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Courtoise Love PDF Print E-mail
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Written by Sir de Hotamart   
Tuesday, 07 August 2007
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Courtoise Love
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This small article deals with the problem of courtoise love, or fine amour, as it was spelled in Middle Ages. The necessity of some insight on it is of no debates, and I think that it is interesting and important not only because of a priori historical role of this phenomenon, but also because of its influence on current relations between man and woman. My article consists of three parts. The first is about origins of courtoise love, and may be threaten as some kind of introduction. The second part is devoted to the description my of sources and it is complemented by bibliography at the end of the article. Third part contains my insight on the problem, though some thoughts can be found in other parts.

So, first I will discuss the origin of courtoise love. It is well known, that it has appeared in the middle of XII century. And I think that this time can be accepted easily. It was somehow the second wave in the attempts to make feudal society more stable and individuals more 'human'. We all know the first attempt ' it is Crusade. We, of course, cannot insist that His Holiness Urban II have decided to announce it only to clean the air in Europe. Of course, the first, and main, task was to free The Holy City of Jerusalem. But to state so, we should base on the knowledge obtained from sociology, not history, because we should understand all the motives that were strong enough. But if we appeal to sociology, or social anthropology to be precise, it becomes evident that it was hard for those claim to appear in minds without any intrinsic, invisible for contemporaries, more down-to-earth motives[2]. And all the more so it was impossible to carry away so many people without those motives. This motive was excess of young knights without land. Europe was full of those individuals which were able only to fight and fond of only war. And pillage, of course. Crusade was the way to fight, get lands and remission of sins for it! Europe have had short time of peace and stability, provided also by continuing economic growth. But alas the popularity of crusades has been dropping rapidly. Tourneys became the main entertainment for knights. They were not so deadly, though dangerous and therefore exciting; and it was the way to the fame, fortune and military service at the court of famous senior. It was the place where two yearnings of every knight, for war glory and love, intersected. From the beginning of middle ages there were two types of warriors that we now call knights[8]. The first were nobles, they were owners of lands. The second were miles, that is common warriors. Soon this Latin word had changed its meaning to designate nobler warrior fighting on the horseback. And at the end XI century the word milites had appeared in the meaning of any noble warrior. Convergence between real nobles and common warriors, which were their bastards or sons frequently, became very rapid in the first part of XII century. The reasons were the importance of fight for both classes and so far weak, but already appreciable growth of the power of bourgeois[8]. This convergence and blending of two classes still divided by birth but integrated by knighthood, independent of birth, brought changes to the world-view of poor knights. They weren't rough warriors anymore. And therefore streetwalkers or illegitimate maids had ceased to be their prescribed way [1]. They became suitable for noble wife. But there were almost no. It became new problem, and new decision had appeared in minds. Its homeland is Acquitaine, and it is logical because French south, Languedoc, was the most advanced part of Europe, keeping some culture from Romans. In all cultural events we can see the role of this land, especially role of courts of duke of Aquitaine and earl of Toulouse. I think that it was really 'invented' because it had appeared in small region and was supplied with formalized rules at a moment [1]. But the most famous author, Chretien de Troyes, had worked at the court of earl of Champagne. Fine amour was accepted on the north in a moment. To state that courtoise love was invented I must have some arguments, and so it is time to proceed to the second part.



Last Updated ( Thursday, 16 August 2007 )
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