Louis IX of France (reigned 1226-1270) is one of France's most idealized kings, a position confirmed by his canonization in 1297. Nevertheless, his reign was affected by controversies and challenges from the nobility, which gave rise, among other things, to political songs (serventois) preserved in songbooks from the end of the 12th century. These serventois were created from existing trouvères (the northern French equivalent of the troubadours in the south) and not only used the original melodies, but also quote and allude to important parts of the original text of the melody in a way that transforms the court songs into political rhetoric.

My project examines these political songs during the reign of Louis IX, 1226-1270. During this time, the kingdom was at times ruled by the queen mother Blanche de Castile while the king was still a minor and later when he was on crusade. Therefore, several songs are aimed at Blanche and her policies. Both Louis and Blanche implemented a number of controversial centralizing reforms that undermined the nobility. The nobles responded by, among other things, creating satirical songs that attacked the king and his advisors, portraying Blanche as a gender hybrid and a powerful ruler who challenged the masculinity and traditional values of the nobility.