Jaufre de Pons
Encyclopedia
Jaufre de Pons or Pon was a 13th-century knight
and troubadour
from the castle of Pons
in the March of Poitou in the Saintonge
. He composed tenso
s with his castellan
, Rainaut de Pons
. There is joint vida
of Jaufre and Rainaut. Only two of his tensos survive and only one that has survived is with Rainaut ("Seign'en Jaufre, respondetz mi, si·us platz"). The other is a partimen
with Guiraut Riquier
("Guiraut Riquier, diatz me," composed probably 1270 or 1280–1). Jaufre's part in the debate consists in asking plain youthful questions about love only to receive the bitter and experienced answers of Guiraut in proverbial form.
Jaufre was probably the husband of Isabeau, daughter of Henry II of Rodez
, a patron of troubadours. In 1292 he rendered homage to the lord of Châteauroux
. Some scholars have suspected that there were more than one Jaufre de Pons (one from the Saintonge and another from the Toulousain
). One Jaufre has been placed as early as 1200–1220. There were several Jaufres who were lords of Pons, so identifying the troubadour among them or their relatives is difficult based on the slender documentation.
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
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 the castle of Pons
Pons
The pons is a structure located on the brain stem, named after the Latin word for "bridge" or the 16th-century Italian anatomist and surgeon Costanzo Varolio . It is superior to the medulla oblongata, inferior to the midbrain, and ventral to the cerebellum. In humans and other bipeds this means it...
in the March of Poitou in the Saintonge
Saintonge
Saintonge is a small region on the Atlantic coast of France within the département Charente-Maritime, west and south of Charente in the administrative region of Poitou-Charentes....
. He composed 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...
s with his castellan
Castellan
A castellan was the governor or captain of a castle. The word stems from the Latin Castellanus, derived from castellum "castle". Also known as a constable.-Duties:...
, Rainaut de Pons
Rainaut de Pons
Rainaut de Pons was a castellan and troubadour from the March of Poitou in Saintonge. He was lord of the castle of Pons. Jaufre de Pons was one of his retainers with whom he composed tensos. One of their partimens survives.-Sources:...
. There is joint 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...
of Jaufre and Rainaut. Only two of his tensos survive and only one that has survived is with Rainaut ("Seign'en Jaufre, respondetz mi, si·us platz"). The other is 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 Guiraut Riquier
Guiraut Riquier
Guiraut Riquier is among the last of the Provençal troubadours. He is well known because of his great care in writing out his works and keeping them together—the New Grove Encyclopedia considers him an "anthologist" of his own works....
("Guiraut Riquier, diatz me," composed probably 1270 or 1280–1). Jaufre's part in the debate consists in asking plain youthful questions about love only to receive the bitter and experienced answers of Guiraut in proverbial form.
Jaufre was probably the husband of Isabeau, daughter of Henry II of Rodez
Henry II of Rodez
Henry II , of the House of Millau, was the Count of Rodez and Viscount of Carlat from 1274 until his death. He was the son of Hugh IV of Rodez and Isabeau de Roquefeuil....
, a patron of troubadours. In 1292 he rendered homage to the lord of Châteauroux
Châteauroux
Châteauroux is the capital of the Indre department in central France and the second-largest town in the province of Berry, after Bourges. Its residents are called Castelroussines or Castelroussins....
. Some scholars have suspected that there were more than one Jaufre de Pons (one from the Saintonge and another from the Toulousain
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...
). One Jaufre has been placed as early as 1200–1220. There were several Jaufres who were lords of Pons, so identifying the troubadour among them or their relatives is difficult based on the slender documentation.