by the troubadours. It takes the form of a debate in which each voice defends a position on a topic relating to love or ethics. Closely related genres include the partimen and the cobla exchange...
(specifically, 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 Sordello
Sordello
Sordello da Goito or Sordel de Goit was a 13th-century Lombard troubadour, born in the municipality of Goito in the province of Mantua...
(perhaps suggesting a brief sojourn in Lombardy
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...
) and his total surviving output comes to fourteen pieces.
The meaning of Guilhem's name has been debated. "Montanhagol" means "from Montanhac", but it is not known which Montanhac that could be. For a long time it was thought that the correct form of the troubadour's name was simply "Guilhem Montanhagol", since the "de" (of) would be redundant. Contemporary documents, however, clearly use "de".
He was of humble birth. According to his 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...
he was from Provence, though some modern scholars suspect he was a Toulousain. His vida records that he was "a good inventor (trobaire) of poetry, and a great lover." His lover was a lady named Jauseranda from Lunel
Lunel
Lunel is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France. Lunel is located east of Montpellier and southwest of Nîmes .-History:The ancient Roman site of Ambrussum is located nearby. The troubadour Folquet de Lunel was from Lunel....
, the lord of which castle, Raymond Gaucelm V, Guilhem probably knew.
His cansos are awkward, and he emulated the earlier troubadours, praising mezura (moderation) among all the virtues. He stated that "from love proceeds chastity" (d'amor mou castitatz), which may mean no more than that love is necessary for fidelity. He has been viewed, most ardently by Cesare de Lollis, as a precursor of the Dolce Stil Novo
Dolce Stil Novo
Dolce Stil Novo , or stilnovismo, is the name given to the most important literary movement of 13th century in Italy. Influenced by both Sicilian and Tuscan poetry, its main theme is Love . Gentilezza and Amore are indeed topoi in the major works of the period...
and as an important link between Occitan and Italian literature
Italian literature
Italian literature is literature written in the Italian language, particularly within Italy. It may also refer to literature written by Italians or in Italy in other languages spoken in Italy, often languages that are closely related to modern Italian....
through his work with Sordello. He has been credited with an innovative picture of courtly love
Courtly love
Courtly love was a medieval European conception of nobly and chivalrously expressing love and admiration. Generally, courtly love was secret and between members of the nobility. It was also generally not practiced between husband and wife....
blended with Christian morality, and indeed he refers to noel dig de maestria ("a new saying of mastery"), though this is probably not an indication of any conscious reformation.
Guilhem's political sirventes concern Toulousain and Spanish politics. Writing in the aftermath of 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...
which devastated Languedoc
Languedoc
Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
, Guilhem was an opponent of the Papal Inquisition, though not of the Church itself. He encouraged the gentle correction of the Cathars, but not their violent suppression by means of war.
Guilhem was grieved in a planh
Planh
The planh or plaing is a funeral lament used by the troubadours, modeled on the medieval Latin planctus. It differed from the planctus in that it was intended for a secular audience...
written by his brother-in-law Pons Santolh
Pons Santolh
Pons Santolh was a thirteenth-century troubadour, probably a member of the Centulli family, but whether of the Castelsarrasin or Toulouse branch remains a mystery. He was a brother of the wife of Guilhem de Montanhagol. He composed a planh, "Marritz com oms mal sabens ab frachura", on his...
.
Works
- A Lunel lutz una luna luzens
- Ar ab lo coinde pascor
- Del tot vey remaner valor
- Bel m'es quan d'armatz aug refrim
- Ges, per malvastat qu'er veya
- Leu chansoneta m'er a far
- No sap per que va son joy pus tarzan
- Non an tan dig li primier trobador
- Non estarai, per ome qe-m casti
- Nulhs hom no val ni deu esser prezatz
- On mais a hom de valensa
- Per lo mon fan li un dels autres rancura
- Qui vol esser agradans e plazens
- Senh'En Sordel, mandamen
Further reading
- Boase, Roger. The Origin and Meaning of Courtly Love: A Critical Study of European Scholarship. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1977. ISBN 0 87471 950 x.
- Egan, Margarita, ed. The Vidas of the Troubadours. New York: Garland, 1984. ISBN 0 8240 9437 9.
- Gaunt, Simon, and Kay, Sarah. "Appendix I: Major Troubadours" (pp. 279–291). The Troubadours: An Introduction. Simon Gaunt and Sarah Kay, edd. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999. ISBN 0 521 574730.
- Paden, William D. "Guilhem de Montanhagol" (p. 425). Medieval France: An Encyclopedia, ed. William W. Kibler. New Jersey: Routledge University Press, 1995. ISBN 0 82404 444 4.
- Riquer, Martín de. Los trovadores: historia literaria y textos. 3 vol. Barcelona: Planeta, 1975.
- Spiers, A. G. H. "Vita Nuova and Dolce Stil Nuovo." Modern Language Notes, 25:2 (Feb., 1910), pp. 37–39.
- Spiers, A. G. H. "Dolce Stil Nuovo—The Case of the Opposition." Periodical of the Modern Language Association, 25:4 (1910), pp. 657–675.
- Topsfield, L. T. "The Theme of Courtly Love in the Poems of Guilhem de Montanhagol." French Studies, 11 (1957), 127–34.
External links
- Complete works at Trobar.org