Courtly love

Definition and Origins of Courtly Love

• Courtly love emphasized nobility and chivalry in medieval European literature.
• It began in the ducal and princely courts of Aquitaine, Provence, Champagne, ducal Burgundy, and the Norman Kingdom of Sicily.
• Initially a literary fiction for the nobility, it later spread to popular culture.
• A game of love developed around courtly love as a set of social practices.
• Loving nobly was seen as enriching and improving.
• Traced back to Arabic literature of the 9th and 10th centuries
• Developed by Ibn Sina in the early 11th century
• First developed into a doctrine in European literature
• Contacts between Spanish poets and French troubadours were frequent
• Metrical forms used by Spanish poets resembled those used by troubadours

Influence on Literature and Music

• Troubadours, trouvères, and Minnesänger frequently used courtly love in their works.
• Major writers such as Dante, Petrarch, and Geoffrey Chaucer also explored courtly love.
• Gaston Paris popularized the term 'courtly love' and defined its characteristics.
• C. S. Lewis further solidified courtly love as a specialized form of love in his book 'The Allegory of Love.'
• Historians have debated the term's origins and influences.

Courtly Love in Practice

• Courtly love involved idolization and ennobling discipline.
• The lover accepted the independence of the mistress and aimed to prove their worthiness.
• Ordeals and tests were undertaken to demonstrate ardor and commitment.
• While sexual attraction played a role, courtly love was not purely platonic.
• Humility, courtesy, adultery, and the religion of love were key characteristics.

Courtly Love in History

• Courtly love developed in the castle life of Aquitaine, Provence, Champagne, and ducal Burgundy.
• Eleanor of Aquitaine brought courtly love ideals to the courts of France and England.
• Troubadours, including William IX, Duke of Aquitaine, expressed courtly love in their poetry.
• Courtly love allowed for social advancement based on character and actions, appealing to poorer knights.
• It provided an outlet for expressing love not found in arranged marriages.

Andalusian and Islamic Influence on Courtly Love

• Hispano-Arabic literature and Arabic influence on Sicily influenced the early troubadours of Provence.
• Similar views of love as both beneficial and distressing were expressed in Arabic poetry.
• European contact with the Islamic world likely influenced courtly love practices.
• Islamic practices similar to courtly love were prevalent in Al-Andalus and other parts of the Islamic world.
• The influence of Islamic culture should be considered in the development of courtly love.

Courtly love Data Sources