Thomas Herier
Encyclopedia
Thomas Herier, Erier, Erriers, or Erars (fl.
1240–1270) was a Picard
trouvère
associated with the "Arras
school".
Herier is not mentioned in contemporary documents and all that is known about him is derived from his works. He composed a jeu parti
with Gillebert de Berneville and possibly another with Guillaume le Vinier
. He addressed one poem to "Jakemon of Cyson" (Jacques de Cysoing
) and another to a Trésorier, probably either the Trésorier de Lille or the Trésorier d'Aire. His relation to Arras is established by his references to a local banker, Audefroi Louchart, and the local sheriff
, Mikiel le Waisdier. He also mentions in his poems Jeanne, Countess of Ponthieu
, and the Sire du Roeulx (Rués).
According to Theodore Karp, "Herier's poetry displays a certain elegance, but is commonplace in thought and imagery." His poems are heptasyllabic with the exception of the decasyllabic Mais n'os chanter and generally isometric
. All his melodies are in bar form
save for the descort
Un descort vaurai retraire. None of them survive in mensural notation
. Karp considers Bien me sui aperceus and Ja ne lairai mon usage to be more ornate than the others.
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1240–1270) was a Picard
Picard
Picard may refer to:* a native of, or anything originating in, Picardy* the Picard language, a Langue d'oïl and one of the languages of France* A member of the Picards, a religious sect in the fifteenth century...
trouvère
Trouvère
Trouvère , sometimes spelled trouveur , is the Northern French form of the word trobador . It refers to poet-composers who were roughly contemporary with and influenced by the troubadours but who composed their works in the northern dialects of France...
associated with the "Arras
Arras
Arras is the capital of the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. The historic centre of the Artois region, its local speech is characterized as a Picard dialect...
school".
Herier is not mentioned in contemporary documents and all that is known about him is derived from his works. He composed a jeu parti
Jeu parti
Jeu parti [Fr.; Occitan joc partit, “partimen”]. A debate or dialogue in the form of a poem. According to Guilhem Molinier, the author of Las leys d'amors, a 13th-century treatise on how to write poetry in the style of the troubadours, there is a clear difference between a partimen and a tenso: in...
with Gillebert de Berneville and possibly another with Guillaume le Vinier
Guillaume le Vinier
Guillaume le Vinier was a French trouvère and poet. He was the older brother of Gilles le Vinier. He wrote over thirty essays, many accompanied by melodies, including jeu parti and partimen with Andrieu Contredit d'Arras.-References:...
. He addressed one poem to "Jakemon of Cyson" (Jacques de Cysoing
Jacques de Cysoing
Jacques de Cysoing was a late thirteenth-century Franco-Flemish trouvère. He wrote nine songs that survive, all of them with their melodies.Probably born into a noble Flemish family in Cysoing, "messire" Jacques probably flourished during the reign of Guy of Dampierre as Count of Flanders , for he...
) and another to a Trésorier, probably either the Trésorier de Lille or the Trésorier d'Aire. His relation to Arras is established by his references to a local banker, Audefroi Louchart, and the local sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
, Mikiel le Waisdier. He also mentions in his poems Jeanne, Countess of Ponthieu
Jeanne, Countess of Ponthieu
Joan of Dammartin was Queen consort of Castile and León , suo jure Countess of Ponthieu and Aumale . Her daughter, the English queen Eleanor of Castile, was her successor in Ponthieu...
, and the Sire du Roeulx (Rués).
According to Theodore Karp, "Herier's poetry displays a certain elegance, but is commonplace in thought and imagery." His poems are heptasyllabic with the exception of the decasyllabic Mais n'os chanter and generally isometric
Isometre
Isometre is a music theory term describing the use of pulse without regular meter. See also: homorhythm. The music is currently used in the psalmsongs of the Orthodox Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, based on the rhythm made by Petrus Datheen , as well as some other churches....
. All his melodies are in bar form
Bar form
Bar form is a musical form of the pattern AAB.-Original Use:The term comes from the rigorous terminology of the Meistersinger guilds of the 15th to 18th century who used it to describe their songs and the songs of the predecessors, the minnesingers of the 12th to 14th century...
save for the descort
Descort
The descort is a subgenre of Occitan lyric poetry used by the troubadours. It is a song heavily discordant in verse form and/or feeling and often used to express disagreement. It was invented by Garin d'Apchier when he wrote Quan foill'e flors reverdezis...
Un descort vaurai retraire. None of them survive in mensural notation
Mensural notation
Mensural notation is the musical notation system which was used in European music from the later part of the 13th century until about 1600."Mensural" refers to the ability of this system to notate complex rhythms with great exactness and flexibility...
. Karp considers Bien me sui aperceus and Ja ne lairai mon usage to be more ornate than the others.
Extant works with melodies
- Ainc mais nul jour ne chantai
- Bien me sui aperceus
- Deus, com est a grant doulour
- Helas, je me sui donés
- Ja ne lairai mon usage
- Mais n'os chanter de fueille ne de flours
- Nus ne set les maus d'amours
- Onc ne sorent mon pensé
- Quant la froidure est partie
- Quant voi le tens repairier
- Tant ai amé et proié
- Un descort vaurai retraire