Beatritz de Mongalvanh

Abstract

Beatritz de Mongalvanh Wendy Pfeffer While conducting bibliographic research in Paris in 2012, I found an intriguing reference in a well-regarded bibliography, the Romanische Bibliographie, published as a supplement to the Zeitschrift für romanische Philologie. This annual bibliography listed as a new publication a work edited by René Toscano, the complete works of medieval poet Beatritz de Mongalvanh. Never having heard of this poet, I was excited to look at the volume. Toscano offers an edition of the works of this poet, who lived in the thirteenth century and who composed in Occitan. In the introduction to the edition, however, Toscano does not provide the educated reader with the information a reader would expect from an edition of the works of a medieval poet. Specifically, Toscano tells us that the manuscript holding the works of Beatritz was found in an Italian monastery by a scholar named Johan Algol. The precise location of the manuscript is never provided, so we cannot duplicate Toscano’s edition by checking his text against the original document. Toscano’s explanation of the discovery of the manuscript has intriguing elements. He publishes the vida and twenty lyrics, some of which were barely legible, because the manuscript as found by Algol was in poor condition; Algol later discovered another manuscript which held a novas, also by Beatritz. Johan Algol is described by Toscano as a poet who was visiting Italy "à la recherche d’idées pour un de ses nombreux projets éditoriaux” (10; see also below). In a note, the editor reports, "Nous ne donnons volontairement pas le nom de cette abbaye, à la demande des religieux qui veulent préserver leur tranquillité et pouvoir travailler en toute quiétude à la mise en valeur de leurs archives” (10n). Toscano also does not provide anything like a bibliography, but this lacuna can be considered as part of the tradition of amateur philology, though the editor does present himself as a "docteur en études occitanes” (see title page and back cover of the edition). Toscano’s edition opens with the medieval biography of the poet, a vida. Such biographies, when extant, are expected elements of editions of Occitan poets—we know that such [End Page 72] biographies served to introduce the poets and the poetry to new audiences. Frequently, it must be noted, the information provided by medieval biographers was found in the poems themselves, with little concern for historical accuracy. The vidas have a formulaic structure and are usually fairly short. Longer vidas tend to be tied directly to specific songs being explained to the audience. Beatritz’s vida is significantly longer than the average and offers many details not normally found in the genre. The vida begins by telling us of Beatritz’s origins, but even with this opening the anonymous author of the vida shows a concern for detail that is missing in other vidas extant. Specifically, we are told, "degun jamais saup en qual lòc vic lo jorn ni de qual pais fos sa familha” [She never knew where she was born nor where her family was from, 13]. No other vida is as concerned with the specific date of birth of the poet. Beatritz’s vida gives us a bit of the back story as well: her father was said to be a worthy knight who went on Crusade where he met "una nòbla joventa avenenta e ben ensenhada” [a handsome, noble, well-educated young woman] and with her returned to the Limousin, where Beatritz was born (13). Though the anonymous author of the vida claims not to know the details of Beatritz’s birth, the author does invoke a historical event that permits assigning a birth year to our poet. The vida tells us that Beatritz was born the same year as "à Beziers se fetz lo trist romiatge que cadun sap” [the sad pilgrimage to Beziers took place, as everyone knows], that is, 1209. No other vida offers such precision. Even as a young woman, Beatritz was a bit of a libertine, "Si fo amairitz de tots plazers que·l seu còs li pogués donar” [She loved all the pleasures that her body could give her, 14]. Because...