Medieval Spanish Epic and Ballads

Posted on May 15, 2025 in Latin

The Minstrel’s Role

The mester de juglaría (minstrelsy) springs from the inherent need for communication common in the Middle Ages. This work rested with the Minstrel (a poet telling of events and deeds of heroes through epics). The mission of the minstrel was to recite and/or dramatize works, touring villages and castles to entertain people. Besides telling stories, minstrels also enlivened holidays by singing and dancing.

The Cantar de Gesta (Epic Poem)

The cantar de gesta (epic poem) is an epic and/or heroic poem written in verse and a Romance language. The purpose of these narrative poems was to sing about events and happenings in the lives of notable personages, seeking fame and public recognition.

Theories on Origin

Regarding the origin of the epic poem, there are several theories. Some scholars suggest the Spanish national epic of the 11th century was an imitation of the French. There are several theses on their formation:

  • Individualist Thesis: Argues that the composition of the song is due to one person.
  • Traditionalist Thesis: Supports the existence of traditional epic poems that were taken as a basis for the final elaboration of a particular song.
  • Neotraditionalist Thesis.

Thematic Cycles of Castilian Epic

  • Don Rodrigo: Focuses on the arrival of Muslims to conquer the Iberian Peninsula and the disappearance of the last Visigoth king.
  • Counts of Castile: Covers the events lived during the epoch of the first Counts of Castile until the death of the last.
  • El Cid: Besides the figure of the Cid, includes items related to the kings of Castile and Leon, disputes, and historical events of the time.
  • Carolingian: Charlemagne, King of the Franks and Emperor of the West, constitutes the main axis.

General Features of Castilian Epic

  • Realism: Versus the predominance of the fantastic in Germanic and French epics, the Castilian epic is characterized as basically historical.
  • Traditionality: While other European nations abandoned epics at the end of the Middle Ages, Spain maintained the tradition.
  • Irregular Meter: Not subject to a fixed number of syllables, but rather a long series of assonant verses (from 12 to 16 syllables).
  • Rhyme: Assonance and monorhyme.

The Cantar del Mio Cid

The Cantar del Mio Cid is the oldest surviving document of the Castilian epic.

History of the Manuscript

The manuscript (or códice) in the library of the Menéndez Pidal foundation has 74 folios and 3730 lines, but lacks the first 3 pages, although the missing parts have been restored. The year that appears in the poem is 1245, which corresponds to the year 1207 in the Hispanic Era calendar. However, it is believed that the preserved manuscript is a copy from the fourteenth century.

Main Theme

The main theme of the song is the recovery of the gentleman’s lost honor, who is humiliated on two occasions: 1) by being indicted before the king for allegedly keeping taxes and being punished by banishment, and 2) after the disgrace of his two daughters, who were beaten and abandoned by the Heirs of Carrión.

Characteristics

  • 3730 verses are preserved.
  • The number of syllables varies from 10 to 20.
  • Verses are grouped in tiradas (stanzas) having the same assonant rhyme.
  • Each verse is divided into two hemistiquios (half-lines) by a central caesura.
  • There is assonant rhyme in all verses within a tirada.

The Romance (Ballad)

The Romance is a set of ballads produced throughout history, from the Middle Ages to the present.

Historical Periods

Depending on the time period, romances are dated into 3 major groups:

  • Old Ballads (Romancero Viejo): Collects romances produced up to the first half of the sixteenth century.
  • New Ballads (Romancero Nuevo): From the second half of the sixteenth century and the seventeenth century.
  • Modern Ballads (Romancero Moderno): Meets romances from the 18th to the 20th century.

Origin of Romances

The origin of romances is sought in the chansons de geste. Unlike the cantar de gesta, which has irregular verses divided by a caesura with assonant rhyme in tiradas, the romance typically consists of octosyllabic lines where the even-numbered lines have assonant rhyme, and the odd-numbered lines are left unrhymed.

Characteristics of the Romance

  • Sudden and fast start and ending.
  • Dialogue often appears.
  • Descriptions tend to be more detailed; narration of events tends to be faster.
  • Use of verbs and adverbs.
  • Use of apostrophes.
  • Appearance of exclamations.