Peire Bremon lo Tort
Encyclopedia
Peire Bremon lo Tort (fl.
1177) was a troubadour
from the Viennois. Though only two of his pieces (both love songs
) survive, his poetry is characterised by Francoprovençalisms. According to his short vida
, he was "honoured by all the notable men."
Peire Bremon has been identified with the Petrus Bermudi and Peire Bremont found in documents of 1160 pertaining to the Dauphiné
. He is possibly the same person as the Peire Bremon related to the Counts of Toulouse
in a stanza of Peire d'Alvernhe's
satire of contemporary troubadours. "Peire Bremon" was not a rare name and it was shared by the later troubadour, sometimes erroneously identified with lo Tort (whose nickname means "the Wrong"), Peire Bremon Ricas Novas
.
Peire's earlier poem, Mei oill an gran manentia, was written as the troubadour prepared to depart from Syria
, where he had been staying. He left behind a beloved domna (lady), whom he celebrated in the poem En abril, quant vei verdejar upon his arrival in the Orient. It was addressed, however, not to his lady herself, but to Guillelm Longa-Espia, that is, William of Montferrat
, Count of Jaffa and Ascalon. The poem contains the earliest mention of William by his famous nickname, "Longsword". The date of the poem can be set by the dates when William was known to be in the Holy Land: October 1176 – July 1177.
Peire claims in the second tornada of this poem to have written it while in the service of Filippe de Monreal, who is probably Philip of Milly
, a Crusader baron known to have held the castle of Montréal
for a time.
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1177) was a 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 the Viennois. Though only two of his pieces (both love songs
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...
) survive, his poetry is characterised by Francoprovençalisms. According to his short vida
Vida (Occitan literary form)
Vida is the usual term for a brief prose biography, written in Old Occitan, of a troubadour or trobairitz.The word vida means "life" in Occitan languages. In the chansonniers, the manuscript collections of medieval troubadour poetry, the works of a particular author are often accompanied by a...
, he was "honoured by all the notable men."
Peire Bremon has been identified with the Petrus Bermudi and Peire Bremont found in documents of 1160 pertaining to the Dauphiné
Dauphiné
The Dauphiné or Dauphiné Viennois is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of :Isère, :Drôme, and :Hautes-Alpes....
. He is possibly the same person as the Peire Bremon related to the Counts of Toulouse
Counts of Toulouse
The first Counts of Toulouse were the administrators of the city and its environs under the Merovingians. No succession of such royal appointees is known, though a few names survive to the present...
in a stanza of Peire d'Alvernhe's
Peire d'Alvernhe
Peire d'Alvernhe or d'Alvernha was an Auvergnat troubadour with twenty-one or twenty-four surviving works. He composed in an "esoteric" and "formally complex" style known as the trobar clus...
satire of contemporary troubadours. "Peire Bremon" was not a rare name and it was shared by the later troubadour, sometimes erroneously identified with lo Tort (whose nickname means "the Wrong"), Peire Bremon Ricas Novas
Peire Bremon Ricas Novas
Peire Bremon Ricas Novas was a Provençal troubadour who left behind twenty works: thirteen cansos, six sirventes, and one tenso. His treatment of courtly love was somewhat original....
.
Peire's earlier poem, Mei oill an gran manentia, was written as the troubadour prepared to depart from Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, where he had been staying. He left behind a beloved domna (lady), whom he celebrated in the poem En abril, quant vei verdejar upon his arrival in the Orient. It was addressed, however, not to his lady herself, but to Guillelm Longa-Espia, that is, William of Montferrat
William of Montferrat, Count of Jaffa and Ascalon
William of Montferrat , also called William Longsword , was the Count of Jaffa and Ascalon, the eldest son of William V, Marquess of Montferrat and Judith of Babenberg...
, Count of Jaffa and Ascalon. The poem contains the earliest mention of William by his famous nickname, "Longsword". The date of the poem can be set by the dates when William was known to be in the Holy Land: October 1176 – July 1177.
- Chanzos, tu.t n'iras outra mar,
- e, per Deu, vai a midons dir
- qu'en gran dolor et en cossir
- me fai la nuoit e.l jorn estar.
- di.m a'n Guilhelm Longa-Espia,
- bona chanzos, qu'el li.t dia
- e que i an per lieis confortar.
Peire claims in the second tornada of this poem to have written it while in the service of Filippe de Monreal, who is probably Philip of Milly
Philip of Milly
Philip of Milly , also known as Philip of Nablus, was a baron in the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the seventh Grand Master of the Knights Templar...
, a Crusader baron known to have held the castle of Montréal
Montreal (Crusader castle)
Montreal is a Crusader castle on the eastern side of the Arabah, perched on the side of a rocky, conical mountain, looking out over fruit trees below...
for a time.
Sources
- Egan, Margarita, ed. The Vidas of the Troubadours. New York: Garland, 1984. ISBN 0 8240 9437 9.
- Riquer, Martín de. Los trovadores: historia literaria y textos. 3 vol. Barcelona: Planeta, 1975.