Origin: Galician-Portuguese lyric poetry
Genre: Sirventês moral ("service song")
Original Title: "Porque no mundo mengou a verdade"
Troubadour: Airas Nunes (Galician)

Performers: DOA
Album: "A fronda dos cervos" (2011)

Sirventês (sirventes; "service song"), was a genre of Old Occitan lyric poetry practiced by the troubadours and also becaming a satirical genre within the Galician-Portuguese lyric poetry. The genre includes four subtypes, this one in particular being the Sirventês moral, that reflects upon the decadence of the values and society of that time, with frequent attacks on corruption, as well as, censorship of episodes of bad customs and complaints about the degradation of chivalric virtues.

In this case, the song composed by the troubadour cleric Airas Nunes, "porque o mundo mengou a verdade", is particularly directed at religious orders and institutions, which should be the last stronghold of the Truth, but which are, in turn, completely oblivious to it. In fact, the "Black Friars" (1:00), also commonly known as Black Monks, refer to the Benedictine monks, who are different from the Cistercians from the Order of "Cistelo" (from the archaic Portuguese Cistel, 'Cister'; 1:30), who in turn were called White Friars/Monks, and who follow the same rule as St Benedict, but aren't considered Benedictines. Lastly, the author also mentions the pilgrimage site so popular from the Middle Ages to the present day - Santiago de Compostela (2:02), in Galicia.

The omnipresence of religion within the life of person at that time, was an essencial part of every moment and activities, functioning as a necessity, a justification and a point of reference. Together with the dualism of that same Man, with a natural preponderance to the decadence of customs, created conditions for the vulgarisation of religious disrespect and various transgressions, including the disbelief, blasphemy and corruption.

Source of the lyrics: [ Ссылка ]

Source of the song: [ Ссылка ]

Watch another version (Xosé Quintas): [ Ссылка ]

Artwork: "Monk by the Sea" by Caspar David Friedrich (c. 1809)

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