Problems of genesis of the European intelligentsia: medieval vagants
The article is devoted to a debatable question of genesis of the European intelligentsia in the Middle Ages. The series of observations of the author, made during the work with medieval Latin texts of poetry of vagants have become the basis for raising such an issue. A number of public functions which were assumed by vagants in their creativity is emphasized. Proceeding from these public functions, the question of considering vagants as intellectuals is raised as well. In the article it is noted that the first universities were the social base for a group of people that may be called «the medieval intellectuals».