Gui de Cavalhon, Cavaillo, or Gavaillo ( fl. 1200–1229) was a Provençal nobleman: a diplomat, warrior, and man of letters. He was probably also the Guionet who composed ''

tenso A ''tenso'' (; french: tençon) is a style of troubadour song. It takes the form of a debate in which each voice defends a position; common topics relate to love or ethics. Usually, the tenso is written by two different poets, but several examples ...

s'' and ''

partimen The ''partimen'' (; ca, partiment ; also known as ''partia'' or ''joc partit'') is a cognate form of the French jeu-parti (plural ''jeux-partis''). It is a genre of Occitan lyric poetry composed between two troubadours, a subgenre of the '' ten ...

s'' with

Cadenet Cadenet () is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. Its inhabitants are called ''Cadenétiens'' in French. Geography Cadenet is a village located on the southern slopes of the Lub ...

Raimbaut de Vaqueiras __NOTOC__ Raimbaut de Vaqueiras or Vaqueyras (fl. 1180 – 1207) was a Provençal troubadour and, later in his life, knight. His life was spent mainly in Italian courtsAmelia E. Van Vleck, ''The Lyric Texts'' p. 33, in ''Handbook of the Troub ...

, Mainart Ros, Pomairol, and a certain Guillem.

Knight and nobleman

Gui was born at

Cavaillon Cavaillon (; Provençal: ''Cavalhon'') is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France.Valclusa, though there is no evidence of him residing there. He is first encountered at the court of Alfonso II of Provence in 1200–07. In 1204 he was present at the marriage of Alfonso's elder brother, Peter II of Aragon, and

Maria of Montpellier Marie of Montpellier (adapted from Occitan: Maria de Montpelhièr) (1182 – 21 April 1213) was Lady of Montpellier and by her three marriages Viscountess of Marseille, Countess of Comminges and Queen of Aragon. She was the daughter of Willi ...

. Beginning in 1209 he was in the service of Raymond VI of Toulouse fighting the Albigensian Crusade. In 1215 he accompanied Raymond to the

Fourth Lateran Council The Fourth Council of the Lateran or Lateran IV was convoked by Pope Innocent III in April 1213 and opened at the Lateran Palace in Rome on 11 November 1215. Due to the great length of time between the Council's convocation and meeting, many bi ...

. In 1216–17 he was fighting in Provence, where he was a counsellor of Raymond Berengar IV.Egan, 43 n1. In 1220 he was besieged in ''Castel-Nou'', now Castèlnòu d'Arri (

Castelnaudary Castelnaudary (; oc, Castèlnòu d'Arri) is a commune in the Aude department in the Occitanie region of southern France. It is located in the former province of the Lauragais and famous for cassoulet of which it claims to be the world cap ...

), by Amaury de Montfort. He later entered the

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

and became a counsellor of

Raymond VII Raymond VII (July 1197 – 27 September 1249) was Count of Toulouse, Duke of Narbonne and Marquis of Provence from 1222 until his death. Family and marriages Raymond was born at the Château de Beaucaire, the son of Raymond VI of Toulouse ...

. For Raymond he led an embassy to

Pope Honorius III Pope Honorius III (c. 1150 – 18 March 1227), born Cencio Savelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 18 July 1216 to his death. A canon at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, he came to hold a number of importa ...

and in 1225 he was rewarded with the title of

viscount A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...

of Cavaillon. Gui was last mentioned in 1229.

Literature

Gui's career would have been little out of the ordinary for a 13th-century nobleman if not for his literary pursuits, for he was an accomplished

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 ''trobairit ...

in the

Occitan language Occitan (; oc, occitan, link=no ), also known as ''lenga d'òc'' (; french: langue d'oc) by its native speakers, and sometimes also referred to as ''Provençal'', is a Romance languages, Romance language spoken in Southern France, Monaco, Ital ...

, leaving behind five or six

lyric poem Modern lyric poetry is a formal type of poetry which expresses personal emotions or feelings, typically spoken in the first person. It is not equivalent to song lyrics, though song lyrics are often in the lyric mode, and it is also ''not'' equi ...

s (or fragments), including a ''

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 ...

'' and several ''tensos''. His fame as a troubadour was enough that a ''

vida Vida means “life” in Spanish and Portuguese. It may refer to: Geography * Vida (Gradačac), village in Bosnia and Herzegovina * Lake Vida, Victoria Valley, Antarctica * U.S. settled places: ** Vida, Montana ** Vida, Oregon ** Vida, Missour ...

'' of his life, long by the genre's standards, survives. He is described in glowing terms as generous, courtly, charming, loved of the ladies and the people, a capable knight and warrior.Egan, 42. Besides his surviving work, his biographer records his composition of ''

coblas A ''cobla esparsa'' ( literally meaning "scattered stanza") in Old Occitan is the name used for a single-stanza poem in troubadour poetry. They constitute about 15% of the troubadour output, and they are the dominant form among late (after 1220) au ...

