Bertran de Born: baron, knight, troubadour/poet, and possible rabble-rouser. Born (no pun intended) sometime in the 1140s, Bertran was the son of Lord Bertran of Hautefort and Ermengardis, as well as the older brother of Constantine and Itier. In 1178, Bertran became the new lord of Hautefort after his father passed. He married a woman named Raimonda, and had two sons.

An interesting thing to note about him is that he co-ruled with his brothers, which was a traditional custom of his region. Bertran's struggle with co-ruling (especially with Constantine) is what moved his poetry and its political topics.

His poems ranged from sirventes (a song of political satire) to approvals and criticisms of political leaders (most notably Henry the Young King). When the young Henry died in Martel at the age of 28, Bertran wrote a planh (lament for someone who recently passed). When Richard the Lionheart besieged Hautefort while accompanied by Alfonso II of Aragon, they gave it to Constantine de Born. However, King Henry II is said to have been so moved by Bertran's planh for his son, he returned Hautefort to Bertran.

When Richard became king and was delayed going for the Third Crusade, Bertran sung about the heroic efforts of Conrad of Montferrat's defense of Tyre. Around 1196, Bertran became a monk for Dalon Abbey at Sainte-Tre, in the Dordogne region. He spent the rest of his life there until his death in 1215.

However, his reputation would sour afterwards. According to a later vida (short biography), King Henry II (despite being moved by the planh dedicated to Henry the Young King) would believe that Bertran de Born started the Revolt of 1173-74, where both Henry's fought against each other. Because of this conspiracy, Dante Alighieri and Virgil encounter the troubadour in the eighth circle of Hell (the circle of Fraud), where he is punished for the schism by holding his severed head like it was a lantern (symbolizing the division of father and son).