Minstrel

Minstrel, wandering professional entertainers who flourished in medieval Europe. Known variously as troubadours or jongleurs in France, bards in Ireland, skalds in Scandinavia, and minnesingers in Germany, they were generally singers but also used storytelling and mime. Because they wandered from town to town, they spread local news and helped to preserve oral traditions. They began to die out in the 15th century, largely due to the appearance of the printing press.