Blacasset

En blancassetz si fo fills denblancatz q' fon meillor gentil hom de proenza. . .
Sir Blacasset was the son of Sir Blacatz, who was the greatest gentleman in Provence. . ."

Blacasset, Blacassetz, Blacssetz, or Blachessetz (fl. 1233–1242) was a Provençal troubadour of the noble family of the Blacas, lords of Aulps, in the Empire. He was probably a son of the troubadour Blacatz, as his vida alleges, though this has come into doubt. He was also distantly related to Charles I of Naples and Raymond Berengar IV of Provence. According to his vida, he was like his father in merit, good deeds, and munificence, and also reputed to be a good lover.

"Blacasset" is a diminutive of his father's name (Latin: Blacacius). A document of 1238 (two years after his father's death) mentions three sons of the elder Blacatz, two of which were named Blacacius. Blacasset was not a professional troubadour, but, like his father, an amateur. Eleven of his works survive, three sirventes, four cansos, and four coblas, including one single-stanza canso with a melody in F major, Ben volgra quem venques merces. This song was appended to a manuscript of the chansonnier du roi of Theobald I of Navarre in the early fourteenth-century. Among his other works are:

Sources

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Aubrey, 23.
  2. 1 2 3 Egan, 23.
  3. ↑ Aubrey, 232. This is known as troubadour manuscript W or trouvère manuscript M.
  4. 1 2 3 Bertoni, 128. Found in the chansonnier of Bernart Amoros.