Peire de la Mula
Encyclopedia
Peire de la Mula (fl. c. 1200) was an Italian troubadour
. Of his writings a pair of couplet
s and one sirventes
are all that survive. According to his vida
, he was a joglars and trobaire (troubadour) who stayed for a long time in Montferrat
, Cortemilia
, and the Piedmont
at the court of Ottone del Carretto (fl.
1190–1233). This places Peire's activity before 1209, when Ottone lost Cortemilia.
It has been suggested that Peire's surname could be a misreading of de Lamula, as there are several places called Lamula are known, or of da Lama. It may instead be a corruption of de l'Amola, indicating origins in Amola, a town in Frignano
. There did exist in the High Middle Ages a locale called Mulum southeast of Mantua
and which may be the basis for a "Mula" family name, though evidence for this is lacking in other sources. There was also a poet named only "Mola" who exchanged some verses with Guilhem Raimon. He may be the same individual as Peire de la Mula, but he has also been identified with the joglars Tremoleta
.
One of Peire's surviving couplets, Ia de razon no.m cal metr'en pantais, can be dated to before 1185 on the basis of a reference to Androin(e), that is, Andronicus I Comnenus, who died that year. It was a screed against the young and rich. Peire's other couplet, Una leig vei d'escuoill, was also an attack on minstrels (joglars), who, at his time, were bringing their "insolence" from across the Alps into the presence of the pros (powerful) of Italy. Peire refers in this work to both Breton (Bretz) and Norman
(Normans) minstrels.
Peire's only full-length work to survive, Dels joglars servir mi laisse, is a sirventes joglaresc, a sirventes insulting the minstrels (joglars), whom Peire says are "breeding like leverets". Minstrels (mere performers) are in the business for money, but troubadours (composers), in Peire's view, are honorable. For his sirventes Peire imitated the metre of Raimbaut d'Aurenga's Er quant s'emba.l foill del fraisse. Otherwise, Peire was influenced metrically and rhythmically by the works of Giraut de Bornelh
.
Troubadour
A troubadour was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages . Since the word "troubadour" is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a trobairitz....
. Of his writings a pair of couplet
Couplet
A couplet is a pair of lines of meter in poetry. It usually consists of two lines that rhyme and have the same meter.While traditionally couplets rhyme, not all do. A poem may use white space to mark out couplets if they do not rhyme. Couplets with a meter of iambic pentameter are called heroic...
s and one sirventes
Sirventes
The sirventes or serventes is a genre of Occitan lyric poetry used by the troubadours. In early Catalan it became a sirventesch and was imported into that language in the fourteenth century, where it developed into a unique didactic/moralistic type...
are all that survive. According to his vida
Vida (Occitan literary form)
Vida is the usual term for a brief prose biography, written in Old Occitan, of a troubadour or trobairitz.The word vida means "life" in Occitan languages. In the chansonniers, the manuscript collections of medieval troubadour poetry, the works of a particular author are often accompanied by a...
, he was a joglars and trobaire (troubadour) who stayed for a long time in Montferrat
Montferrat
Montferrat is part of the region of Piedmont in Northern Italy. It comprises roughly the modern provinces of Alessandria and Asti. Montferrat is one of the most important wine districts of Italy...
, Cortemilia
Cortemilia
Cortemilia is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 70 km southeast of Turin and about 60 km northeast of Cuneo...
, and the Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
at the court of Ottone del Carretto (fl.
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1190–1233). This places Peire's activity before 1209, when Ottone lost Cortemilia.
It has been suggested that Peire's surname could be a misreading of de Lamula, as there are several places called Lamula are known, or of da Lama. It may instead be a corruption of de l'Amola, indicating origins in Amola, a town in Frignano
Frignano
Frignano is a comune in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about 20 km northwest of Naples and about 15 km southwest of Caserta. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 8,570 and an area of 9.9 km².Frignano borders the following municipalities:...
. There did exist in the High Middle Ages a locale called Mulum southeast of Mantua
Mantua
Mantua is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole...
and which may be the basis for a "Mula" family name, though evidence for this is lacking in other sources. There was also a poet named only "Mola" who exchanged some verses with Guilhem Raimon. He may be the same individual as Peire de la Mula, but he has also been identified with the joglars Tremoleta
Tremoleta
Tremoleta was a Catalan troubadour mentioned by the Monge de Montaudon in his satire of contemporary troubadours . No works attributed to him survive, but many scholars have suggested identifying him with one of the known troubadours. The Monge provides the following information:It is evident that...
.
One of Peire's surviving couplets, Ia de razon no.m cal metr'en pantais, can be dated to before 1185 on the basis of a reference to Androin(e), that is, Andronicus I Comnenus, who died that year. It was a screed against the young and rich. Peire's other couplet, Una leig vei d'escuoill, was also an attack on minstrels (joglars), who, at his time, were bringing their "insolence" from across the Alps into the presence of the pros (powerful) of Italy. Peire refers in this work to both Breton (Bretz) and Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
(Normans) minstrels.
Peire's only full-length work to survive, Dels joglars servir mi laisse, is a sirventes joglaresc, a sirventes insulting the minstrels (joglars), whom Peire says are "breeding like leverets". Minstrels (mere performers) are in the business for money, but troubadours (composers), in Peire's view, are honorable. For his sirventes Peire imitated the metre of Raimbaut d'Aurenga's Er quant s'emba.l foill del fraisse. Otherwise, Peire was influenced metrically and rhythmically by the works of Giraut de Bornelh
Giraut de Bornelh
Giraut de Bornelh , whose first name is also spelled Guiraut and whose nickname was Borneil or Borneyll, was a troubadour, born to a lower class family in the Limousin, probably in Bourney, near Excideuil...
.