Archipoeta

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The Archipoeta ( arch poet , * between 1125 and 1135; † after 1165), whose real name has not been passed down, was an important Latin-speaking poet of the 12th century and a representative of vagante poetry .

background

Surname

The real name of the Archipoeta is not known; he describes himself in his works as poeta . As "Archipoeta" ( "Arch Poet" ) he is referred to in the Göttingen manuscript (Hs. Göttingen UB philol. 170), where ten songs by him have been passed down. This honorary title should also be an allusion to his patron, the Arch Chancellor ( "archicancellarius" ) of the Holy Roman Empire and Archbishop ( "archiepiscopus" ) of Cologne, Rainald von Dassel . The cleric Nicolaus (recorded in Bonn around 1219 ) and Heinrich von Avranches (around 1230), who also used the pseudonym "archipoeta" , are not, however, identical with the poet of the time of Frederick I Barbarossa, known under the name "archipoeta" .

Dating

Nothing is known about the life and circumstances of the Archipoeta, but some passages that are considered to be autobiographical allow conclusions to be drawn about his life. The designation of his patron Rainald von Dassel as "Electus Coloniae" in the songs suggests that these works were created at the time when Rainald was elected archbishop, but not yet consecrated: This means that the years from 1159 to 1165 as probable period of origin of the songs can be assumed. The Archipoeta describes himself in a song as "Iuvenis" , i.e. an unmarried young man, so that a date of birth between 1135 and 1140 can be inferred.

Origin and career

The texts also allow a few conclusions to be drawn about the origin and training: The Archipoeta describes itself in texts that are considered to have originated in Italy as "transmontanos" ( "from beyond the mountains" ), which indicates a non-Italian origin . However, it cannot be concluded from this whether he was of German, French or Burgundian origin. The style and composition of his texts indicate that he had an outstanding education for the High Middle Ages; a university education ( Trivium ) is likely, he also had theological knowledge. If you believe the statements of Song III, then the Archipoeta was a medical student who had to break off his studies in Salerno for health reasons. As a wandering poet, the Archipoeta lived - like other vagabonds too - from the gifts that were given to travelers in the spiritual and secular courts. A special testimony to this is the famous request from Archipoeta to Rainald von Dassel, in whose service and entourage he stayed in Cologne , but also in Northern Italy and Burgundy .

plant

The work of Archipoeta is - despite the scarce tradition - extremely diverse. He wrote a hymn of praise ( panegyric ) on Emperor Friedrich I Barbarossa and several poems that glorify Rainald von Dassel; In addition, he also created songs about worldly pleasures, peppered with wit and irony. So he responded to the hostility of his opponents in the entourage of Rainald with the now famous, so-called vagante confession . This - probably created during the siege of Pavia in 1163 - represents a skilful and profound parody of the auricular confession of the Catholic Church. The Archipoeta here as a "repentant sinner" apparently confesses all of his wrongdoings, but he does not regret and condemn them, but presents them as necessary for his work. His lawsuit, which focuses on the creation of custom poetry (s) for his patron Rainald, has also become famous.

Only ten songs of the Archipoeta have survived.

I: Lingua balbus, hebes ingenio
II: Fama tuba dante sonum ( "Jonasbeichte" )
III: having omnia tempus
IV: Archicancellarie, vir discrete mentis
V: Nocte quadam sabbati somno iam refectus
VI: En habeno versus te precipiente reversus
VII: Archicancellarie, viris maior ceteris
VIII: Presul urbis Agripine
IX: Salve, mundi domine, Cesar noster, ave!
X: Estuans intrinsecus ira vehementi ( " vagante confession" )

The texts of the Archipoeta are u. a. handed down in the following manuscripts :

  • Hs. Göttingen UB philol. 170 (12th century): Carmen I-VII; first stanza of VIII
  • Brussel BR 2071 (13th century): Carmen IX and X; Verses 1-5 of VII
  • Codex Buranus (HS Munich Clm 4660, 13th century) - the "Carmina burana": Carmen X; four stanzas from IV

reception

The so-called vagante confession can also be found under the title "Estuans interius" in the setting of Carmina Burana by Carl Orff . The stanzas 12,13, 15,17 and 16 of the Vagantenbeichte have been included as student song Meum est propositum in taberna mori in the Allgemeine Deutsche Kommersbuch , p. 381 (information from the 152nd edition, Lahr 1956).

Modern interpretations of the vagabond confession and the fama tuba exist of Helium Vola . In Extremo took up a very free interpretation of the vagabond confession in High German .

literature

Web links
personal data
SURNAME Archipoeta
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Latin-speaking poet of the Middle Ages; Representatives of the vagante poetry
DATE OF BIRTH between 1130 and 1140
DATE OF DEATH after 1165