William IX

duke of Aquitaine and Gascony
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Also known as: Guilhem VII of Poitiers
Quick Facts
Born:
Oct. 22, 1071
Died:
Feb. 10, 1127, Poitiers, Fr. (aged 55)
Also Known As:
Guilhem VII of Poitiers
Notable Family Members:
son William X
Role In:
Crusades

William IX (born Oct. 22, 1071—died Feb. 10, 1127, Poitiers, Fr.) was a medieval troubadour, count of Poitiers and duke of Aquitaine and of Gascony (1086–1127), son of William VIII and grandfather of the famous Eleanor of Aquitaine.

William IX spent most of his life in warfare, including leading an unsuccessful Crusade to the Holy Land (1101–02) and battling the Moors near Cordova (1120–23). His fame rests chiefly, however, on his being the first poet in the Provençal language whose works have come down to us. His chansons, or songs, are boisterous, amorous, humorous, usually delicate but sometimes coarsely obscene and tend, in the fashion of courtly love, to idolize one’s lady love.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.