ABOVE: Knight Receiving Wreath from Fiancee
(Original Caption) Manesse Manuscript: Hans von Toggenburg. He receives a wreath from his fiancee. Beginning of the 14th century. Photo via Getty Images.
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Knights. Fair maidens. A song-singing, lute-wielding jester. These are images that many people think of when they hear the terms medieval* or middle ages. Also included are tales of chivalry and said knight saving said fair maiden from an evil sorcerer or monstrous dragon.
Much of this folklore has its roots in historical fact. Through the written word of lyric poetry, we are given a glimpse into a time where ideals are heightened, beauty is praised, and chivalry expected. All these aspects of medieval life were illustrated through the practice of courtly love. known in its original language as fine amour (pronounced FEEN ah-MOOR) (Burkholder et al., 2010, p. A7).
Origins of Fine Amour as Vernacular Song
In modern French, fine amour translates as “refined love”. The more common term “courtly love” did not appear until the nineteenth century. Though the term is French, the lyric tradition concept of fine amours was evident in various regions of Western Europe, with each region cultivating its own language and compositional style (also known as the vernacular song).
During the Medieval Period, France was divided into two regions. The troubadours, poet-composers of southern France, whose language was Occitan. It then spread to the trouvères in the north, whose language was Old French. The linguistic differences are subtle but telling because of their words for “to compose a song” which were trobar and trover respectively (Burkholder, et al., p. 74).
Spreading to Other Regions
The proliferation of vernacular song began following the Norman Conquest in 1066, where French was still used as a primary language for English nobility. Royal patronage was common among English troubadours and trouvères. Even Richard the Lionheart (King Richard I, 1157-1199) was known to write songs in French. The troubadours became a model for traditions in other regions, including Italy, the Iberian Peninsula (modern Spain), and Germany (Burkholder et al., 2010, pp. 75-80). For more on vernacular song traditions in the Medieval Period, see Burkholder et al. (2010).
ABOVE: A knight and a lady exchanging rings, c1350. Illustration from the Remedy of Fortune, a courtly love poem by Guillaume de Machaut. Here he exchanges rings with a lady. From the collection of the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris. (Photo by Art Media/Print Collector/Getty Images).
Peter J. Burkholder (2010) describes the theme of fine amours in the following way:
This was an idealized love through which the lover was himself refined. The object was a real woman, usually another man’s wife, but she was adored from a distance, with discretion, respect, and humility. The lady is depicted as so lofty and unattainable that she would step out of character if she condescended to reward her faithful lover (p.75).
ABOVE: Antique illustration of Dante Alighieri and Beatrice (drawing taken from a painting by 19th-century Dutch-French Romantic painter Ary Scheffer). Photo via Getty Images.
Charles M. Barrack expands on this idea of the abstraction of everyday love:
In the exaggeration of the Courtly Love lyric she completely loses every note of individuality; it is precisely through this exaltation of both her physical and inner beauty that she is raised to the level of an abstract entity (Helmut de Boors as quoted in Barrack, 2013, p. 175).
Both descriptions distinguish fine amour as something almost otherworldly. Beginning with the second verse, Burkholder’s subsequent example Can vei la luazeta mover by Bernard de Ventadorn (ca. 1130-1200) beautifully expresses this description (Burkholder et al., 2010, p. 75):
Alas! I thought I knew so much
Of love, and I know so little;
For I cannot help loving a lady
For whom I shall never obtain any favor.
She has taken away my heart and myself,
And herself and the whole world;
And when she left me, I had nothing left
But desire and a yearning heart.
This same sentiment is heard over and over in love songs today. “I love you, but I can’t have you, yet I still love you”. It seems heartbreak knows no century. Nor gender. Female troubadours (known as a troubaritz), though their works are not as prolific or well known, still made their mark on the genre. A second Burkholder example, A chantar, gives us the female’s perspective. Comtessa (Beatriz) de Dia (ca. late twelfth century) complains heartily of being spurned by her amour, though she fails to approach him (Burkholder et al., Anthology, 2010, p. 43).
