Poitou and Saintonge, and the second only in Burgundy and the south generally. In
northern regions, all other titles were entirely replaced ca. 1250 by escuier, which gave
rise to the English equivalent “esquire” and its shortened form “squire.” By 1300, a
substantial majority of the male members of the knightly nobility of France never
received knighthood, and, according to region, valet, damoiseau, or escuier had come to
be used by these men as a title of nobiliary rank on the model of chevalier, in the form N
de X, valet/damoiseau/escuier. At first, these three equivalent titles designated the lowest
grade of the nobility, below that of simple knight, but from ca. 1300 they were
increasingly reserved for those undubbed noblemen who were rich enough to serve, like
knights, as heavy cavalry; nobles who could not afford to fight in this way were
increasingly distinguished by the title “gentleman” (gentilhomme), common to all persons
of noble or “gentle” birth.
After ca. 1200, adult nobles of the rank of esquire commonly formed part of the
household of kings, princes, and barons, performing functions thought to be appropriate
to their rank. Some of these were distinguished by special titles, such as the ecuyer-valet
tranchant, or “cutting squire,” who cut his lord’s meat.
D’A.Jonathan D.Boulton
Contamine, Philippe. Guerre, état et société à la fin du moyen âge: études sur les armées des rois
de France 1337–1494. Paris: Mouton, 1972.
Guilhiermoz, Paul. Essai sur l’origine de la noblesse en France au moyen âge. Paris: Picard, 1902.
ESTAMPIE
. Although few examples survive, we know that the estampie was both a poetic form and
a dance. The poetry is described in the anonymous Doctrina de compondre dictatz (ca.
1300) and the Leys d’Amors compiled by Guillaume Molinier during the first half of the
14th century. The subject of the estampie was “love and homage”; it was set in couplets
with a refrain and possibly one or two envois.
The musical estampie, described by Johannes de Grocheio (ca. 1300) as having both
vocal and instrumental forms, was composed of verses and refrains, with melodies and
couplets. The melody of the refrain differs from that of the verse, thus distinguishing the
estampie from other types of musical dance forms, such as ballade, virelai, and rondeau,
in which the melody of the refrain was also used in the verse. Twenty-six poetic texts
without music and two with music have been identified as estampies, but none seem to
have the required refrain. Seven complete instrumental estampies and one fragment
survive, all conforming to Grocheio’s description.
Nothing is known of the steps, but Grocheio described it as a complicated and elegant
dance. The word estampie may come from the Latin stante pedes, meaning standing, or
stationary, feet.
Timothy J.McGee
[See also: DANCE; GROCHEIO, JOHANNES DE]
Aubry, Pierre, ed. Estampies et danses royales, les plus anciens textes de musique instrumentale du
moyen âge. Paris: Fischbacher, 1907.
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