The Troubadours & their Legacy (15 credits)

Module description

It is hard to overstate the influence and importance of the troubadour tradition for European literary and cultural history. Troubadour lyric was the earliest vernacular romance lyric and it was widely imitated, most notably in medieval France, Italy and Germany. Among its many important imitators were Dante and Petrarch and thanks to their influence, troubadour lyric is frequently seen as the origin of modern European poetry. Apart from its formal experimentation and poetic virtuosity, troubadour lyric is also the vehicle for the introduction of new ideas on love, gender and sexuality to Europe more generally from the twelfth-century onwards; though courtly love was popularized through romance, its earliest incarnation is to be found in the poems of the first troubadours. This course will give students a broad introduction to the troubadour tradition, to its reception both in the Middle Ages and in the modern period, and it will give students a reading knowledge of medieval Occitan. No prior knowledge of medieval Occitan is required, though students will struggle with the linguistic demands of the module if they do not have an advanced reading knowledge of at least one other romance language or Latin.

In the past this module has been taken successfully by students from Medieval Studies and Music as well as History.

Educational aims & objectives

• to give students a sound and broadly-based knowledge of the troubadour tradition.
• to give students the technical knowledge required to analyse the formal aspects of troubadour poetry
• to reflect upon some of the main themes of the troubadour tradition: love, ethics, chivalry, politics, religion
• to give students a sound and broadly-based knowledge of the modern critical tradition on troubadour poetry and of the main research tools and resources in the field
• to reflect upon the legacy of the troubadours
• to acquire a sound reading knowledge of medieval Occitan

Module description disclaimer

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Please note that the module descriptions above are related to the current academic year and are subject to change.