Anno Domini 1274. A humble cart with squeaking wheels is struggling through the mud in a flooded street. Seville is still some distance away, and the weather is bitingly cold.
Driving the cart sits Guiraut Riquier, jongleur by profession, originally from Narbonne in the south of France.
His journey is driven by the specific hope of obtaining a clarification from Alfonso X the Wise, King of Castille and Aragon.
Let us try and enter his thoughts : “Mala tempora currunt (these are ill-omened times), the craft of the jongleur is scorned, and has become confused not only with that noble skill of the troubadours, but with that of acrobats and even of performing monkey handlers. This needs clearing up. Even vulgar buffoons are confused with skilful players of the vielle or refined declaimers of verse. The craft of the jongleur is instead an ancient and respected art.” |
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