jongleur
Wandering French performer
A jongleur was a medieval entertainer in France and Norman England—a traveling performer who sang, juggled, told stories, and played instruments.
The term overlaps with minstrel and troubadour, though jongleurs were typically lower-status performers who entertained common audiences rather than courts: The jongleur moved from village to village, earning coins with songs and acrobatics.
Medieval Provençal lyric poet
- minstrelTraveling performer of songs
- entertainerOne who amuses others
- buskerPublic-space entertainer seeking donations
- showmanDramatic, attention-grabbing performer
jester · fool · mountebank · itinerant · wanderer · vagabond · strolling · travelling
Metered poetic passage
- balladNarrative poem or song
- chansonFrench vocal composition
- lyricSong's text
- rhymeMatching terminal sounds
recitation · epic · lai · romance · tale · saga · legend · oral tradition
Trial venue or sports surface
- castleFortified medieval residence
- feastElaborate ceremonial meal
- festivalOrganized public celebration
- fairImpartial and unbiased
tavern · manor · hall · nobility · patron · guild · itinerant · pilgrimage
Pear-bodied fretted strings
- rebecMedieval bowed string instrument
- taborSmall single-headed drum
- pipeHollow conveyance channel
- hurdy-gurdyCranked wheel-friction chordophone
psaltery · harp · fiddle · drum · tambourine · instrument · melody · tune
Flat-bottomed drinking vessel
- contortionistOne who bends extremely
- acrobatAgile circus performer
- somersaultFull-body forward rotation
- cartwheelLateral body rotation
handstand · flip · balance · flexibility · agility · feat · stunt · trick
troubadour
Medieval Provençal lyric poet
- minstrelTraveling performer of songs
- entertainerOne who amuses others
- buskerPublic-space entertainer seeking donations
showman · jester · fool · mountebank · itinerant · wanderer · vagabond · strolling · travelling · street performer
verse
Metered poetic passage
rhyme · recitation · epic · lai · romance · tale · saga · legend · oral tradition · memorization
court
Trial venue or sports surface
- castleFortified medieval residence
- feastElaborate ceremonial meal
- festivalOrganized public celebration
fair · tavern · manor · hall · nobility · patron · guild · itinerant · pilgrimage · Crusades
lute
Pear-bodied fretted strings
hurdy-gurdy · psaltery · harp · fiddle · drum · tambourine · instrument · melody · tune · accompaniment
tumbler
Flat-bottomed drinking vessel
- contortionistOne who bends extremely
- acrobatAgile circus performer
- somersaultFull-body forward rotation
cartwheel · handstand · flip · balance · flexibility · agility · feat · stunt · trick · physical comedy
balls
Round solid objects
torches · toss · catch · cascade · dexterity · manipulation · coordination · skill · timing · pattern
jongleurcourt composer
Royal household's official musician
troubadour · court musician · poet laureate · court poet · bard
juggle, juggler, juggling, juggled, jugglers, jugglery, jugglings, jugglable