12) Love, Sex and Glory – Courtly Culture in the Eleventh Century

There are 3 developments that point to the rise of courtliness as a cultural phenomenon:

• 'Courtliness' emerged as a concept in the second half of the 11th century. The word doesn't seem to have been used until the 1080s, although it is also rare up until the 13th century.
• The courtier gradually emerged as an increasingly important and distinctive figure in the 11th century which is apparent from the emergence of a new literary sub-genre, the biography of the courtier-bishop.
• The 11th century also saw the emergence of new literary genres that explored the values and experiences of courtiers, most notably the romance-epic.

The new culture of courtliness flourished at the courts of bishops and in some of their cathedral schools. The enthusiasm for courtliness seems to have been coming from the bishops as well as from the secular clergy and from a broader audience of lay patrons.

There are 2 reasons why courtliness flourished in the 11th century:

• Its rise was a response to a desire for cultural forms and practices that could facilitate competition while minimising the risks of violence. Biographers of courtier bishops often praise their subjects for refusing to rise to insults and provocations and using their verbal skills to out-wit their enemies. Courtliness seemed to be an ally of the same forces that were promoting the dissemination of Christian values.
• But, the rise of courtliness was also encouraged by the way it gave clerics of humbler social background a competitive edge in the struggle for 'preferment'. So, it seemed to be more important to be entertaining and to amuse the great than it was to be intellectual. Courtliness seemed to be about using charm and wit to tilt the playing field to one's advantage.

This book is a vast collection of poetry compiled in the mid to late 11th century. Most of the contents are classical and late Roman material, but there is a section that contains a 'sub-collection' of 85 short poems of recent date. Many of these poems are about German topics, like the 5 royal songs: 1 of the 5 commemorates Otto I, 2 celebrate the coronations of Conrad II as emperor and Henry III as king of Germany, and 2 lament the deaths of Henry II and Conrad II.

The reason for the copying of this selection into the book perhaps lies with the fact that the English scribes were mainly interested in the metres and tunes the texts were sung to as can be seen as only the opening verses of some of the poems have been copied.

2 Norman sources provide clues as to the context in which e rotic verse was performed, the Bayeux Tapestry and William of Poitiers’ biography of William the Conqueror. Ambitious clerics often tried to get the attention of the great through service as poets at their courts.

The rise of this 'sub-culture' attracted much criticism from more conservative elements, not least among the clergy. It was effectively a clash of cultures and this can be seen in the Cambridge Songs Manuscript where 4 of the 7 e rotic items have been erased, or at least it is tempting to explain the erasures in this way.

The rise of courtliness was a cultural movement that complicated the social scene, helping the great to legitimise their social dominance and smoothing the path for the clever and less high-born to positions of power and influence. But, it also inspired anger and resentment among more conservative elements, especially the Church. This anger was a factor in the rise of the ecclesiastical reform movement in the latter half of the 11th century.