A critical edition of the poems of Gontier de Soignies

Thesis

Gontier de Soignies is a trouvère concerning whom very little information is available, although his work seems to have been in considerable favour and repute when it was written.

Doubt has been cast upon everything connected with him, even his name and his place of origin. It is understandable that there should be confusion in the matter of his name, since sometimes it appears as Gontiers and at others as Gautiers. De la Borde remarks 'Peut-être ce Gautier de Soignies est-il le même que Gontiers de Soignies'. Dinaux spells the name Gauthier, arguing that it is the form native to Hainault, while Scheler adopts Gontier.

However, on reading the names of various signatories to early documents contained in the Opera Diplomatica of Miraeus, one is inclined to doubt the decision reached by Dinaux. The name Gonterus appears frequently, and is kept separate from Galterus. This does not rule out the fact proved by the manuscripts in hand, that the two names were confused in the popular mind, but it proves that the name Gontier was common in Hainault and Flanders. Since the name Gontiers appears more frequently in the manuscripts than its rival, it has been adopted.

Continued in thesis ...

Authors: Royle, CH

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-wr9b9doxd
• Type of award: BLitt
• Level of award: Bachelors
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: Soignies; Trouvère; songs; Gontier
• Subjects: Trouvère songs -- History and criticism; Gontier, de Soignies, active 12th century-13th century