Bernard de Ventadour

David Murray (Universite Paris X Nanterre)

Ed. by Marianne Ailes, University of Bristol
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.5.2.01: French Writing and Culture: Old French to the Middle Ages , 500-1400.
Vol. editors: Marianne Ailes (University of Bristol), Matthew Siôn Lampitt (University of Bristol), Tim Unwin (University of Bristol), David Williams (University of Sheffield)

Dates

Born c. 1125
Died c. 1200
Activity 1150-1170

Places

Born in France
Active in France

Activities

Primary

Poet

Resources

Bernard de Ventadour's Works

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The twelfth-century troubadour (fl.…1147-70…) Bernart de Ventadorn composed one of the most distinguished

oeuvres

of Occitan lyric poetry, a shining example of

trobar leu,

the so-called “open style”. One of the leading early exponents of the courtly love lyric, Bernart was a major figure in his generation and continued to influence subsequent generations of troubadours.

The historical sources for the life of Bernart are few. Bernart’s vida, or poetic biography, our main source of information, however unreliable, is transmitted in two distinct forms. The version in seven troubadour manuscripts (ABEIKRSg—for sigla see Gaunt and Kay 1999, 303-305) calls him a poor man, brought up at the court of Eble de Ventadorn, who was delighted by his song. His song also pleased Eble’s wife,

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1740 words

Citation: Murray, David. "Bernard de Ventadour". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 27 November 2017 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5487, accessed 21 November 2024.]

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