Medieval Spanish Literature: From Epics to Prose
Historical and Cultural Context
The medieval period spanned from the 5th to the 15th century. Society was divided into three classes: the nobility, the clergy, and the common people. The monarchy required the support of the nobles for campaigns against the Arabs, and the territory was divided into various Christian kingdoms.
Culture was primarily confined to monasteries. Books were very scarce and were written by hand, leading to widespread illiteracy among the general population.
The medieval worldview conceived of life as a “vale of tears” one must pass through to reach eternal life. Death was therefore seen as a liberation. The archetypal medieval man was the knight or warrior.
Medieval Lyric Poetry
In the Middle Ages, we can distinguish four main streams of lyric poetry:
- Early Castilian Lyric: These were short poems with irregular meter and varied themes, such as dawns (albas), May songs, and other traditional songs.
- The Jarchas: Short compositions written in Mozarabic that appeared at the end of longer poems called muwashshahs. The theme is typically love, with a girl lamenting the absence of her lover.
- Galician-Portuguese Lyric: Its major forms include:
- Cantigas de amigo (songs of a friend): A girl laments the absence of her lover.
- Cantigas de amor (songs of love): A gentleman addresses his beloved and laments her indifference.
- Cantigas de escárnio e maldizer (songs of scorn and mockery): Satirical songs in which someone is spoken of with scorn.
- Troubadour Lyric: This includes three main thematic groups:
- The cansó, a form of love poetry.
- The pastorelas, which depict rural scenes.
- The sirventés, which are anecdotal or satirical in nature.
The Epic: Mester de Juglaría (12th Century)
Features
- Recited epic poems.
- Disseminated orally by minstrels (juglares).
- Written in verse (epic and narrative poetry).
- Used assonance rhyme and irregular verse length.
- Topics focused on the history of medieval heroes.
- Employed simple, popular language.
- Authors were typically anonymous.
Major Works
The Song of the Cid (El Cantar de mio Cid)
- Author: Anonymous.
- Content: Recounts the heroic exploits of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, El Cid, including his exile and the conquest of Valencia.
- Structure: Divided into three parts: Cantar del destierro (Song of the Exile), Cantar de las bodas (Song of the Weddings), and Cantar de la afrenta de Corpes (Song of the Affront of Corpes).
The Mester de Clerecía (13th-14th Centuries)
Features
- Written by clerics (educated poets).
- Religious and didactic in purpose, aiming to share the lives of saints and inspire devotion in readers.
- Followed a regular metric scheme: the cuaderna vía, a stanza of four 14-syllable (Alexandrine) verses with a single consonant rhyme (AAAA).
- Used cultured language, though often incorporating popular expressions.
Major Works
Miracles of Our Lady (Milagros de Nuestra Señora)
- Author: Gonzalo de Berceo.
- Content: A collection of poems narrating miracles performed by the Virgin Mary.
- Style: Simple yet carefully crafted.
The Book of Good Love (El Libro de buen amor)
- Author: Juan Ruiz, the Archpriest of Hita.
- Subject: Ostensibly shows that “crazy love” (carnal love) brings negative consequences, contrasting it with “good love” (love for God).
- Purpose: To criticize social defects, teach moral lessons, describe customs of the time, and to entertain and amuse.
- Structure: Begins with the author stating his intention. The central body consists of fifteen love affairs of the author-protagonist, interspersed with fables and stories. The final part includes compositions dedicated to the Virgin Mary and other traditional songs.
The Old Ballads (Romancero Viejo)
- A ballad (romance) is a poem of an indefinite number of eight-syllable verses, with assonance rhyme in the even-numbered lines while the odd-numbered lines remain unrhymed (schematic: 8- 8a 8- 8a…).
- The Romancero Viejo is the collection of old ballads that emerged from the evolution of epic poems during the 14th and 15th centuries. They are characterized by oral transmission, anonymity, and a popular character.
- Common Subjects:
- Historical: e.g., Romance de los infantes de Lara.
- Frontier (fronterizos): e.g., Romance de Abenámar.
- Lyrical and Novelesque: e.g., Romance del prisionero.
Medieval Prose: Don Juan Manuel (14th Century)
Major Works
The Count Lucanor (El Conde Lucanor)
- A storybook featuring 51 tales, each ending with a moral.
- Narrative Structure:
- Count Lucanor presents a problem to his advisor, Patronio, and asks for advice.
- Patronio responds by telling a story or fable that illustrates a solution.
- Don Juan Manuel summarizes the moral of the story in a rhyming couplet.