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The troubadours were lyric poets who wrote in the Occitan language and composed works on various themes, including love songs and political pieces. Their legacy survives in various art forms, and they inspired many generations of artists in Europe. They had a strong influence on European music and art, and their work allowed different European cultures to express themselves with their own regional languages and traditions.
Troubadours were lyric poets who thrived from the 12th to 13th centuries in southern France, composing works in a wide variety of styles and on an assortment of themes. Although some 12 compositions survive to this day, most of the work produced by the troubadours has been lost, with their legacy instead surviving in the form of various art forms derived from the troubadour tradition. The work of these medieval poets inspired many generations of artists in Europe and numerous translations of their existing works can be found in libraries and bookshops.
The main distinguishing feature of a troubadour is that he or she wrote in the langue d’Oc, or Occitan language, a Romance language that was spoken in the region of France known today as Provence. A troubadour’s works were also designed to be accompanied by music, either played by the troubadour or by an assistant known as a jester or minstrel. Many troubadours composed their own works, while others drew on existing musical themes for their compositions.
Troubadours wrote in a variety of voices and styles. They could produce light work that was often heavily satirical and sometimes almost obscene, or much heavier, more introspective work that reflected on the nature of life and love. Some of the troubadours’ most famous compositions were their cansos, or love songs, but they also wrote political pieces known as sirventes, penises to nature, explorations of philosophy, and works on a variety of other subjects ranging from warfare to travel.
Most troubadours were from the upper classes, differentiating them from wandering minstrels, who often came from the lower or middle classes. Their works drew heavily on their own experiences and on the traditions of courtly love and chivalry. In addition to composing standalone works, troubadours also performed call-and-response pieces, poems in which two or more troubadours collaborated to produce a collaborative piece, and sometimes used their poetry as a vehicle for thinly veiled critiques of people and society.
The troubadour tradition caught on, spreading from France across much of Europe and inspiring regional flourishes of poetry and music. Troubadours had a strong influence on European music and art, as they sang secular, rather than religious pieces, thus creating a market and interest in secular literary compositions. They also inspired an interest in literature written in common languages, rather than Latin, allowing different European cultures to express themselves with their own regional languages and traditions. While this vernacular literature is the norm today, it was quite radical for the time of the troubadours.
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