Jacques Bretel or Jacques Bretex (dates of birth and death unknown) was a
French language
French ( or ) is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European family. Like all other Romance languages, it descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire. French evolved from Northern Old Gallo-R ...
''
trouvère
''Trouvère'' (, ), sometimes spelled ''trouveur'' (, ), is the Northern French ('' langue d'oïl'') form of the '' langue d'oc'' (Occitan) word ''trobador'', the precursor of the modern French word '' troubadour''. ''Trouvère'' refers to po ...
'', best known for having written '' le Tournoi de Chauvency''.
His only known work, signed and dated in 1285, ''le Tournoi de Chauvency'' is a long poem of about 4,500 verses recounting the events of a
tournament
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concen ...
held during six days of feasting given by
Louis V, Count of Chiny Louis V (1235–1299), Count of Chiny from 1268–1299, the youngest son of Arnold IV, Count of Looz and Chiny, and Jeanne, Countess of Chiny. He became Count of Chiny in 1268 when his parents entrusted him with the county before their death.
In ...
, in October 1285 at
Chauvency-le-Château
Chauvency-le-Château () is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
The took place in 1285. The story of the tournament has been told by trouvère Jacques Bretel, and is kept in a manuscript (reference: MS. ...
. It is without doubt a masterpiece of French Middle Ages literature and, in any case, one of the best digests of courtly art of the period.
His origin is unknown, but ''Tournoi de Chauvency'' is written in
Old French
Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th
Lorraine
Lorraine, also , ; ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; ; ; is a cultural and historical region in Eastern France, now located in the administrative region of Grand Est. Its name stems from the medieval kingdom of ...
dialect.
''Le Tournoi de Chauvency'' is kept in a manuscript (reference: Douce 308) at the Bodleian Library">Francis Douce">Douce 308) at the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford">Bodleian_Library.html" ;"title="Francis Douce">Douce 308) at the Bodleian Library">Francis Douce">Douce 308) at the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford.
Sources
* Jacques Bretel, ''Le Tournoi de Chauvency, 1285'' (manuscripts: Mons MS 330-215 and Oxford MS Douce 308)
* Maurice Delbouille, ''Le Tournoi de Chauvency''
* Dominique Henriot-Walzer, ''Dictionnaire du Tournoi de Chauvency, 1285''