Medieval Dance - Estampie

Estampie

If the story is true that troubadour Raimbaut de Vaqueiras (about 1150-1207) wrote the famous Provençal song Kalenda Maya to fit the tune of an estampie that he heard two jongleurs play, then the history of the estampie extends back to the 12th century. The only musical examples actually identified as "estampie" or "istanpita" occur in two 14th century manuscripts. The same manuscripts also contain other pieces named "danse real" or other dance names. These are similar in musical structure to the estampies but consensus is divided as to whether these should be considered the same.

In addition to these instrumental music compositions, there are also mentions of the estampie in various literary sources from the 13th and 14th centuries. One of these as "stampenie" is found in Gottfried von Strassburg's Tristan from 1210 in a catalog of Tristan's accomplishments:

ouch sang er wol ze prise

schanzune und spaehe wise,

refloit und stampenie

(lines 2293-2295)

"he also sang most excellently subtle airs, 'chansons', 'refloits', and 'estampies'"

Later, in a description of Isolde:

Si videlt ir stampenie,

leiche und so vremediu notelin,

diu niemer vremeder kunden sin,

in franzoiser wise

von Sanze und San Dinise.

(lines 8058-8062)

"She fiddled her 'estampie', her lays, and her strange tunes in the French style, about Sanze and St Denis"

A century and a half later in the poem La Prison amoreuse (1372-73) by French chronicler and poet Jean Froissart (c. 1337-1405), we find:

La estoient li menestrel

Qui s'acquittoient bien et bel

A piper et tout de novel

Unes danses teles qu'il sorent,

Et si trestot que cessé orent

Les estampies qu'il batoient,

Cil et celes qui s'esbatoient

Au danser sans gueres atendre

Commencierent leurs mains a tendre

Pour caroler.

"Here are all the minstrels rare Who now acquit themselves so fair In playing on their pipes whate'er The dances be that one may do. So soon as they have glided through The estampies of this sort Youths and maidens who disport Themselves in dancing now begin With scarce a wait to join hands in The choral".

Opinion is divided as to whether the Estampie was actually a dance or simply early instrumental music. Sachs believes the strong rhythm of the music, a derivation of the name from a term meaning "to stamp" and the quotation from the Froissart poem above definitely label the estampie as a dance. However, others stress the complex music in some examples as being uncharacteristic of dance melodies and interpret Froissart's poem to mean that the dancing begins with the carol. There is also debate on the derivation of the word "estampie". In any case, no description of dance steps or figures for the estampie are known.