courtly love

Medieval European code of amorous conduct between noblemen and noblewomen. It inspired a genre of medieval and 16th-century art and literature, including the 14th-century Romance of the Rose and English poet Geoffrey Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde, and was closely related to the concepts of chivalry.

Originating in 11th-century Provence, it was popularized by troubadours (a school of early poets and singers) under the patronage of Queen of France (1137-51) and Queen of England (1154-1204) Eleanor of Aquitaine, and codified by French poet and critic André le Chapelain. Essentially, it was concerned with the (usually) unconsummated love between a young bachelor knight and his lord's lady. The affair between Lancelot and Guinevere is a classic example. This theme was usually treated in an idealized form, but the relationship did reflect the social realities of noble households, in which the lady of the household might be the only noblewoman among several young unmarried knights.