Parody in the lyrics of the troubadours of the late 12th-13th centuries

This article examines the parody texts of anonymous troubadours of the 12th-13th centuries, in which traditional ideas about “fin’amor” - “perfect love” glorified by most troubadours - are deconstructed. The concept of interpretation of parody proposed by M.M. Bakhtin is used as a methodological basis. The texts under examination are anonymous coblas “A vos volgra metre lo veit que’m pent” (a parody on the fragment of one of the Folquet de Marselha’s cansos) and “Dieus vos sal, dels petz sobeirana”, as well as an anonymous pastorela “La Porqueira”. With the help of such a complex view of parody, the authors analyze these parody texts in relation to the main tradition of the troubadours’ lyric. They examine how the values of the “fin’amor” concept, despite being deconstructed in these texts, are not deprived of their significance, but, on the contrary, receive additional confirmation through parody. The anonymous authors of these works create a parodic “monde a l’envers” (a Bakhtin’s term) with its own hierarchy, referring to the principles of constructing the “courtly system” itself in the main tradition represented by such significant authors as Guilhem de Peitieus, Folquet de Marselha, Bernard de Ventadorn and many others. Courtly lyric glorifies self-restraint and measure (“mezura”) in love, the lover’s admiration for the perfect image of the beloved lady, her exceptional beauty and restrained behavior, and uses various euphemisms designed to veil the erotic desire of a lover. In parody lyrics, on the contrary, the image of a lady acquires scatological features, the desire of a lover is expressed frankly and even rudely, and the images of love-service are reduced to the simple interactions of the lovers’ genitals. Despite this, the status of the beloved lady does not decrease, but, on the contrary, it reaches the highest level in a new parody system of values, where the “material bottom” (a Bakhtin’s term) triumphs. Therefore, a conclusion is made about the elevating meaning of parody that only at first glance mocks the main tradition. Upon deeper examination, it affirms its values.