Contrafacture, Lyrical Exchange, and Parody in Thibaut de Champagne’s Debate Songs

Many Old French debate songs–jeux-partis and débats–were put to existing melodies, including those composed by Thibaut de Champagne, the trouvère suspected of first popularizing the genre. A systematic exploration of relationships between Thibaut’s debate lyrics and the songs that share the same melody reveals an astonishing network of allusion, parody, and irony encompassing everything from attitudes towards women and religious ideals to political intrigues.