Abstract
Joan Basset, a poet active in the early 15th century, wrote his Vers clus around 1415-1416. This enigmatic composition presents an allegorical confrontation between two factions of monstrous figures, led respectively by a dragon and a Turk. Basset’s use of allegory can be explained by the need to disguise a politically charged message in a particularly tense socio-political context at the end of the Western Schism, as well as by an aesthetic tradition that valued poetry of formal and thematic complexity. This article offers a contextualised interpretation of the Vers clus, considering the political events of its time and the literary tradition that frames it. The poem emerges as a work in which political reality is conveyed through symbol.
References
Alberni, A. & Lannutti, M. S. (2018). “Lay ves França”. Les structures formelles de la musique et de la poésie dans la lyrique catalane des origines. Dins C. Cazaux-Kowalski, C. Chaillou-Amadieu, A.-Z. Rillon-Marne & F. Zinelli (eds.). Les Noces de Philologie et Musicologie. Textes et musiques du Moyen Âge (p. 371-399). París: Classiques Garnier.
Alòs, R. (1911). Les profecies d’en Turmeda. Révue Hispanique, XXIV, 480-496.
Armstrong, A. & Kay, S. (2011). Knowing poetry. Verse in Medieval France from the Rose to the Rhétoriqueurs. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7591/cornell/9780801449734.001.0001
Badia, L. (2015). La teatralitat difusa a l’Edat Mitjana. Dins L. Badia (dir.), Història de la literatura catalana. Literatura medieval (III). Segle XV, vol. III (p. 409-436). Barcelona: Enciclopèdia catalana/Barcino/Ajuntament de Barcelona.
Batlle, C. & Ordeig, R. (1988). La ciutat de Barcelona i el Cisma. Dins Jornades sobre el Cisma d’Occident a Catalunya, les Illes i el País Valencià: Barcelona-Peníscola, 19-21 d’abril de 1979. Ponències i comunicacions, segona part (p. 315-336). Barcelona: Institut d’Estudis Catalans. (Separata).
BBP = Zufferey, F. (1981). Bibliographie des Poètes Provençaux des XIVe et XV siècles. Ginebra: Li- brarie Droz.
Beaume, C. (2002). Prophétie politique. Dins C. Gauvard, A. de Libera & M. Zink (dirs.). Dictionnaire du Moyen Âge (p. 1153-1154). París: Presses Universitaires de France.
Bohigas, P. (1978). Joan Basset: Poemes. Els Marges, 12, 83-97.
Bohigas, P. (1988). Lírica trobadoresca del segle XV: Joan Basset i altres poetes inèdits del Cançoner Vega-Aguiló. Barcelona: Publicacions de l’Abadia de Montserrat/Institut de Filologia Valenciana.
Bohigas, P. (2001a). Profecies catalanes dels segles XIV i XV. Assaig bibliogràfic. Dins A. M. Badia, G. Colón & J. Moran (eds.), Mirall d’una llarga vida: a Pere Bohigas, centenari (p. 391-418). Barcelona: Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
Bohigas, P. (2001b). Profecies de Merlí: altres profecies contingudes en manuscrits catalans. Dins A. M. Badia, G. Colón & J. Moran (eds.), Mirall d’una llarga vida: a Pere Bohigas, centenari centenari (p. 425-453). Barcelona: Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
Boulton, A. (2000). The Knights of the Crown. The monarchical orders of knighthood in later medieval Europe 1325-1520. Woodbridge: Boydell & Brewer.
Cabré, M. & Espadaler, A. (2013). La moda al·legòrica. Dins L. Badia (dir.), Història de la literatura catalana. Literatura medieval (I). Dels orígens al segle XIV, vol. I (p. 332-343). Barcelona: Enciclopèdia catalana/ Barcino/Ajuntament de Barcelona.
Cabré, M. & Navàs, M. (2014). “Que·l rey franses nos ha dezeretatz...”: la poètica occitana després de Muret. Dins V. Beltran, T. Martínez & I. Capdevila (eds.), 800 anys després de Muret: els trobadors i les relacions catalanooccitanes (p. 102-122). Barcelona: Edicions de la Universitat de Barcelona.
Carbonell, P. M. (1997). Cròniques d’Espanya, vol. II. Ed. A. Alcoberro. Barcelona: Barcino.
Catafau, A., Jaspert, N. & Wetzstein, T. (eds.) (2018). Perpignan 1415. Un sommet européen à l’époque du Grand Schisme d’Occident. Zúric: LIT.
Company, X., Aliaga, J. & Tolosa, L. (eds.) (2007). Documents de la pintura valenciana medieval i moderna, vol. 2: Llibre de l’entrada del rei Martí. València: Universitat de València.
