Peire Bremon lo Tort

Peire Bremon lo Tort (or "Bremonz lo Tortz"; fl. 1177) was a troubadour from the Viennois. Though only two of his pieces (both love songs) survive, his poetry is characterised by Francoprovençalisms. According to his short "vida", he was "honoured by all the notable men." [Egan, 73.]

Peire Bremon has been identified with the Petrus Bermudi and Peire Bremont found in documents of 1160 pertaining to the Dauphiné. He is possibly the same person as the Peire Bremon related to the Counts of Toulouse in a dubious stanza of Peire d'Alvernhe's satiric gallery of contemporary troubadours. "Peire Bremon" was not a rare name and it was shared by the later troubadour, sometimes erroneously identified with lo Tort, Peire Bremon Ricas Novas.

Peire's earlier poem, "Mei oill an gran manentia", was written as the troubadour prepared to depart from Syria, where he had been staying. He left behind a beloved "domna" (lady), whom he celebrated in the poem "En abril, quant vei verdejar" upon his arrival in the Occident. It was addressed, however, not to his lady herself, but to "Guillelm Longa-Espia", that is, William of Montferrat, Count of Jaffa and Ascalon. The poem, in fact, represents the first mention of William by his now-famous nickname, "Longsword". The date of the poem can be set by the dates when William was known to be in the Holy Land: October 1176–July 1177. :Chanzos, tu.t n'iras outra mar,:e, per Deu, vai a midons dir:qu'en gran dolor et en cossir:me fai la nuoit e.l jorn estar.:di.m a'n Guilhelm Longa-Espia,:bona chanzos, qu'el li.t dia:e que i an per lieis confortar. Peire claims in its second "tornada" to have written it while in the service of "Filippe de Monreal", but a figure of that name has not been identified.

ources

*Egan, Margarita, ed. "The Vidas of the Troubadours". New York: Garland, 1984. ISBN 0 8240 9437 9.
*Riquer, Martín de. "Los trovadores: historia literaria y textos". 3 vol. Barcelona: Planeta, 1975.

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