Elias de Barjols

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Elias de Barjols (fl. 1191–1230[1]) was a bourgeois Aquitainian troubadour who eventually established roots in Provence as a landed nobleman. Thirteen of his lyrics survive, but none of his music.[1]

Elias was from the castle of Pérols-sur-Vézère in the Agenais, the son of a merchant.[2] According to his vida he was the greatest singer of his age and he travelled widely from court to court as a jongleur with a fellow jongleur named Oliver (or Olivers).[2] They eventually found favour with Alfonso II of Provence, who gave them wives and land in Barjols, where they became known as the lords of Barjols.[2]

According to his vida Elias fell in love with Garsenda of Sabran, the widow of Alfonso II (died 1209), and composed songs for her "as long as she lived".[2] He later entered a hospital of the Fratres Pontifices founded by Beneic in Avignon, where he died.[3]

Elias was a practitioner of the trobar leu style.[1] Among his works are two descorts,[1] a partimen, and twelve cansos. Before 1191 Elias wrote a poem describing the cavalier soissebut (or cavalher benestan: ideal, or model, knight) with his characteristics taken from his contemporaries, in imitation of a work by Bertran de Born in which the domna soissebuda (or dompna soiseubuda) is described by features of the exemplary noblewomen of Bertran's time.[1][4] Elias constructs this knight for his lady from the "charm" of Aimar V of Limoges, the "gracious wit" of Dalfi d'Alvernha, the "generosity" of Eble V of Ventadorn, the "gaiety" (guaieza) of Pons de Capdoill, and the "poetical talents" (chansos) of Raimon de Miraval.[5][4]

Another poem, Ben deu hom son bon senhor, written probably between 1225 and 1228, has two tornadas referring to Beatrice of Savoy, husband of Raymond Berengar IV of Provence, and the lord Blacatz respectively. The stanza preceding them is full of praise for the Emperor Frederick II, suzerain of Provence, who had good relations with both Raymond Berengar and Blacatz at the time.

Comtessa Beatris, gran be
aug de vos dir e retraire,
quar del mon etz la belaire
de las autras dompnas qu'om ve.[6]
Countess Beatrice, great good
I hear said and related of you,
for you are the most beautiful
of the ladies seen in the world.[7]

Besides Alfonso and Alfonso's widow and daughter-in-law, Elias wrote poems to Marguerite of Geneva, wife of Thomas I of Savoy, and mother of Beatrice.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e Gaunt and Kay, 283.
  2. ^ a b c d Egan, 30.
  3. ^ Egan, 31.
  4. ^ a b Topsfield, 33.
  5. ^ Harvey, 15 and 20–21.
  6. ^ Stronski, 32.
  7. ^ "One should with one's good lord" at Epistolæ: Medieval Women's Latin Letters.

[edit] Sources

  • Egan, Margarita, ed. and trans. The Vidas of the Troubadours. New York: Garland, 1984. ISBN 0824094379.
  • Gaunt, Simon, and Kay, Sarah (edd.) The Troubadours: An Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999. ISBN 0 521 574730.
  • Harvey, Ruth. "Courtly culture in medieval Occitania" (pp. 8–27). The Troubadours: An Introduction. Simon Gaunt and Sarah Kay, edd. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999. ISBN 0 521 574730.
  • Stronski, Stanislas, ed. Le Troubadour Elias de Barjols. Toulouse: Edouard Privat, 1906.
  • Topsfield, L. T. "Raimon de Miraval and the Art of Courtly Love." The Modern Language Review, 51:1 (Jan., 1956), pp. 33–41.

[edit] External links