2010/02/01 by Elizabeth Eva Leach · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · #Medieval European Literature and History #Medieval Literature and History #Context (archaeology) #Art #Geography #Archaeology
paper · doi:10.1093/em/caq006
openalex publication_date 2010/02/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
It is no surprise that Machaut's later positions of notary and secretary have drawn more attention from modern commentators than his earlier one as court almoner. Official posts clearly concerned with recording things in writing fit far better with our understanding of Machaut's proclivities as a writer interested in the manuscript organization of a corpus of literary works than does a post concerned with charitable giving. Nonetheless, all three of Machaut's known court functions have generally been viewed by contemporary scholars as something of a sideshow to his illustrious career as a court poet; his earliest court post as an almoner has been almost completely ignored.1 This article presents an outline of the role of a court almoner in this period and argues that this earlier job not only placed Machaut centrally within the sphere of courtly cultural activity, but also had a distinct and lasting influence on his courtly love doctrine with regard to the importance of giving and the centrality of largesse.