Curtin, D. P. (trad.) (2024). Charter of the Order of the Dragon. Aut. Sigismund Von Luxemburg. Tennesse: Dalcassian Press.
DDP = Hollander, R. & Campbell, S. (eds.) (2005-). Darthmouth Dante Project. Dartmouth College. https://dante.dartmouth.edu
Équipe projet Thalamus. (2014). Édition critique numérique du manuscrit AA9 des Archives municipa- les de Montpellier dit Le Petit Thalamus. Université Paul Valéry Montpellier III. http://thalamus. huma-num.fr/
Galbreath, D. L. & Jéquier, L. (1977). Manuel du blason. Lausanne: Spes.
Girolamo, C. (dir.) (2025). Repertorio informatizzato dell’antica letteratura catalana. Nàpols: Università di Napoli Federico II. http://www.rialc.unina.it/
Grimaldi, M. (2012). Allegoria in versi. Un’idea della poesia dei trovatori, Istituto Italiano per gli Studi Storici in Napoli. Nàpols: Società Editrice il Mulino.
Hartmann, S. (2018). “Oswald von Wolkenstein à Perpignan: Le chanteur courtois et son seigneur le roi Sigismond”. Dins A. Catafau, N. Jaspert & T. Wetzstein (eds.), Perpignan 1415. Un sommet européen à l’époque du Grand Schisme d’Occident (p. 389-412). Zúric: LIT.
Iborra, J. (ed.) (2009). Històries e conquestes del realme d’Aragó e principat de Catalunya. Aut. Pere Tomic. Catarroja/Barcelona: Afers.
Klein, K. K. (2015). Die Lieder Oswalds von Wolkenstein. Tübingen: De Gruyter. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110335187
Lannutti, M. S. (2021). “Sofrir m’estuet” “En attendant” “Sus la fontayne” from Pavia to Florence and Rome. Dins A. Alberni, A. Calvia & M. S. Lannutti (eds.), Polyphonic voices. Poetic and musical dialogues in the European Ars Nova (p. 237-272). Florència: Edizione del Galluzzo.
Massip, F. (2007). Història del teatre català, vol. i: Dels orígens a 1800. Tarragona: Arola.
Massip, F. (2010). A cos de rei. Festa cívica i espectacle del poder reial a la Corona d’Aragó. Valls: Cossetània Edicions.
Navarro, A. (2018). “La laboriosa preparación de las vistas de Perpiñán según los documentos de la cancillería de Fernando I de Aragón”. Dins A. Catafau, N. Jaspert & T. Wetzstein (eds.). Perpignan 1415. Un sommet européen à l’époque du Grand Schisme d’Occident (p. 291-317). Zúric: LIT.
Navàs, M. (2019). Ramon de Cornet: l’autor, l’obra i la circulació manuscrita (Tesi doctoral). Disponible a CORA (Universitat de Girona), https://www.tdx.cat/handle/10803/668661#page=1
Navàs, M. (2022a). Ramon de Cornet: entre tradició i innovació. Estudis Romànics, 44, 227-254.
Navàs, M. (2022b). “Reina d’onor, excelhents Margarita”: literatura a l’entorn de “la de Prades”. Dins E. Juncosa & A. Jordà (eds.), Margarida de Prades: regnat breu, vida intensa (p. 141-188). Tarragona/Barcelona: Publicacions URV/Edicions de la Universitat de Barcelona.
Plumley, Y. (2009). Citation, allusion et portrait du Prince: peinture, parole et musique. Dins V. Fasseur (ed.), Froissart à la cour de Béarn: l’écrivain, les arts et le pouvoir (p. 321-337). Turnhout: Brepols. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1484/M.TCC-EB.3.1337
Puig, S. (1920). Episcopologio Barcinonense. Pedro de Luna, último papa de Aviñón (1387-1430). Barcelona: Políglota.
RAO = Parramon, J. (1992). Repertori mètric de la poesia catalana medieval. Barcelona: Curial/Publicacions de l’Abadia de Montserrat.
Riquer, M. (1983). Heràldica catalana des de l’any 1150 al 1550, vol. i. Barcelona: Quaderns Crema. Riquer, M. (1984). Història de la literatura catalana. Part antiga, vol. ii. Barcelona: Ariel.
Riquer, M. (1989). La heráldica y los trovadores. Dins “Farai chansoneta novele”. Hommage à Jean-Charles Payen. Essais sur la liberté créatrice au Moyen Âge (p. 305-310). Caen: Université de Caen.
