Joi as the Origin of Disquiet in Troubadours’ and Trobairitz’ Emotional Communities

Abstract

This paper aims to analyse the courtly love of the troubadours with a particular focus on the relationship between joi and fear or disquiet. With the background of previous concepts, the model of fin’amor as an emotional community with its basic characteristics is presented. On the example of selected texts from the courtly literature, a “map of emotions” of the troubadour world, in which joi plays a central role, is constructed. Joi is defined as “joy acting” or “a state of harmony, ecstasy and inner perfection”. As the etymology of this concept, it is taken as a combination of the words gaudium (joy) and joculum (play). The analysis indicates that the pursuit of joi is both the reason for building the emotional community of fin’amor and the goal of its actors involved. The achievement of joi is based on an elaborate system of literary games. In the emotional community, joi triggers other emotions, including fear and disquiet. Thus, joi is not a state of inner harmony but an ambivalent entity, affecting both the well-being of the individual fin’amor actors and the lack thereof.