Concept in Definition ABC

Around 1200 in Europe a new profile of man: poor, cultured and libertine. Who were part of this new category they were known as the Goliards. Most of them belonged to the clergy and in some cases they were young students who attended classes in the first European universities.

They wandered around cities and frequented entertainment venues. They led a life dedicated to worldly pleasures and satirized the religious and political authorities of their time.

They were fond of literature and for this reason they wrote satirical poetry to mock the institutions and power in general

The literature Goliardesque stands out for its humorous tone and some scholars consider that it is a precedent of the novel picaresque and the poetry Spanish satirical.

With his attitude Libertine and carefree expressed a deep discomfort towards the prevailing social model. They understood that the official church had deviated from the true spirit of the Gospel and to show its opposition the goliards had the habit of interrupting the mass and beginning to sing their songs satirical.

At the same time, they showed their sympathies for wine, carnal love and play. With this approach vital it is not surprising that the goliards were harshly criticized by the official church. In 1227 at the Council of Trier an important decision was made: the parish priests had to watch over these wayward clergymen and students. In other councils they were harshly criticized and said to be lazy, blasphemous, and sinful.

Their critical attitude towards power killed them

The last references to this group date back to the 13th century. For some historians, the goliards made a mistake that is usually not forgiven: criticizing the established power.

The strict and rigid medieval monastic orders did not accept his model of life and the right Canonical could not tolerate the behaviors of pleasure-loving individuals.

"Carmina Burana" is a poetic work with goliard songs from the 11th and 11th centuries

At the beginning of the 19th century this work was found in a small German town. For the most part it is written in medieval Latin, but there are also fragments in Old German. Through this codex it has been possible to know the literary creation of the Middle Ages and the mentality of men who did not want to give up the pleasures of existence.

From a strictly theological point of view, they cannot be considered heretics, since they did not question the dogmas of Christianity. However, this group had a marked anticlerical and nonconformist spirit.

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