Details
Medieval minstrel-poets occupied an unusual position in society; normally born in humble origins and often dismissed as immoral and depraved, they lived a nomadic existence, moulding their songs, performances and behaviour to different patrons and audiences. This specialised study, which contains numerous extracts in Latin and German (with Englih translation), discusses the role of the minstrel-poet in society, his conflict with religious authorities, his methods of appealing to his audience, the practicalities of life on the road and all the hardship that entailed, the purpose of his songs and performances, every one of which served as an audition for more work, his rewards, his influence on political opinion and whether there was a network of minstrels.
Reviews & Quotes
"...a welcome addition to the growing corpus of scholarly work on performance in medieval literature and culture.[...] Dobozy guides the reader through an impressive discussion of the attitudes toward and perspectives of medieval performers.'"
Alexandra Sterling-Hellenbrand
The Medieval Review (2007)