Romance in Middle Ages

Courtly Lyrics

Western ideas about romantic love came in large part from the classical Greek and Roman past. However, they were also filtered through the very different culture of the European Middle Ages. One can trace the concepts that dominated Western thinking until recently to the mid-12th Century. Before that time, European literature rarely mentions love, and women seldom figure prominently. After that time, within a decade or two, all transformed. Passionate love stories replaced epic combat tales, and women were praised to goddess status (Brians). Since courtly love was often a very complicated and confusing social interaction, in the 12th century, Andreas Capellanus, or Andreas the Chaplain as he was known, wrote the Art of Courtly Love, including the "rules of love." Below is one of the lyrics of the 14th century by songwriter Guillaume de Machaut. Capellanus' corresponding rules are written as well.

I want to stay faithful, guard your honor,

Seek peace, obey

Fear, serve and honor you,

Until death Peerless Lady.

For I love you so much, truly, that one could sooner dry up the deep sea and hold back its waves than I could constrain myself from loving you, without falsehood; for my thoughts my memories, my pleasures and my desires are perpetually of you, whom I cannot leave or even briefly forget.

There is no joy or pleasure or imagine which does not seem to me or any other good that one could feel worthless, whenever your sweetness wants to sweeten my bitterness. Therefore I want to praise and adore and fear you, suffer everything, experience everything, endure everything more than I desire any reward

I want to stay faithful

You are the true sapphire that can heal and end all my sufferings, the emerald which brings rejoicing, the ruby to brighten and comfort the heart.

Your speech, your looks,

Your bearing, make one flee and hate and detest all vice and cherish and desire all that is good.

I want to stay faithful.

Rules that correspond to Capellanus:

1. It is well-known that love is always increasing or decreasing.

2. No one can love unless he is impelled by the persuasion of love.

3. A true lover does not desire to embrace in love anyone except his beloved

4. The easy attainment of love makes it of little value; difficulty of attainment makes it prized.