Jaufre Rudel

Jaufre Rudel was the prince of Blaye and a troubadour of the early to middle twelfth century, who probably died during the Second Crusade, in or after 1147. He is remembered for developing the theme of love from afar, amor de lonh, in his songs. Very little is certain about his life: a contemporary song by Marcabru describes him as having gone across the sea, probably on the crusade. A later legendary biography, a vida, says he fell in love with Countess Hodierna of Tripoli without seeing her and died in her arms, a romantic tale that seems to grow out of the puzzling nature of his verse. Seven of his poems survive, four of them with music, and one of them is thought to have been a model for the German crusade song of Walther von der Vogelweide.