Professor of medieval literature at Troy University, Richard Nokes, has created Unlocked Wordhoard, a website to discuss topics of interest to medieval scholars. One of the recent discussions deals with minstrels, troubadours, jongleurs, and trouveres.

The site tries to answer six questions:

1. How did poems and styles of stories differ between medieval entertainers?
2. Where would minstrels and troubadors perform their lyric poems?
3. Were minstrels literate? Could they read and write music? Explain.
4. How were troubadors trained? By their own families? Were they apprenticed to masters? Were they trained in guilds?
5. What was the level of education of jongleurs? Were they often self-taught?
6. What other important ideas about my topic can you tell me that I have failed to ask you for

Visitors are welcome to enter the discussion.