Los set goxts (Llibre Vermell de Montserrat, Catalonia, 14th century)

Situated on a cleft mountain near Barcelona, the monastery of Montserrat was the centre of devotion for the Virgin Mary for all of Catalonia. The monastery was founded around 1025 as a branch of the Benedictine monastery of Ripoll. Legend tells us that the Virgin Mary performed miracles there which explains the fact that the mountain had been inhabited by hermits as early as the end of the ninth century.

The monastery of Santa Maria de Montserrat originated out of one of the hermitages. A large number of pilgrims went there, mainly because of their belief in the wonder-working power of the black statue of the Virgin Mary which was put up around the year 1200. The monastery was also a cultural centre of the first order: some of the monks had studied at far away universities like Paris or Bologna. Clerics from noble Catalan families represented the aristocracy in Montserrat through their celebration of daily masses. This is how Montserrat became the spiritual, cultural and political centre of Catalonia. With the conquests of the Catalan-Aragonese crown, Montserrat became "famous" worldwide: Churches were built in honour of the Virgin from Montserrat in Mexico, Chile and Peru. In the colonies, islands and settlements were named after her. After the almost complete devastation of the monastery by Napoleon in 1811, Montserrat regained its former significance only during the Catalan 'Renaixença', at the end of the nineteenth century.

The most precious treasure from the library of Montserrat is a codex from the late fourteenth century, the 'Llibre Vermell' (Catalan for 'Red Book'). The manuscript is named after it's red velvet cover which stems from the late 19th century. 35 of the original 172 sheets in folio of this manuscript are lost today. Besides various other contents, mainly for liturgical use, one of the fascicles (folio 21v - 27r) contains ten musical works (notated during the years 1396-1399).

The anonymous scribe explains the intended function of the pieces which were copied by him:

"As it happens that the pilgrims, while holding night vigil in the church of the Blessed Virgin from Montserrat, sometimes desire to sing and to dance and even so during the day, in the Church Square, where only virtuous and pious songs may be sung, some suitable songs have been written down here for this need. These should be used in a respectful and moderate manner, so as not to disturb those who wish to continue their prayers and religious contemplations."

The songs "Stella splendens", "Los set gotxs" and "Polorum regina" are explicitly titled "round dances" in the manuscript. "Los set gotxs" is the first extant song in the Catalan language; the lyrics are similar in form to the provençal 'balada'.


LOS SET GOTXS (Catalan)

Ballada dels goytxs de Nostre Dona en vulgar cathallan a ball redon:

Los set gotxs recomptarem et devotament xantant
humilment saludarem la dolça verge Maria.

Ave Maria gracia plena Dominus tecum Virgo serena.

Verge fos anans del part pura e sans falliment
en lo part e prés lo part sens negun corrumpiment.
Lo Fill de Déus Verge pia de vós nasque verament.

Verge tres reys d'Orient cavalcant amb gran corage
al l'estrella precedent vengren al vostré bitage.
Offerint vos de gradatge Aur et mirre et encenç.

Verge estant dolorosa per la mort del Fill molt car
romangues tota joyosa can lo vis resuscitar.
A vos madre piadosa prima se volch demostrar.
Verge lo quint alegratge que'n agues del fill molt car
estant al munt d'olivatge Al cell l'on vehes puyar.
On aurem tots alegratge Si per nos vos plau pregar.

Verge quan foren complitz los dies de pentecosta
Ab vos eren aunits los apostols et de costa.
Sobre tots sens nuylla costa devallà l'espirit sant.
Verge'l derrer alegratge que'n agues en aquest mon
vostre Fill ab coratge vos munta al cel pregon.
On sots tots temps coronada regina perpetual.

свернуть