Trubadur

Illustration of a troubadour character. Trubadur was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100-1350). Since the troubadour is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is called a trobairitz. The troubadour school or tradition began in the late 11th century. Occitania, but it spread to Italy and Spain. Under the influence of the troubadours, related movements in Europe: the Minnesang in Germany, trovadorismo in Galicia and Portugal, and that of the trouvères in northern France. Dante Alighieri in his De vulgari eloquentia defined the troubadour lyric as fictio rethorica musicaque poita: rhetorical, musical, and poetical fiction. The texts of troubadour songs deal mainly with themes of chivalry and courtly love. Most were metaphysical, intellectual, and formulaic. Many were humorous or vulgar satires. Works can be grouped into three styles: the trobar leu (light), trobar ric (rich), and trobar clus (closed). Likewise there were many genres, the most popular being the can, sirventes and tensos were especially popular in the post-classical period, in Italy and among the female troubadours, the trobairitz.