'' (

couplet A couplet is a pair of successive lines of metre in poetry. A couplet usually consists of two successive lines that rhyme and have the same metre. A couplet may be formal (closed) or run-on (open). In a formal (or closed) couplet, each of the ...

s) about love and "conversation" (''de solatz'', perhaps signifying humour or pleasure).

''Tensos''

His earliest ''tenso'' was with an otherwise unknown "Falco", which can be dated to 1200–07 on the basis of a charge of Falco's that Gui lived off the gifts of his patron, Count Alfonso: ''Senh'En Guy, del comte, / don enquer vos sove, / N'Anfos vostre senhor, / don ac man palafre / ses fre vostra seror'' ("Lord Sir Guy, you receive gifts from the count, Sir Alfonso your lord, your sister gifts of

palfrey A palfrey is a type of horse that was highly valued as a riding horse in the Middle Ages. It was a lighter-weight horse, usually a smooth gaited one that could amble, suitable for riding over long distances. Palfreys were not a specific breed a ...

s without end"). The last part of this line is probably an obscene joke, alleging, with or without basis, that Gui's sister had a sexual relationship with Alfonso. In 1215, on their way to IV Lateran, Gui and his Raymond VI composed a short ''partimen'' about the invasion of Raymond's land and the possible recovery of lost ground. In 1220 while besieged in Castèlnòu d'Arri he addressed a poem to

Bertran Folcon d'Avignon Bertran Folcon d'Avignon or Bertran Folco d'Avinhon ( fl. 1202–1233) was a Provençal nobleman and troubadour from Avignon. He was a faithful partisan of Raymond VI and Raymond VII of Toulouse in Provence, and participated in the wars again ...

which survives in its entirety appended to his ''vida''. Gui also creatively composed a "''tenso''" with his own mantle. Gui vies for the identity of the "Esperdut" (a ''senhal'' or

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

) who composed three poems: a ''

canso The Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) is a representative body of companies that provide air traffic control. It represents the interests of Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs). CANSO members are responsible for supporting ov ...

'', a ''partimen'' with Pons de Monlaur, and a ''sirventes''. Gui has also been posited as the co-author of a ''tenso'' with

Garsenda of Forcalquier Garsenda (french: Garsende; c. 1180 – c. 1242/1257) was the Countess of Provence as the wife of Alfonso II from 1193 and the Countess of Forcalquier in her own right from 1209 and subsequently united with Provence. She was also a patron of Occi ...

, the wife of Alfonso II. His ''vida'' repeats the rumour (probably unfounded) that he was the countess' lover. In her ''tenso'', after she declares her love for him, Gui responds courteously but carefully:

''Sirventes''

Gui's lone surviving ''sirventes'' was written against Guilhem dels Baus, who, in 1215, had been confirmed by Frederick II in the titles

King of Arles The following is a list of the kings of the two kingdoms of Burgundy, and a number of related political entities devolving from Carolingian machinations over family relations. Kings of the Burgundians * Gebicca (late 4th century – c. 407 ...

and

Vienne Vienne (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Viéne'') is a landlocked department in the French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It takes its name from the river Vienne. It had a population of 438,435 in 2019.Avignon Avignon (, ; ; oc, Avinhon, label=Provençal dialect, Provençal or , ; la, Avenio) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region of So ...

ese prison, in June 1218.

"Cabrit"

Since the early 19th century, the identity of Gui with the "Cabrit" of the poem ''Cabrit, al meu vejaire'', written with Ricau de Tarascon, has been generally accepted.Guida (2007).
/ref> It found support among T. B. Eméric-David, Paul Meyer, Ludwig Selbach, Stanislaw Stronski, C. Fabre, Adolf Kolsen, Carl Appel, D. J. Jones, Martín de Riquer, Dietmar Rieger, Andrea Brusoni, and P. T. Ricketts. The identification has rested on the attribution in three

chansonnier A chansonnier ( ca, cançoner, oc, cançonièr, Galician and pt, cancioneiro, it, canzoniere or ''canzoniéro'', es, cancionero) is a manuscript or printed book which contains a collection of chansons, or polyphonic and monophonic settings o ...

s, called ''D'', ''I'', and ''K''. The

rubric A rubric is a word or section of text that is traditionally written or printed in red ink for emphasis. The word derives from the la, rubrica, meaning red ochre or red chalk, and originates in Medieval illuminated manuscripts from the 13th cent ...

