The "red cat" poem of William IX, reputedly the first troubadour, might be
of interest to you ("En Alvernhe part Lemozi"). The cat's role is to
torture the poet, who pretends he is mute, until he talks. Lady Ermessen
takes the cat by the tail and allows it to attack the poet. He withstands
the torture, so the ladies are convinced he cannot reveal what goes on. He
then engages in licentious acts with the two noble ladies. The joke is that
at the end of the poem he tells a messenger to send letters to two wives of
noblemen, presumably describing what went on.
In Marcabru's "Dire vos vuelh ses duptansa", there are enigmatic references
to a cat's licking and to tails (Stanzas 5-7). It is definitely erotic. The
tail may function as a phallic symbol. Have you found other instances of
cats linked to illicit sexuality? This instance is bizarre, since the
feline sexual innuendos are usually associated with the female.
These poems with translations are both found in Wm Paden's OLD OCCITAN,
1998.
Best wishes,
Pat McGurk
Patricia McGurk Tel. (Home) 1-612-784-8710
Dept. of German, Scandinavian and Dutch
University of Minnesota
205 Folwell Hall
9 Pleasant St. S.E.
Minneapollis, MN 55455
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