Troubadours, Trouvères, Jongleurs
The troubadours, whose very name brings to mind a charming picture of romance, chivalry and adventure, were the poet-composers of Provence a land of sunshine where men were brave and courteous, and women beautiful and gracious. The words troubadour and trouvères, come from trobar, trouver, meaning to find or to invent, for these troubadours and trouvères were the inventors or composers of poems which they set to music.
They wrote their songs on the four-lined staff in square notes, without written accompaniment. The accompaniments played on the lute, the guitar, the vielle, or sometimes the harp, were probably made up by the jongleur, (joglar, jouglar, in English,—juggler) who sang the songs, had trained bears, danced and played tricks. Then as now there were composers and performers. The troubadours and trouvères were as a rule, nobles and even royalty. Five kings belonged to their number, the greatest of them were Richard Cœur de Lion, William Count of Poitiers, Alfonso, Thibaut de Champagne, and King of Navarre.
The troubadour seldom sang his own songs, as this was the jongleur’s duty. There were many more jongleurs than troubadours, and they belonged to a much lower grade of society. The jongleurs traveled from place to place, from castle to castle, with their instruments slung across their backs, and their songs in a little bag at their side. They were heartily welcomed wherever they went, but if they found the doors of the castles closed to them, they soon gathered a crowd in the public squares, where they performed to the joy of the townspeople.
Can you imagine the pleasure these strolling entertainers gave to the people who did not have motors, movies, radios, gramophones and theatres for their amusement? How happy the custodian of the castle must have been when he looked across the moat and lowered the drawbridge for the welcome minstrels!
The jongleurs grew so numerous, and their music became so poor that they were nuisances, little better than outlaws and beggars. How easily a good thing can be overdone!
In the 14th century they banded together in perhaps the first musical union on record. They appointed leaders, called kings of the minstrels or jugglers. At first they were hired by nobles and troubadours as entertainers with the rank of servants. Even the monasteries received them with joy during the early days; later they were denounced by the Church, and forbidden to enter the monasteries, for they had sung of evil things instead of lovely things and had acted unseemly. During Lent, they were forbidden to appear in public, so they wisely used that time to go to schools of minstrelsy, where they learned new songs, and tried their skill at composing. In these schools they were also taught to play their instruments. Sometimes we hear of women minstrels, who sang, played the flute, danced, and performed tricks to the endless delight of the audience. (See lining of the cover of this book.)
The jongleurs, at their best, seem to have “gotten in” everywhere,—at the courts of kings, in all the tournaments, festivals, pilgrimages, and weddings. A wedding wasn’t complete without them! At the knightly tournaments and jousts, the minstrel was a most necessary person, for, did he not take the place of newspapers, and give accounts to a waiting world of the results of the exciting tournaments?
Massenet, the French composer, wrote a lovely opera called The Juggler of Notre Dame, from one of the old miracle tales of a young juggler sheltered by the monks of Notre Dame. Everyone brought rich gifts to place at the feet of the Virgin Mary, but being a pauper, he had nothing but his songs, dances and tricks, which he offered the Virgin by going through them as best he could in front of the shrine. So shocked were the monks by his seeming lack of respect, that they wanted to drive him out! At this moment the miracle took place. The image of the Virgin came to life and stretched forth her arms protectingly to the young juggler, showing that she accepted his offering given in all sincerity and simplicity.
As all the countries of Europe took part in the Crusades, the troubadours’ songs were heard by others than the French, and their music spread rapidly. Richard, the Lion-Hearted, King of England, was a famous Crusader and a troubadour of skill. He invited jongleurs over from France, one of whom, Blondel de Nesle, became his devoted companion during the Crusade of 1193, and saved Richard’s life. Richard was taken captive by Leopold, Duke of Austria, and was cast into a dungeon. The English did not know where to look for their monarch, but Blondel undertook the search, going from place to place, singing songs which he and the king had written together. One day as he sang, from the tower of a castle came a voice which he recognized as Richard’s, singing the same song! And soon the royal troubadour was released.