Simon Gaunt

Cultural Traffic in the Medieval Romance World

This article introduces the issue by discussing ‘Romance Studies’ as an ideological construct and suggesting ways in which this might inform our understanding of cultural exchanges in the parts of medieval Europe where Romance languages were spoken. Through an examination of programmatic inaugural articles in two major academic journals in the field (Romania, established in 1872, and Cultura Neolatina, published in 1941), the authors show that any idea of a ‘Romance world’, of its value and of its boundaries (both internal and external) is contingent on historical and ideological factors, which in turn means that modern ideas about what may have constituted the ‘Romance world’ in the past are often inflected by modern political, cultural and ideological concerns. A further example is the ‘discovery’ of the kharjas of medieval Iberia in 1949.

The Troubadours: Introduction

The dazzling culture of the troubadours – the virtuosity of their songs, the subtlety of their exploration of love, and the glamorous international careers some troubadours enjoyed – fascinated contemporaries and had a lasting influence on European life and literature. Apart from the refined love songs for which the troubadours are renowned, the tradition includes political and satirical poetry, devotional lyrics and bawdy or zany poems. It is also in the troubadour song-books that the only substantial collection of medieval lyrics by women is preserved. This book offers a general introduction to the troubadours. Its sixteen newly commissioned essays, written by leading scholars from Britain, the US, France, Italy and Spain, trace the historical development and setting of troubadour song, engage with the main trends in troubadour criticism, and examine the reception of troubadour poetry. Appendices offer an invaluable guide to the troubadours, to technical vocabulary, to research tools and to surviving manuscripts.