Clerici vagantes

[1] Recently, the belief that the clerici vagantes played an important role in the literary atmosphere of the so-called Renaissance of the 12th century, for the kind of fresh poetry in medieval Latin called goliardic poetry, in which famous wandering scholars (scholares vagantes; in German fahrenden Schüler) like Hugh Primas and the anonymous Archpoet (both 12th century) satirically criticised the Medieval Church, has been questioned.

But even these measures failed, and in the ninth century several synods (such as those of Mainz in 847 and Pavia in 845–850) sought to check the vagantes and their efforts to take possession of benefices already conferred on others, and such prelates as Agobard of Lyon, in his De privilegio et jure sacerdotii, also opposed them.

These were the roving minstrels: mostly dissolute students or wandering clergy, first called clerici vagantes or ribaldi ("rascals"), later (after the early 13th century) chiefly known as goliardi or goliardenses, terms apparently meaning "sons of Goliath".

Hugo von Trimberg devoted a special chapter of his Der Renner ("The Runner") to the ribaldi and other vagantes, and in England Geoffrey Chaucer alluded to them in uncomplimentary terms.

[clarification needed] The goliards were believed to play an important role in the literary atmosphere of the so-called Renaissance of the 12th century, with fresh medieval Latin poetry, from poems in the Cambridge University Library MS Gg.