Matfre Ermengau
Encyclopedia
Matfre Ermengau (died 1322) was a Franciscan
friar
, legist
, and troubadour
from Béziers
. He had a master of laws
(senhor de leis) degree.
He wrote one canso
, whose melody survives, and one moralising sirventes
. His most famous work was an Occitan grammar in 35,600 octosyllable
s called the Breviari d'amor, begun in 1288. Encyclopedic in length and diversity, its sole purpose is the reconciliation of love for God with the erotic amours of the troubadour lyric. It is divided into parts and is structured like a "tree of love". The Breviari is preserved in twelve full codices and as many fragments. It was translated into Castilian and the Limousin dialect
(once thought to be Catalan
or catalanisant Occitan). Matfre also says that he would have written better in Latin
(from which he borrowed the word breviari
, from breviarium, not found elsewhere in medieval Occitan).
The work begins with popular theology
, a section entitled "The Study of God and the Creation". From the Trinity
it moves to angels, demons, then the zodiac
and the planets. Then in a section entitled "The Study of Nature" ("Natural Law") he discusses the proper modes of worship
, then the temptations that affect Christians and the sins they must avoid. Exempla are drawn from daily life. Finally, in "The Love of God", he summarises the Christian creeds, the life of Christ
, and several hagiographies.
The last section (8,000 lines) of the work, "Perilhos tractatz d'amor de donas, seguon qu'en han tractat li antic trobador en lurs cansos", structured as a dialogue between the defenders Love and her critics, is filled with citations (266 by some counts) of other troubadours and even some trouvère
s; Matfre cited himself six (Jeanroy
) or nine (Paden) times and cited his brother Peire twice. He was careful to cite poets from different eras, but his favourites appear to be Aimeric de Peguilhan
, Bernart de Ventadorn
, and Peire Vidal
of the "classical era". The title of "Perilhos" indicates that the antic (old) troubadours were authorities on poetic and amatory matters. He even quotes in support of this Raimon Jordan
using the word antic of his predecessors. Matfre's knowledge of the early troubadours came largely through reading and he indicates that the early troubadours "sung" about love, not that they wrote about it, as did Matfre and his contemporaries. After the "Perilhos", Matfre includes a letter (epistola) to his sister, written in decasyllabic rhyming couplets: Fraires Matfre a sa cara seror. In it he explains the symbolism of a Christmas
capon
.
Matfre has been credited, along with Ferrari da Ferrara, for pioneering the anthologising of the troubadours. Matfre is partly responsible for the later treatment of single coblas as distinct units, because he regularly quoted one cobla from a troubadour and treated it as a single thought. Matfre had become quite famous by the time Peire de Ladils
lumped him together with the heroes of Arthurian romance (c.1340).
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
friar
Friar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders.-Friars and monks:...
, legist
Legist
The term Legist, from the Latin lex 'law', literally denotes any expert or student of law.It was especially used since the Carolingian dynasty for royal councillors who advised the monarch in legal matters, and specifically helped base its absolutist ambitions on Roman Law...
, and troubadour
Troubadour
A troubadour was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages . Since the word "troubadour" is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a trobairitz....
from Béziers
Béziers
Béziers is a town in Languedoc in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Hérault department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event...
. He had a master of laws
Master of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
(senhor de leis) degree.
He wrote one canso
Canso (song)
The canso is a song style used by the troubadours. It consists of three parts. The first stanza is the exordium, where the composer explains his purpose. The main body of the song occurs in the following stanzas, and usually draw out a variety of relationships with the exordium. The canso can end...
, whose melody survives, and one moralising sirventes
Sirventes
The sirventes or serventes is a genre of Occitan lyric poetry used by the troubadours. In early Catalan it became a sirventesch and was imported into that language in the fourteenth century, where it developed into a unique didactic/moralistic type...
. His most famous work was an Occitan grammar in 35,600 octosyllable
Octosyllable
The octosyllable or octosyllabic verse is a line of verse with eight syllables. It is equivalent to tetrameter verse in iambs or trochees in languages with a stress accent. It is often used in French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese poetry...
s called the Breviari d'amor, begun in 1288. Encyclopedic in length and diversity, its sole purpose is the reconciliation of love for God with the erotic amours of the troubadour lyric. It is divided into parts and is structured like a "tree of love". The Breviari is preserved in twelve full codices and as many fragments. It was translated into Castilian and the Limousin dialect
Limousin language
Limousin is a dialect of the Occitan language, spoken in the three departments of Limousin, parts of Charente and the Dordogne in the southwest of France.The first Occitan documents are in this dialect, particularly the Boecis, written around the year 1000....