Rubió, J. (1953). Historia general de las Literaturas Hispánicas, vol. iii. Barcelona: Editorial Barna. Ryder, A. (2008). Alfonso el Magnánimo, Rey de Aragón, Nápoles y Sicilia, 1396-1458. València: Institució d’Alfons el Magnànim.
Salicrú, R. (1995). La coronació de Ferran d’Antequera: l’organització i els preparatius de la festa. Anuario de Estudios Medievales, 25 (2), 699-759. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3989/aem.1995.v25.i2.953
Sancho, J. & Zabálburu, F. (eds.) (1891). Colección de documentos inéditos para la historia de España. Madrid: Imprenta de Rafael Marco y Viñas.
Torra, A. (ed.) (2017). Acta Negotii Perpiniani. Documentos del Archivo de la Corona de Aragón referentes al encuentro de Perpiñán del año 1415. Viena: LIT.
Torró, J. (2014). La poesia cortesana. Dins L. Badia (dir.), Història de la literatura catalana. Literatura medieval (II). Segles XIV-XV, vol. II (p. 260-352). Barcelona: Enciclopèdia catalana/Barcino/Ajuntament de Barcelona.
Vela, L. (ed.). (1985). Crónica incompleta del reinado de Fernando I de Aragón. Saragossa: Textos Medievales.
Vinyoles, M. (1986). La mort i l’enterrament a Barcelona del cardenal de Tolosa (1417). Dins Jornades sobre el Cisma d’Occident a Catalunya, les Illes i el País Valencià: Barcelona-Peníscola, 19-21 d’abril de 1979. Ponències i comunicacions, primera part (p. 283-296). Barcelona: Institut d’Estudis Catalans. Disponible en línia a Publicacions IEC.
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Alba Romanyà
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
- The Author hereby warrants that he/she is the owner of all the copyright and other intellectual property rights in the Work and that, within the scope of the present Agreement, the paper does not infringe the legal rights of another person.The owner of the copyright work also warrants that he/she is the sole and original creator thereof and that is not bound by any legal constraints in regard to the use or sale of the work.
- The Author grants the Purchaser non-exclusive and free of charge license to unlimited use worldwide over an unspecified period of time in the following areas of exploitation:
2.1. production of multiple copies of the Work produced according to the specific application of a given technology, including printing, reproduction of graphics through mechanical or electrical means (reprography) and digital technology;
2.2. marketing authorisation, loan or lease of the original or copies thereof;
2.3. public performance, public performance in the broadcast, video screening, media enhancements as well as broadcasting and rebroadcasting, made available to the public in such a way that members of the public may access the Work from a place and at a time individually chosen by them;
2.4. inclusion of the Work into a collective work (i.e. with a number of contributions);
2.5. inclusion of the Work in the electronic version to be offered on an electronic platform, or any other conceivable introduction of the Work in its electronic version to the Internet;
2.6. dissemination of electronic versions of the Work in its electronic version online, in a collective work or independently;
2.7. making the Work in the electronic version available to the public in such a way that members of the public may access the Work from a place and at a time individually chosen by them, in particular by making it accessible via the Internet, Intranet, Extranet;
2.8. making the Work available according to appropriate license pattern Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) as well as another language version of this license or any later version published by Creative Commons. - The Author grants the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan permission to:
3.1. reproduce a single copy (print or download) and royalty-free use and disposal of rights to compilations of the Work and these compilations.
3.2. send metadata files related to the Work, including to commercial and non-commercial journal-indexing databases. - The Author declares that, on the basis of the license granted in the present Agreement, the Purchaser is entitled and obliged to allow third parties to obtain further licenses (sublicenses) to the Work and to other materials, including derivatives thereof or compilations made based on or including the Work, whereas the provisions of such sub-licenses will be the same as with the attributed license pattern Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)or another language version of this license, or any later version of this license published by Creative Commons. Thereby, the Author entitles all interested parties to use the work, for non-commercial purposes only, under the following conditions:
4.1. acknowledgment of authorship, i.e. observing the obligation to provide, along with the distributed work, information about the author, title, source (link to the original Work, DOI) and of the license itself.
4.2. the derivatives of the Work are subject to the same conditions, i.e. they may be published only based on a licence which would be identical to the one granting access to the original Work. - The University of Adam Mickiewicz in Poznań is obliged to
5.1. make the Work available to the public in such a way that members of the public may access the Work from a place and at a time individually chosen by them, without any technological constraints;
5.2. appropriately inform members of the public to whom the Work is to be made available about sublicenses in such a way as to ensure that all parties are properly informed (appropriate informing messages).
Other provisions
- The University of Adam Mickiewicz in Poznań hereby preserves the copyright to the journal as a whole (layout/stylesheet, graphics, cover design, logo etc.)