Courtly Love

Courtly Love known in medieval France as "fine love" or fin amour originated with troubadours of late 11th century promoted new form of paganism called Gai Saber (literally, "the happy wisdom“) challenged and sought to redefine traditional Christian ideals of love, marriage, manhood, virtue, and femininity.

Courtly Love sponsored by nobles like Eleanor of Aquitaine gradually spread throughout France and eventually into England and Germany l'amour courtois (courtly love) identified by extravagantly artificial and stylized relationship--forbidden affair characterized by five main attributes

The Attributes of Courtly Love Aristocratic: courtly love practiced by noble lords and ladies; properly in royal palace or court

Ritualistic: Couples exchanged gifts and tokens; lady wooed according to elaborate conventions of etiquette; songs, poems, bouquets, sweet favors, and ceremonial gestures; she need only return a hint of approval; she was the exalted domina--the commanding "mistress" of the affair The Attributes of Courtly Love

Secret: lovers pledged to strict secrecy; lovers composed a universe unto themselves--a special world with its own places (e.g., the secret rendezvous), rules, codes, and commandments The Attributes of Courtly Love

Adulterous: “fine love" was extramarital; principle attractions was escape from dull routines and boring confinements of noble marriage; typically little more than political or economic alliance to royal offspring; troubadours thought marriage religious swindle; instead exalted ideal of carnal relationship whose objective was not crude physical satisfaction but sensual intimacy The Attributes of Courtly Love

Literary: first gained attention as subject and theme in imaginative literature; Knights and ladies were popular figures in song and fable