(once thought to be Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
or catalanisant Occitan). Matfre also says that he would have written better in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
(from which he borrowed the word breviari
Breviary
A breviary is a liturgical book of the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church containing the public or canonical prayers, hymns, the Psalms, readings, and notations for everyday use, especially by bishops, priests, and deacons in the Divine Office...
, from breviarium, not found elsewhere in medieval Occitan).
The work begins with popular theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, a section entitled "The Study of God and the Creation". From the Trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
it moves to angels, demons, then the zodiac
Zodiac
In astronomy, the zodiac is a circle of twelve 30° divisions of celestial longitude which are centred upon the ecliptic: the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year...
and the planets. Then in a section entitled "The Study of Nature" ("Natural Law") he discusses the proper modes of worship
Worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something, for example, Christian worship.Evelyn Underhill defines worship thus: "The absolute...
, then the temptations that affect Christians and the sins they must avoid. Exempla are drawn from daily life. Finally, in "The Love of God", he summarises the Christian creeds, the life of Christ
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, and several hagiographies.
The last section (8,000 lines) of the work, "Perilhos tractatz d'amor de donas, seguon qu'en han tractat li antic trobador en lurs cansos", structured as a dialogue between the defenders Love and her critics, is filled with citations (266 by some counts) of other troubadours and even some trouvère
Trouvère
Trouvère , sometimes spelled trouveur , is the Northern French form of the word trobador . It refers to poet-composers who were roughly contemporary with and influenced by the troubadours but who composed their works in the northern dialects of France...
s; Matfre cited himself six (Jeanroy
Alfred Jeanroy
Alfred Jeanroy was a French linguist.Jeanroy was born at Mangiennes, Meuse, Lorraine. He was a leading scholar studying troubadour poetry, publishing over 600 works. He established an influential view of the second generation of troubadours divided into two camps: “idealists” and “realists”...
) or nine (Paden) times and cited his brother Peire twice. He was careful to cite poets from different eras, but his favourites appear to be Aimeric de Peguilhan
Aimeric de Peguilhan
Aimeric or Aimery de Peguilhan, Peguillan, or Pégulhan was a troubadour , born in Peguilhan the son of a cloth merchant....
, Bernart de Ventadorn
Bernart de Ventadorn
Bernart de Ventadorn , also known as Bernard de Ventadour or Bernat del Ventadorn, was a prominent troubador of the classical age of troubadour poetry. Now thought of as "the Master Singer" he developed the cançons into a more formalized style which allowed for sudden turns...
, and Peire Vidal
Peire Vidal
Peire Vidal was a troubadour. According to his biography, he was born in Toulouse, the son of a furrier, and the greatest of singers....
of the "classical era". The title of "Perilhos" indicates that the antic (old) troubadours were authorities on poetic and amatory matters. He even quotes in support of this Raimon Jordan
Raimon Jordan
Raimon Jordan was a Toulousain troubadour and the viscount of Saint-Antonin in the Rouergue near the boundary with Quercy ....
using the word antic of his predecessors. Matfre's knowledge of the early troubadours came largely through reading and he indicates that the early troubadours "sung" about love, not that they wrote about it, as did Matfre and his contemporaries. After the "Perilhos", Matfre includes a letter (epistola) to his sister, written in decasyllabic rhyming couplets: Fraires Matfre a sa cara seror. In it he explains the symbolism of a Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
capon
Capon
A capon is a rooster that has been castrated to improve the quality of its flesh for food.-History:The Romans are credited with inventing the capon. The Lex Faunia of 162 BC forbade fattening hens in order to conserve grain rations. In order to get around this the Romans castrated roosters, which...
.
Matfre has been credited, along with Ferrari da Ferrara, for pioneering the anthologising of the troubadours. Matfre is partly responsible for the later treatment of single coblas as distinct units, because he regularly quoted one cobla from a troubadour and treated it as a single thought. Matfre had become quite famous by the time Peire de Ladils
Peire de Ladils
Peire de Ladils de Bazas was an Gascon troubadour associated with the Consistori del Gay Saber in Toulouse. He was from Bazas in the Gironde and he served as advocate for the Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste. His surviving work comprises four cansos, three dansas, and two partimens.In 1340 he...
lumped him together with the heroes of Arthurian romance (c.1340).