Juglares: Origin, How Life was Earned, Famous Types and Jugglers

The jugglers they were medieval artists with different talents who made their living entertaining the public in courts, fairs, theaters or on the street. They usually went through the villages singing, playing musical instruments or reciting poems, although they also had other skills such as juggling, word and hand games, and dancing.

Some of them, the most famous, entertained kings and nobles in their castles. The others wandered through towns and squares carrying their street performance. There were different types of minstrels according to their specialty, the most famous being the lyrical minstrels, who recited works of the troubadours.

Between the different types of jugando also stood out the epic minstrels, who interpreted epic songs and other narrative compositions; as well as the jugglers, who made imitations.

In exchange for their performances and executions, the minstrels received money or food. Sometimes they were hired at parties and banquets as part of the attraction and entertainment that was offered.

Origin

One of the three meanings offered by the Dictionary of the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language (DRAE) on the definition of the minstrel is the following:"In the Middle Ages, a person who went from one place to another and recited, sang or danced or I played games before the people or before the nobles and kings."

The term juglar comes from the Latin voice jocularis, which means funny or joker. He is also associated with poets and troubadours but, as we will see later, they have differences. The minstrel's main mission was to entertain and entertain, which is why the DRAE describes the minstrel as funny or picaresque.

Broad scope of the term

This word resembles juggler (in English, juggler ; in French, bateleur; and in German, gaukler) . That is to say, that its use was extended or approximated to other entertainment trades: acrobats, acrobats, carnivals, tamers, knife throwers, among others.

If we stick to the broad meaning of the term, its origins go back to China, Egypt, Athens and Rome, where they were used for the purpose of entertaining. In Egypt there are records of jugglers, as in the early Greek period described in vases.

In Greece, in the year 675 a. C., already existed the itinerant minstrels, known as bards. These had traveled through Sparta, perhaps to participate in popular music and entertainment contests.

In Rome the fun during public shows included the presentation of artists brought from the East.

There is documentation also in China that evidences the appearance of the instruments used by the minstrels. There the pipe was made, a musical instrument similar to the mandolin, as well as accessories for juggling.

Emergence in Europe

There is no precision about the appearance of minstrels in Europe. Some authors believe that they may have appeared in the sixth century and others believe that jongler French did not emerge until the eleventh century.

This coincides with the start of modern fairs, from the organization of outdoor markets in the most important cities in Europe. One of these was the Champagne Fair in France, or the fairs and markets of England, Belgium and Italy.

While merchants traded goods brought from the East with those produced locally, they were offered all kinds of entertainment. The goal was to keep them happy, safe and entertained.

Therefore, the figure of the juglar grew to the rhythm of the parties and modern fairs. This sort of wandering gypsy went from fair to fair, like ferier or circus character, presenting his show.

How did they make their living?

The minstrels were errant artists, with no fixed place to live. They went from one town to another to offer their public or private shows. They participated in fairs of cities and towns, and were hired by the nobility.

Among his clients or lords were kings, dukes, counts and marquises, who used them to entertain their guests during the parties they offered.

In the street they presented their entertaining songs of singing, declamation or hands and in exchange they received money and food. They recited poems or sang lyrical songs, making themselves accompanied by musical instruments.

Sometimes the singing or the music was combined with narrations, dances, games of hands or juggling. The children and their parents had a lot of fun in their improvised presentations.

Despite this, they were very discriminated by society. Many times they were associated with vagabonds and tricksters. They made a living by entertaining the public where the occasion permitted, whether in a public square, in a private presentation or during village parties.

Types

In the Middle Ages there were several types of minstrels and were classified according to their specialty or skill. However, the minstrel was not necessarily dedicated to a single genre, and could present shows of different themes and content to entertain the public.

Music, literature, acrobatics, games and narrations were included in the repertoire. Even the narration of war stories and the imitation of famous people: kings, princes or princesses, among others. According to his vocation, several types of minstrels can be defined:

Lyrical jugglers

They were those dedicated to recite lyrical works of troubadours.

Epic jugglers

They were dedicated to interpret the songs of geste and other narrative compositions.

Cazurros

They were improvisers who recited verses in a disorderly manner to make the audience laugh.

Remembers

His specialty was the imitation of characters.

Goliards

These were vagabond clerics or libertine students, who liked to spend their lives between parties and fairs.

Ministriles

They were basically artists (musicians and singers). Unlike the others who wandered from one place to another, these were at the exclusive service of someone.

Jugglers and soldaderas

They were women artists dedicated to dance and singing who, like men, had a wandering life.

Zaharrones

They used to disguise themselves to imitate characters or make grotesque gestures to impress the audience.

Trajechadores

These were the conjurors with great skill in their hands.

Famous jugglers

Minstrels and minstrels were cut in court amusing the nobility and performing in theater shows. Soon they were associated in brotherhoods or fraternities of minstrels. In 1331 in Paris a brotherhood called the Confrerie de St. Julian was opened.

There were famous jugglers in history. Between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the jugglers Paul Cinquevalli and Enrico Rastelli, who made impressive juggling with 10 balls. Other very prominent were Severus Scheffer, Kara and Rudy Horn, among others.

In addition to the aforementioned, there are three well-known minstrels in their time:

- Mattius, who was a juggler of prodigious memory. He recited romances and songs in Arabic, Greek, German, Galician and many more languages.

- Artuset, who served in the court of King Alfonso of Aragon, who is said to have handed it over to the Jews.

- Tabarín and Mondorf, who had some shows called Tabarínicas Fantasies (1619 and 1625).

Difference between minstrels and troubadours

Although they are often confused, in reality there were differences between them. The minstrels were characters who lived to entertain the public, for their good nature. They liked to be celebrated, win applause and be rewarded.

The minstrel, for example, was not the author of the verses he recited or the songs and music he played. On the other hand, the troubadour does. He did not need the public, he was an artist who owed himself and created for him. For this reason, he could enjoy his art solo.

The figure of the troubadour and the minstrel were subsequently merged into the contemporary singer-songwriter, who creates (music, songs) and performs at the same time.

The troubadours arose in Provence (present southeast of France) at the end of the eleventh century. They were usually bohemian poets, children of wealthy merchants who were not interested in money but in literature and the arts.

The minstrels who possessed various talents became helpers and companions of the troubadours.

References

1. Minstrel. Retrieved on March 20, 2018 from dle.rae.es
2. Álvarez, Francisco: Juggling - its history and greatest performers. Retrieved from juggling.org
3. Juglar lirico. Consulted of museodeljuglar.com
4. Troubadour. Consulted of juntadeandalucia.es
5. Minstrel. Consulted on es.wikipedia.org
6. List of jugglers. en.wikipedia.org
7. What is the difference between a troubadour and a minstrel? Consulted of muyinteresante.es