First published in 1978, this book argues that the troubadour revival in late medieval Spain was a conservative reaction to social crisis by those who belonged, or were affiliated, to a powerful, expanding and belligerent aristocracy. The crisis was produced by a discrepancy between social theory and social reality which could never be resolved, because the theory was based on the belief in a divinely pre-ordained system of social stratification in which change was inconceivable.

The study falls into four parts. The first part analyses the aristocratic theory of medieval society with special reference to Spain. The second part places the troubadour revival in its historical perspective. The third part brings together some relevant documents and the fourth part consists of various appendices. The author applies the insights of history, sociology and economics to problems of literature and demonstrates the importance of the period to late medieval culture both Spanish and European. Although this analysis relies mainly on Spanish sources, the origins of the ideals it examines are to be found in a wider European context, as are the factors that undermine them. Close cultural links between Spain and France are suggested by certain parallels between the Catalan Consistory of the Gay Science and the Court of Love of Charles VI. This book is a must read for scholars and researchers of Spanish literature, Spanish history, and social and cultural history