Medieval Spanish Literature: El Cantar de Mio Cid & Mester de Clerecía
El Cantar de Mio Cid: Epic Poem Analysis
El Cantar de Mio Cid is the most important epic poem in Spanish literature, and the only one with about 4000 verses that has come down to us almost completely. The preserved manuscript is a copy from the 14th century. However, the composition of the work appears to be earlier.
Date and Authorship of El Cantar de Mio Cid
According to Menéndez Pidal, the epic was composed in the 12th century by two anonymous minstrels from the Soria region. The first part conforms more to historical truth, while the second is more romantic and whimsical. The problems of authorship and date are far from being solved; some have considered its author to be Per Abbat, the signatory of the 1307 manuscript.
Content and Structure of El Cantar de Mio Cid
The Song recounts the deeds of the Castilian hero Rodrigo Díaz. It is a historical work, yet also a work of literature and art. It is inspired by real events, but mixes historical reality with elements of popular legend. After the Cid’s death, his exploits became legend and were adapted by literary romances and authors.
Structure of the Song
- Song of Exile: El Cid, banished by Alfonso VI, leaves Castile in the company of his loyal followers. They make their first conquests.
- Song of the Wedding: He conquers Valencia, where his wife and daughters join him. The greedy Infantes of Carrión marry his daughters.
- Song of the Outrage of Corpes: The Infantes of Carrión, due to the mockery they receive for their cowardice, decide to retaliate by abusing their wives in the oak woods of Corpes. They are beaten by men of the Cid. The Cid is avenged, and his daughters marry the Infantes of Aragon and Navarre, gaining more power, which is the final glorification of the hero.
Metrics of El Cantar de Mio Cid
The poem is made up of very different sets of verses that do not always have the same assonance rhyme. The lines are irregular, varying between 10 and 20 syllables, with a predominance of Alexandrine verses. They are usually divided into two hemistichs by a pause or caesura.
Language and Style of El Cantar de Mio Cid
The language and style fit the needs of a minstrel who recites his story to an audience to maintain their interest. The language is sober and austere, endowed with great force and vividness of expression, both in descriptions of people and places and in the account of events.
Linguistic Resources in the Epic
- Apposition
- Invocations to the audience
- A variety of tenses
- Pleonasms
- Absence of the introductory verb
Mester de Clerecía: Cultured Medieval Poetry
From the 13th century, a new stream of cultured poetry developed, known as Mester de Clerecía. The most important authors and works from this period are: Gonzalo de Berceo (author of Life of Santo Domingo de Silos, Life of San Millán, Miracles of Our Lady) and the anonymous works Book of Apollonius and Book of Alexander.
Characteristics: Mester de Clerecía vs. Juglaría
The characteristics of Mester de Clerecía should be understood in opposition to those of Mester de Juglaría (minstrelsy):
- Mester de Clerecía (MC): Aesthetic awareness and educated intent.
- Mester de Juglaría (MJ): Compositions do not follow aesthetic rules or patterns.
- MC: Religious inspiration and influence.
- MJ: Minstrels sang profane themes.
- MC: Educated authors, mostly clerics trained in Latin culture and religion.
- MJ: Minstrels were usually people with good memory and a large public repertoire, but with less formal education.
- MC: Use of a specific type of rhymed verse, the cuaderna vía (four Alexandrine verses with the same consonant rhyme).
- MJ: Verse measurement was not regular. Assonance rhyme was typically used, unlike the Mester de Clerecía, which used consonant rhyme.
- MC: Verses are meant to be recited.
- MJ: Compositions were meant to be sung.
Innovations in 14th Century Mester de Clerecía
During the 14th century, Mester de Clerecía introduced innovations: the use of octosyllabic verse, satire, parody, and parables. Verses took on a moralistic and philosophical purpose. Juan Ruiz, Archpriest of Hita, is the most important author of this period.
Gonzalo de Berceo: Pioneer of Castilian Poetry
Berceo was born in the late 12th century. He was a cleric linked to the monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla. His works are religious, didactic, and moralistic, often based on Latin sources.
Gonzalo de Berceo’s Works
He wrote hymns and liturgical works, as well as lives of saints, such as Santo Domingo de Silos, San Millán, and Santa Oria. He is also the author of The Martyrdom of St. Lawrence. His most important work is Miracles of Our Lady, a collection of 25 short stories inspired by legends.
Gonzalo de Berceo’s Poetic Style
He uses an artistic language form that is not Latin. He addresses the common people, using simple, clear language, full of popular expressions and dialectal turns. His poems also stand out for their lyricism, sometimes for a relative realism, and for depicting the rural environment in which the stories are set.