Medieval Society, Thought, and Literature
1. General Overview
Medieval society was divided into three classes:
- Nobility: Feudal lords with privileges and land.
- Clergy: Responsible for spreading Christian doctrine.
- Commoners: Peasants working the land with no privileges.
Medieval thought was theocentric (God-centered). Life was seen as suffering, while death was a release to eternal life. The ideal man was the knight.
Medieval literature had a didactic purpose. Due to widespread illiteracy, culture was confined to monasteries, with the Church as the sole keeper of knowledge. Books were scarce and expensive due to manual copying.
Literary Composition Characteristics:
Popular Lyrics:
- Addressed to the illiterate populace.
- Anonymous authorship.
- Oral transmission.
- Irregular meter.
- Simple style.
Educated Lyrics:
- Directed to the nobility.
- Written by nobles.
- Written transmission.
- Didactic intention.
- Regular meter.
- Refined style.
2. Medieval Poetry
2.1 Popular Lyrics
- Jarcha (11th Century): Love complaint in Mozarabic.
- Cantiga de Amigo (13th Century): Lament of a girl for her absent lover in Galician-Portuguese.
- Carol (15th Century): Song of love and work in Castilian.
- Romances (15th Century): Narrative poems in Castilian with varied themes (epic, historical, lyrical).
2.2 Educated Lyrics
- Moasaja (11th Century): Arabic or Hebrew song with multiple stanzas.
- Song of Love (13th Century): Gentleman’s complaint of unrequited love in Galician-Portuguese.
- Poetry Songbooks (15th Century): Castilian poems based on courtly love.
3. Mester of Clergy and Mester of Minstrelsy
3.1 Mester of Minstrelsy (12th-14th Century)
- Heroic content, chronicling battles.
- Oral transmission by minstrels.
- Irregular meter (14-16 syllables).
- Assonant rhyme.
- Simple language.
- Use of epic epithets.
Example: The Poem of the Cid, an epic poem about Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar (El Cid), his exile, and the recovery of his honor.
3.2 Mester of Clergy
- Religious content.
- Written transmission.
- Didactic aims.
- Regular meter (Alexandrine verses).
- Cultured style.
Examples: Miracles of Our Lady by Gonzalo de Berceo, Book of Good Love by Juan Ruiz (Archpriest of Hita).
4. Medieval Prose
- 11th Century: Glosses (brief explanations in Latin texts).
- 13th Century: Alfonso X (el Sabio) promoted Castilian as the official language.
- 14th Century: Don Juan Manuel’s Count Lucanor, a collection of didactic stories.
- 15th Century: Sentimental novels and chivalric romances (e.g., Amadis of Gaul).
5. Medieval Drama
Medieval drama originated in religious celebrations. The Car of the Magi (13th Century) is a key example.
In the late 15th Century, La Celestina by Fernando de Rojas emerged, reflecting new values like the importance of money and the pursuit of pleasure.