Giraut del Luc ( fl. 1190–1197) was a minor

troubadour A troubadour (, ; oc, trobador ) was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100–1350). Since the word ''troubadour'' is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a ''trobairi ...

. He was a partisan of Raymond VI of Toulouse in his wars with the

Crown of Aragon The Crown of Aragon ( , ) an, Corona d'Aragón ; ca, Corona d'Aragó, , , ; es, Corona de Aragón ; la, Corona Aragonum . was a composite monarchy ruled by one king, originated by the dynastic union of the Kingdom of Aragon and the County of ...

and left behind two ''

sirventes The ''sirventes'' or ''serventes'' (), sometimes translated as "service song", was a genre of Old Occitan lyric poetry practiced by the troubadours. The name comes from ''sirvent'' ('serviceman'), from whose perspective the song is allegedly wr ...

'' attacking Alfonso II of Aragon. Giraut's birthplace cannot be identified with certainty. Historically, there are many locations named ''Luc'' or '' Le Luc'' in southern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. Giraut may be the ''G. del Luc'' who signed two documents of August and October 1197 at

Moissac Moissac () is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in the Occitanie region in southern France. The town is situated at the confluence of the rivers Garonne and Tarn at the Canal de Garonne. Route nationale N113 was constructed through ...

. He definitely had some relationship with the

Order of the Temple , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

. Giraut was not an original poet. His ''Si per malvatz seignoril'' has the same meter as ''Talans m'es pres d'En Marques'' by Guillem de Berguedan. His ''Ges sitot m'ai ma voluntat fellona'' is hardly more original, but far more interesting for what it says about Giraut's learning: its melody is borrowed from the ''

chanson de geste The ''chanson de geste'' (, from Latin 'deeds, actions accomplished') is a medieval narrative, a type of epic poem that appears at the dawn of French literature. The earliest known poems of this genre date from the late 11th and early 12th c ...

'' '' Daurel et Beton'', as is its "hero", Boves d'Antona. It is a string of accusations of injustice levelled at Alfonso, including many which indicate that Giraut was well-informed of political events on both sides of the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to ...

. He mentions Alfonso's mistreatment of his uncle (though we do not know who Giraut's uncle was) and he refers to 1178, when a man claiming to be Alfonso the Battler was executed. He also mentions the capture of the castle of Polpís de Maestrazgo.

References

* Riquer, Martín de. ''Los trovadores: historia literaria y textos''. 3 vol. Barcelona: Planeta, 1975. {{authority control 12th-century French troubadours