Conference: Female voices and Oïl lyricism

Voix féminines et lyrique d'oïl: what representations and what discourses of female characters in the chansons de trouvères of the 12th and 13th centuries? By Emmanuelle Dantan. The Middle Ages are renowned for their moralising discourse on women, and in particular on their speech. Well-educated women were advised to speak as little as possible, in a measured and controlled manner. And yet, in the songs of the trouvères (the troubadours of northern France), many female characters are heard (shepherdesses, ladies, nuns, etc.), sometimes speaking out vehemently and critically about men. What was the role of these songs in women's voices and how did they portray women? We'll be taking a journey back in time to decipher these mysterious songs and observe how they functioned as discourse within medieval literate society.