Troubadour. His elegy on the death of England's King Richard I, "Fortz chausa es" (1199), is the most famous example of a troubadour plahn (lament) and one of the few to survive with both words and music. Faidit was born in Uzerche in the Limousin, France, into a noble family in the service of Vicomte Raymond II of Turenne. His first patron was probably Raymond's daughter, Maria de Ventadorn, to whom he dedicated at least a dozen songs. Legend has it he fought in the Third Crusade (1189 to 1192) to escape a hopeless passion for her. By the late 1190s Faidit was esteemed enough to enjoy the protection of Richard the Lionheart (a musician himself) at Poitiers; the anguished music and bitter lyrics of "Fortz chausa es" are nothing if not heartfelt. In 1204 Faidit joined the Fourth Crusade with his current patron, Italy's Boniface I of Montferrat, and was never heard from again. For centuries a prime source on the subject has been an Occitan biographical sketch (called a "vida") written around 1230 by Uc de Saint-Circ. The author described him as a drunkard and glutton who became a troubador after losing his fortune in a dice game, adding, "He sang worse than any man in the world, but he could create many beautiful melodies with fine words". Modern scholars believe this is a satire, as Uc penned similar hatchet jobs about other troubadours. It is worth mentioning because it claims Faidit married a prostitute named Guilhelma Monja, a "well-educated" woman who accompanied him everywhere as his muse. His three known portraits all depict him with Guilhelma. Some 70 of his lyric poems are extant, 14 with their melodies. He also wrote "L'Heresie des Pretres", a satire of church corruption.