The pastorela was an Occitan lyric genre used by the troubadours. It gave rise to the Old French pastourelle. The central topic was always the meeting of a knight with a shepherdess, which could lead to any of a number of possible conclusions. They were usually humorous pieces. The genre was allegedly invented by Cercamon, whose examples do not survive, and was most famously taken up by his (alleged) pupil Marcabru.
Facts
Partially Attested
Place of OriginSource names the genre as an Occitan lyric genre of the troubadours; Occitania is inferred from the language and no place of origin is stated. Notable Example Defining TraitCentral topic is the meeting of a knight with a shepherdess 1 FAQs
How many pastorelas have survived?
Only a few survive: 24 by Audiau's count, or 17 by Zemp's.
Only a few pastorelas have survived. Audiau counts 24 true Old Occitan examples, mentioning 10 others that resemble them but belong to other genres and one that is a translation from French. Zemp reduces the number further, to 17, so the count depends on which scholar is followed.
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Originated In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Source Wikipedia: Pastorela
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Pastorela
Lead, sentence 1
was an Occitan lyric genre used by the troubadours
Lead, sentence 5
most famously taken up by his (alleged) pupil Marcabru
Lead, sentence 3
The central topic was always the meeting of a knight with a shepherdess
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