Gaucelm Faidit ( literally "Gaucelm the Dispossessed" c. 1156 – c. 1209) was a

troubadour A troubadour (, ; oc, trobador ) was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100–1350). Since the word ''troubadour'' is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a '' trobai ...

, born in Uzerche, in the

Limousin Limousin (; oc, Lemosin ) is a former administrative region of southwest-central France. On 1 January 2016, it became part of the new administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It comprised three departments: Corrèze, Creuse, and Haute-Vienn ...

, from a family of knights in service of the count of

Turenne Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, vicomte de Turenne (11 September 161127 July 1675), commonly known as Turenne , was a French general and one of only six Marshals to have been promoted Marshal General of France. The most illustrious member of the ...

. He travelled widely in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

, and

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croa ...

. His known patrons include

Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany Geoffrey II ( br, Jafrez; , xno, Geoffroy; 23 September 1158 – 19 August 1186) was Duke of Brittany and 3rd Earl of Richmond between 1181 and 1186, through his marriage to Constance, Duchess of Brittany. Geoffrey was the fourth of five sons ...

and Dalfi d'Alvernha; he was at one time in

Poitiers Poitiers (, , , ; Poitevin: ''Poetàe'') is a city on the River Clain in west-central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and the historical centre of Poitou. In 2017 it had a population of 88,291. Its agglome ...

at the court of

Richard I of England Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Aquitaine and Duchy of Gascony, Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Co ...

, for whose death he wrote a famous '' planh'' (lament) in 1199. It is possible, but controversial, that Gaucelm took part in the

Third Crusade The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was an attempt by three European monarchs of Western Christianity ( Philip II of France, Richard I of England and Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor) to reconquer the Holy Land following the capture of Jerusalem by ...

from 1189–1191; it seems clear that in 1202 he set out on the Fourth Crusade, as did his current patron,

Boniface of Montferrat Boniface I, usually known as Boniface of Montferrat ( it, Bonifacio del Monferrato, link=no; el, Βονιφάτιος Μομφερρατικός, ''Vonifatios Momferratikos'') (c. 1150 – 4 September 1207), was the ninth Marquis of Montferrat ...

. After 1202 there is no further historical trace of him. Three sources – the anonymous '' vida'' (biography) of Gaucelm, an exchange of verses between Gaucelm and Elias d'Ussel, and the satirical '' sirventes'' on rival troubadours by the Monk of Montaudon – allege that Gaucelm married a prostitute. According to the ''vida'', her name was Guillelma Monja: "she was very beautiful and well educated" and accompanied her husband on Crusade. The ''vida'' also claims that Gaucelm was rather fat, and that after their marriage, Guillelma also put on weight. About seventy of Gaucelm's poems and fourteen of his melodies survive. Six poems are addressed to Boniface of Montferrat, and twelve to Maria de Ventadorn. Several of his poems are accompanied in the manuscripts by detailed explanations ('' razós''), usually concerning love affairs and rivalries that allegedly inspired the poems. These tales involve Gaucelm with Hugh IX of Lusignan, his son

Hugh X Hugh X de Lusignan, Hugh V of La Marche or Hugh I of Angoulême (c. 1183 – c. 5 June 1249, Angoulême) was Seigneur de Lusignan and Count of La Marche in November 1219 and was Count of Angoulême by marriage. He was the son of Hugh IX ...

Alfonso II, Count of Provence Alfonso II (1180 – February 1209) was the second son of Alfonso II of Aragon (who was Alfonso I of Provence) and Sancha of Castile, Queen of Aragon, Sancha of Castile. His father transferred the Count of Provence, County of Provence from his uncl ...

, and others.

References

*Mouzat, J.-D. (1965). ''Les Poèmes de Gaucelm Faidit, troubadour du XIIe siècle''. Paris: Les Classiques d'Oc. *''Biographies des troubadours'' ed. J. Boutière, A.-H. Schutz (Paris: Nizet, 1964) pp. 167–195. *Rossell i Mayo, Antoni. ''Les poesies i les melodies del trobador Gaucelm Faidit''. Cabrera de Mar, Maresme spanya Galerada, 2013. pp. 10, etc.

External links

Complete Works (in Provençal)
{{Authority control 1150s births 1202 deaths 12th-century French troubadours Christians of the Third Crusade Christians of the Fourth Crusade People from Corrèze