To sing I must of that which I would rather not,
So bitter I am towards him who is my love:
For I love him more than anyone;
My kindness and courtesy make no impression on him.
Nor my beauty, my virtue, or my intelligence;
So I am deceived and betrayed.
As I should be if I were unattractive.
There is striking realism in Beatriz’s description of her situation. By the end of this song, the composer makes the song her ally, sending it as a message to her lover (p. 44):
Therefore I send to you where you dwell
This song to be my messenger;
I want you to know, my noble love,
Why you are so haughty and disdainful towards me;
I do not know whether it is pride or malice.
But most of all I want you to tell him, messenger,
That excess of pride has been the downfall of many.
Canterbury pilgrims, c1420 (19th century). From John Lydgate's (1370-1451?) Story of Thebes written c1420 and designed as an addition to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. (Photo by Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images).
Notable Composers
There were several composers throughout western Europe whose works epitomized the themes of fine amours and upholding courtly tradition and manners. Not all of these compositions were set to music.
Bernart de Ventadorn (Southern France, ca. 1130 – ca. 1200)
Can vei la lauzeta mover (ca. 1150) (When I see the lark beating)
Includes explanation and text translation.
Comtess (Beatriz) de Dia (Italy, late twelfth century)
A Chantar (To sing I must)
Live performance with period instruments, includes text translation.
Ensemble: Puy de sons d'autrefois
Performed at Espacio Ronda in Madrid, Spain, 2012
Dante Alighieri (Italy, 1265-1321)
La Vita Nuova (1294)
Divine Comedy (1320)
Guillaume de Machaut (Northern France, 1300-1377)
Amours me fait desirer (Love makes me desire)
Sung in French. Live performance with period instruments.
Ensemble: La Morra
Performed at Muzyka w Raju Festival in Poland, 2015
Sung in English.
Geoffrey Chaucer (England, 1340s-1400)
The Canterbury Tales (1387-1400, unfinished, first published in 1476)
Troilus and Criseyde (mid 1380s)
Sources of Interest
Farrell, S. (2011). Chivalry Today. Podcast 53: Courtly Love Rethought 📌
Harvard University. (2021). Harvard’s Geoffrey Chaucer Website. Courtly Love 📌
Mark, J.J. (2019). Ancient History Encyclopedia. Courtly Love 📌
Tumanut, A.R. (31 May 2013). Magnificent Obsession. Love and Dante Alighieri 📌
References
Barrack, C. M. (2013). Motifs of Love in the Courtly Love Lyric of Moslem Spain and Hohenstaufen Germany. Monatshefte, 105(2), 173–200. https://doi-org.atxlibrary.idm.oclc.org/10.1353/mon.2013.0051
Burkholder, J. Peter, Donald Jay Grout, and Claude V. Palisca. (2010). A History of Western Music. 8th ed. New York: Norton. https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393668179
Burkholder, J. Peter, and Claude V. Palisca, (eds.). (2010). Norton Anthology of Western Music: Volume 1: Ancient to Baroque. 6th ed. New York: Norton. https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393656411
Mandel, J. (1985). Courtly Love in the Canterbury "Tales". The Chaucer Review, 19(4), 277-289. Retrieved January 28, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/25093927
Smith, N. (1975). "Can vei la Lauzeta Mover": Poet vs. Lark. South Atlantic Bulletin, 40(1), 15-22. doi:10.2307/3199081
About the Author
Jayme Nelson holds a bachelor's degree in music education from West Texas A&M University and a master's degree in library science from Texas Woman's University, with a focus in archives and special collections. She plays bassoon in the Austin Symphonic Band and several other volunteer music ensembles in the Austin area. A former orchestra librarian and an archivist in training, Jayme also serves as a collections volunteer at the Austin History Center, a local city archive. As part of her graduate studies, she recently helped to draft a collection development policy for the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History in Austin, TX.
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