in these works gives the author as ''Ricautz de Tarascon e.n Guis de Cavaillon'': "Ricau de Tarascon and Lord Gui de Cavalhon". In all other cases where there is an onomastic difference between a ''tenso'' and the ascription of the chansonnier, the latter is known to be correct (or to have good reason for the attribution). Further, in manuscript ''C'', where the attribution is simply ''Tenso d'en Cabrit e d'eu Ricau'', it immediately precedes a selection of Gui's pieces that, in the same way, are assigned to ''Guionet'' and ''Esperdut'', other nicknames Gui used. Only Martín Aurell has strongly objected to the identification. He argues that Cabrit must have been a member of the urban noblesse of

Arles Arles (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Arle ; Classical la, Arelate) is a coastal city and commune in the South of France, a subprefecture in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the former province of ...

and owner of a small parcel of land near

Tarascon Tarascon (; ), sometimes referred to as Tarascon-sur-Rhône, is a commune situated at the extreme west of the Bouches-du-Rhône department of France in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Inhabitants are referred to as Tarasconnais or Tarasc ...

, documented in a notarial act of August 1203 at the house of Bertran Porcelet and probably dead by 1225. A ''Guillelmus Aldebertus Cabritus'' (Guillem Aldebert Cabrit) was a

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throug ...

of Arles in 1197 and man known only as ''Cabritus'' was a consul in 1209. Guillem Aldebert Cabrit also witnessed the testament of Rostanh Porcelet in 1186 and an 1198 donation to the

Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

in Arles by the Porcelet family. That these figures named ''Cabritus'' all acted in the same geographical theatre (Arles) and in connexion with the family (Porcelet) over a period of thirty years suggests that it was a single individual of some prominence at Arles. That this figure held land at Tarascon strongly suggests that he may have been Ricau's interlocutor.

Legacy and influence

Gui is a major figure in the '' Canso de la crosada''. He is mentioned among the bravest and most loyal of the Count of Toulouse' followers. The author of the second part of the ''Canso'' puts an eloquent speech in Gui's mouth, in which he praises the ''Paratge'' (nobility) and denounces ''lo coms de Monfort que destrui los baros e la gleiza de Roma'' ("the

count of Montfort Count of Montfort may refer to: *Counts of Montfort (Swabia) *Count of Montfort-l'Amaury, France {{dab ...

who destroyed the barons and the Church of Rome"). The speech was delivered upon the return of Raymonds VI and VII to

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...

on 12 September 1217. It was designed as an instructive word of wisdom from the aged Gui to the young Raymond VII. Gui's largest influence on other poets, however, was his cultivation of s, popular already in ''

chansons 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 cen ...

'', such as '' Gui de Nanteuil''. Subsequent authors in Occitan and

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...

called this type of poetry ''la tonada de Gui'', ''el so de Gui Nantull'' (

Ramon Muntaner Ramon Muntaner () (1265 – 1336) was a Catalan people, Catalan mercenary and writer who wrote the ''Crònica'', a chronicle of his life, including his adventures as a commander in the Catalan Company. He was born at Peralada. Biography T ...

), the ''son d'En Gui'' (

Peire Bremon Ricas Novas Peire Bremon Ricas Novas ( fl. 1230–1242) 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 ''senhal'' or nick ...

), or the ''son de meser Gui'' (

Uc de Saint Circ Uc de Saint Circ (San Sir) or Hugues (Hugh) de Saint Circq ( fl. 1217–1253Aubrey, ''The Music of the Troubadours'', 22–23.) was a troubadour from Quercy. Uc is perhaps most significant to modern historians as the probable author of seve ...

). It has been suggested that these references (or at least some of them) may refer not, as traditionally believed, to ''Gui de Nanteuil'' (Muntaner's usage being the obvious exception), but to Gui de Cavalhon.

References

Bibliography

*Bogin, Meg. ''The Women Troubadours''. Scarborough: Paddington, 1976. . *Egan, Margarita, ed. ''The Vidas of the Troubadours''. New York: Garland, 1984. . *Guida, Saverio. (1987). "La tenzone fra Ricau de Tarascon e ‘Cabrit’." ''Cultura Neolatina'', 47, pp. 197–221. Re-published in ''Miscellanea di studi in onore di Aurelio Roncaglia a cinquant’anni dalla sua laurea'' (Modena, 1989), pp. 637–61. Made available online 13 March 2003 a
"Premessa all’edizione in linea della tenzone fra Ricau de Tarascon e Gui de Cavaillon (422.2 = 105.1)."
*Guida, Saverio. (2003). "L’autore della seconda parte della Canso de la crotzada." ''Cultura Neolatina'', 53, pp. 255–82. * Riquer, Martín de. ''Los trovadores: historia literaria y textos''. 3 vol. Barcelona: Planeta, 1975.

External links

*Guida, Saverio. (2007)
Premessa all’edizione in linea della tenzone fra Ricau de Tarascon e Gui de Cavaillon (422.2 = 105.1).
*Guida, Saverio, ed. (1989)

Notes

{{authority control People from Vaucluse 13th-century French troubadours