Guilhem de Saint-Leidier, also spelled Guilhem de Saint Deslier, Guillem de Saint Deidier and Guilhèm de Sant Leidier was a

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 ...

of the 12th century, composing in

Occitan Occitan may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain. * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France. * Occitan language, spoken in parts o ...

. He was lord of Saint Didier-en-Velay, was born at some date before 1150, and died between 1195 and 1200. He was said to have loved Belissende, sister of

Dalfi d'Alvernha Dalfi d'Alvernha (french: Dauphin d'Auvergne) was the Count of Clermont and Montferrand, a troubadour and a patron of troubadours. He was born around 1150 and died in 1234 or 1235. He is sometimes called Robert IV, but there is no solid evidence ...

and wife of Eracle III of Polignac, Guilhem's feudal overlord. His known work includes fifteen '' cansos'', one '' tensó'' and one ''

planh A genre of the troubadours, the or (; "lament") is a funeral lament for "a great personage, a protector, a friend or relative, or a lady."Elisabeth Schulze-Busacker, "Topoi", in F. R. P. Akehurst and Judith M. Davis, eds., ''A Handbook of the T ...

''. Indications in the text and in his '' vida'' suggest that he worked in Gascony, Comminges, the

Agenais Agenais (), or Agenois (), was an ancient region that became a county (Old French: ''conté'' or ''cunté'') of France, south of Périgord.Mish, Frederick C., Editor in Chief. "Agenais". '' Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary''. 9th ed. Sprin ...

, and the Bordelais. He is the first poet named in the poetical survey by the

Monk of Montaudon The (Lo) Monge de Montaudon (meaning "monk of Montaudon") (fl. 1193–1210Gaunt and Kay, Appendix I, 287.), born Pèire de Vic, was a nobleman, monk, and troubadour from the Auvergne, born at the castle of Vic-sur-Cère near Aurillac, where he ...

, written around 1195. With one of his poems Guilhem began a poetical debate on the question whether a lady is dishonoured by taking a lover who is richer or more powerful than herself. The one known poem by the

trobairitz The ''trobairitz'' () were Occitan female troubadours of the 12th and 13th centuries, active from around 1170 to approximately 1260. ''Trobairitz'' is both singular and plural. The word ''trobairitz'' is first attested in the 13th-century ro ...

Azalais de Porcairagues appears to contribute to this debate, as does one by her friend

Raimbaut of Orange Raimbaut of Orange (c. 1147 – 1173) or, in his native Old Provençal, Raimbaut d'Aurenga, was the lord of Orange and Aumelas. His properties included the towns of Frontignan and Mireval. He was the only son of William of Aumelas and of Tib ...

, ''A mon vers dirai chanso''. Soon afterwards there is a ''

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 ...

'' on the topic between Dalfi d'Alvernha and

Perdigon Perdigon or Perdigo ( fl. 1190–1220Aubrey, p. 18.) was a troubadour from Lespéron in the Gévaudan.Egan, p. 83. Fourteen of his works survive, including three '' cansos'' with melodies.Aubrey, p. 19. He was respected and admired by contemp ...

, and then a ''tensó'' between

Guiraut de Bornelh Giraut de Bornelh (; c. 1138 – 1215), whose first name is also spelled Guiraut and whose toponym is de Borneil or de Borneyll, was a troubadour connected to the castle of the viscount of Limoges. He is credited with the formalisation, if not the ...

and king Alfonso II of Aragon. Guilhem's daughter's son, Gauseran, was also a troubadour.

Bibliography

* A. Sakari, ''Poésies du troubadour Guillem de Saint-Didier''. Helsinki, 1956. * A. Sakari, 'Azalais de Porcairagues, le "Joglar" de Raimbaut d'Orange' in ''Neuphilologische Mitteilungen'' vol. 50 (1949) pp. 23–43, 56-87, 174-198. * ''

Biographies des troubadours ''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; they are short prose biographies of the troubadours, and they are found in som ...

'' ed. J. Boutière, A.-H. Schutz (Paris: Nizet, 1964) pp. 271–283.

External links

Complete works
at trobar.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Guilhem De Saint-Leidier 12th-century births 12th-century deaths 12th-century French troubadours Crusade literature People from Haute-Loire