Bernat or Bernart d'Auriac 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 ''trobairit ...

notable mainly for initiating a

cycle Cycle, cycles, or cyclic may refer to: Anthropology and social sciences * Cyclic history, a theory of history * Cyclical theory, a theory of American political history associated with Arthur Schlesinger, Sr. * Social cycle, various cycles in soc ...

of five short ''

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 ...

'' in the summer of 1285. According to a

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 ...

of the

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 ...

in which the cycle is preserved, Bernart was a ''mayestre de Bezers'' (

master Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...

Béziers Béziers (; oc, Besièrs) is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Hérault Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region of Southern France. Every August Béziers hos ...

). The ''sirventes'' cycle was prompted by the

Aragonese Crusade The Aragonese Crusade or Crusade of Aragon, a part of the larger War of the Sicilian Vespers, was declared by Pope Martin IV against King Peter III of Aragon in 1284 and 1285. Because of the recent conquest of Sicily by Peter, Martin declared ...

and the French invasion of Spain. Bernart's speaks first and his pro-French stance marks him off as one of the school of

Gallicised Francization (in American English, Canadian English, and Oxford English) or Francisation (in other British English), Frenchification, or Gallicization is the expansion of French language use—either through willful adoption or coercion—by more ...

troubadours then active at Béziers and including

Joan Esteve En Johan Esteve de Bezers, in modern orthography Joan Esteve ( fl. 1270–1288), was a troubadour from Béziers. The only chansonnier which contains his eleven works, also calls him Olier de Bezers, implying that he was perhaps a potter. All hi ...

and

Raimon Gaucelm Raimon Gaucelm de Bezers (fl. 1262–1275) was a Languedocian troubadour with nine surviving works. Many of his works appear with dates in the rubrics in manuscript ''C'', a 14th-century work now "BN f.f. 856" in the Bibliothèque nationale de ...

.He begins ''Nostre reys, qu'es d'onor ses par'', "Our king, who is of honour without peer". The reference to

Philip III of France Philip III (1 May 1245 – 5 October 1285), called the Bold (french: le Hardi), was King of France from 1270 until his death in 1285. His father, Louis IX, died in Tunis during the Eighth Crusade. Philip, who was accompanying him, returned ...

as "our king" indicates Bernart's allegiance immediately. Bernart's ''sirventes'' prompted a response from

Peter III of Aragon Peter III of Aragon ( November 1285) was King of Aragon, King of Valencia (as ), and Count of Barcelona (as ) from 1276 to his death. At the invitation of some rebels, he conquered the Kingdom of Sicily and became King of Sicily in 1282, pres ...

, the king defending from France's invasion, and who in turn was answered by a few ''

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 ...

'' from

Peire Salvatge Pere Salvatge or Peire/Peyre Salvagge was a Catalan 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 ...

. Peter's vassal

Roger Bernard III of Foix Roger-Bernard III (1243 – 3 March 1302) was the Count of Foix from 1265 to his death. He was the son of Roger IV of Foix and Brunissende of Cardona. He entered into conflicts with both Philip III of France and Peter III of Aragon, who held ...

, a longtime enemy of the French crown, wrote a response to Salvatge, and an anonymous contributor finished the cycle. Besides his contribution to the cycle of 1285, Bernart has left three works of poetry: two ''

cansos The ''canso'' or ''canson'' or ''canzo'' () was a song style used by the troubadours. It was, by far, the most common genre used, especially by early troubadours, and only in the second half of the 13th century was its dominance challenged by a ...

'' and another ''sirventes''. The ''canso'' ''Be volria de la mellor'' was a religious song dedicated to the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...

and modelled on the metre and rhyme scheme of the love song ''Ben volria ser d'amor'' by

Rigaut de Berbezilh Rigaut de Berbezilh (also Berbezill or Barbesiu; french: Rigaud de Barbezieux, la, Rigaudus de Berbezillo) was a troubadour (fl. 1140–1163Aubrey, 8.Gaunt and Kay, 290.) of the petty nobility of Saintonge. He was a great influence on the Sici ...

. His other ''canso'' deals with

courtly love Courtly love ( oc, fin'amor ; french: amour courtois ) was a medieval European literary conception of love that emphasized nobility and chivalry. Medieval literature is filled with examples of knights setting out on adventures and performing vari ...

. The ''sirventes'' ''En Guillems Fabres, sap fargar'' was dedicated to his friend and fellow troubadour

Guillem Fabre Guillem () is a Catalan first name, equivalent to William in the English language, which occasionally can appear as a surname. Its origin and pronunciation are the same as its Occitan variant ''Guilhèm'', with a different spelling. People with th ...

Notes

Sources

* Riquer, Martín de. ''Los trovadores: historia literaria y textos''. 3 vol. Barcelona: Planeta, 1975. {{authority control 13th-century French troubadours