Uc de Pena
Encyclopedia
Uc, Uco, or Ugo de Pena or Penna was a troubadour
of the late 12th and early 13th centuries. He left behind three cansos
and no music.
His origins are found in Penne-d'Agenais
, in the Rouergue
. According to his vida
his birthplace was a castle
called "Messat" or "Monmessat". He was the son of a merchant, who first became a jongleur and then grew renowned for his singing and for his expansive repertoire (of the works of others). He was also reputed for his knowledge of the "great men of those regions", but he was known for his roguish style of living—gambling and frequenting taverns—for which reason, says his biographer, "he was always poor and without equipment." Eventually he travelled east to "Isla é(n) Venaissi" (probably Isle-sur-Sorgue in Provence
), where he married.
In one song, Uc refers to the Occitan knight Gouffier de Lastours, who carried a message from Bohemond of Taranto to Godfrey of Bouillon
at the critical Battle of Dorylaeum on the First Crusade
. This event had probably become an important piece of Occitan crusading lore and is recorded also in the Canso d'Antioca
and the Gran Conquista de Ultramar.
Among his other works is Quora que'm desplagués Amors.
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....
of the late 12th and early 13th centuries. He left behind three 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 no music.
His origins are found in Penne-d'Agenais
Penne-d'Agenais
Penne-d'Agenais is a commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department in south-western France.-See also:*Communes of the Lot-et-Garonne department...
, in the Rouergue
Rouergue
Rouergue is a former province of France, bounded on the north by Auvergne, on the south and southwest by Languedoc, on the east by Gévaudan and on the west by Quercy...
. 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...
his birthplace was a castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
called "Messat" or "Monmessat". He was the son of a merchant, who first became a jongleur and then grew renowned for his singing and for his expansive repertoire (of the works of others). He was also reputed for his knowledge of the "great men of those regions", but he was known for his roguish style of living—gambling and frequenting taverns—for which reason, says his biographer, "he was always poor and without equipment." Eventually he travelled east to "Isla é(n) Venaissi" (probably Isle-sur-Sorgue in 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...
), where he married.
In one song, Uc refers to the Occitan knight Gouffier de Lastours, who carried a message from Bohemond of Taranto to Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon was a medieval Frankish knight who was one of the leaders of the First Crusade from 1096 until his death. He was the Lord of Bouillon, from which he took his byname, from 1076 and the Duke of Lower Lorraine from 1087...
at the critical Battle of Dorylaeum on the First Crusade
First Crusade
The First Crusade was a military expedition by Western Christianity to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquest of the Levant, ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem...
. This event had probably become an important piece of Occitan crusading lore and is recorded also in the Canso d'Antioca
Canso d'Antioca
The Canso d'Antioca was a late twelfth-century Occitan epic poem in the form of a chanson de geste describing the First Crusade up to the Siege of Antioch...
and the Gran Conquista de Ultramar.
Among his other works is Quora que'm desplagués Amors.