Occitania, Court, and Cloister
While medieval Occitania lacked national or governmental cohesiveness, its language and culture constructed a distinctive collective identity. Meanwhile, the sociopolitical volatility of twelfth-century Occitania imbued local lands with seeds of disquiet, yielding ambiguities regarding the region’s boundaries, territory, and sovereignty. Song culture centrally established Occitanian-ness during the Crusade era, revealing how the song creators experienced devotional practices, power structures, and identifications with home. Versus and troubadour repertories crystallized Occitania’s positions on linguistic distinctiveness, spatial perceptions, and cultural identity. The versus genre became an expression of resistance and creativity, while troubadour poet-composers blended their religious-political positions into the context of courtly love composition. Later, during the thirteenth century, the Albigensian Crusade radically challenged Occitania’s political independence and cultural vitality, causing displacement and senses of nostalgia. Analysis of Bel m’es q’ieu chant by Raimon de Miraval reveals the troubadour’s concern with Occitanian territory and homeland during the time of the Albigensian Crusade.