Medieval Spanish Literature: A Historical Overview
Medieval Spanish Literature
Historical Context (5th-15th Centuries)
This period spans from the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 to the discovery of America in 1492. In 711, Muslims from North Africa conquered the Iberian Peninsula. Christians sought refuge in the northern mountains and began the Reconquista, an 800 year long period of conflict. This led to a unique cultural blend of Muslim, Christian, and Jewish influences in medieval Spain.
Medieval Culture
Medieval culture revolved around castles and monasteries.
- Nobles: Resided in castles, defended their lands, and fostered the development of epic poems (chansons de geste).
- Clergy: Lived in monasteries, cathedrals, and churches. They spread culture and promoted religious values through didactic literature.
- Commoners: Farmers, artisans, and merchants enjoyed songs about everyday life.
- Minstrels: Traveling entertainers who performed in plazas and castles. They belonged to guilds known as “mester de juglaría.”
Mester de Clerecía
Clergy used literature to spread religious teachings. Characteristics include:
- Themes: Religious or moral, often focusing on saints’ lives and miracles.
- Purpose: To provide role models for Christians.
- Meter: Cuaderna Vía, a four-line stanza with fourteen syllables per line (Alexandrine verse).
- Key Figures: Gonzalo de Berceo (13th century) and Juan Ruiz, Archpriest of Hita (14th century).
Gonzalo de Berceo
- Background: First known Castilian poet, resided in the San Millán de la Cogolla monastery.
- Major Work: Miracles of Our Lady.
Alfonso X “The Wise”
King Alfonso X elevated the Castilian language by establishing the Toledo School of Translators. Scholars translated works from Arabic and Hebrew into Castilian, greatly expanding prose literature.
Don Juan Manuel
Nephew of Alfonso X, continued his uncle’s cultural legacy with a focus on didactic and moral literature. His notable works include:
- The Book of the Knight and the Squire
- The Book of the States
- Count Lucanor (also known as Book of Patronio)
Popular and Cultured Lyric Poetry
- Popular Lyric: Anonymous, transmitted orally, short, emotional poems. Examples include jarchas (Andalusian love poems), Galician-Portuguese lyric poetry, and traditional Castilian lyric.
- Cultured Lyric: Written by known authors, complex language, often developed in courtly settings.
Jorge Manrique
: responding to the ideal model that unifies the gentleman renancentista Exercisewear soldiers arms and letters poet.
Workplace: couplet to the death of his father: the first deals with the transience of human life and the equalizing power of death
the second presents concrete examples of such transience instability of fortune, luck and the contempt of earthly things
The third part is dedicated to the Master Don Rodrigo, his father, and praises its virtues and exploits, with sincere Añor subsidiary.
-the matchmaker was published at Toledo in 1499 and has 21 acts. can hardly performed by actors before an audience because of its large extension in k could therefore be Compustar to be read the author’s work title and meibea calisto tragicomedy
-argument: calisto young noble family enters the melibea garden in search of his falcon to escape, he meets a violent passion that seizes your encourage love