13th-15th Century Spanish Literature
13th Century
Mester of Clergy
The mester de clerecía of the 13th century, initiated by Gonzalo de Berceo, employed didactic narratives that blended learned traditions with popular minstrel resources. These narratives, written in Romance by learned authors known as clerics, had a moral and didactic purpose. They used the cuaderna vía stanza, incorporating minstrel expressions and combining themes of cultured and folk traditions.
Gonzalo de Berceo: The first known Spanish author, Gonzalo de Berceo, pioneered the mester de clerecía with religious stories. Born in La Rioja, his narratives are rich in humorous detail and characterized by a straightforward and simple style, albeit with learned vocabulary.
Language in the 13th Century: Alfonso X
Alfonso X, “the Wise,” established Castilian as a language of culture by translating Latin and Arabic texts. Castilian was adapted to express all kinds of knowledge, with standardized spelling and an expanded lexicon, particularly in religious terms.
14th Century
Mester of Clergy
Juan Ruiz: Juan Ruiz’s Libro de buen amor is considered part of the mester de clerecía. Written primarily in cuaderna vía, it recounts various love episodes where the author seeks a woman’s affection using intermediaries. Its originality lies in the blend of religion and vitalism, showcasing an ironic and vital approach within a cultured work. The style displays a rich and varied language, mixing religious and colloquial registers.
Narrative Prose
Narrative prose began to unfold with chivalric romances and collections of parables or examples, which were didactic narratives with moral summaries at the end.
Don Juan Manuel: El Conde Lucanor, a framed story collection featuring the Count and his advisor Patronio, is considered the first work of Castilian prose fiction. The themes reflect the concerns of the aristocracy of the time.
Medieval Drama
Records are scarce, but medieval drama originated in religious festivals.
15th Century: Pre-Renaissance
Literary Tradition and Renewal
15th-century literature blended medieval and humanist features in its themes and genres.
Learned Poetry: The Songbooks
15th-century poetry, also called cancionero poetry, explored varied subjects. Love poetry followed the medieval courtly love tradition, while lyrical themes often emulated Dante’s moral-allegorical style.
Medieval Drama
Records remain limited, but medieval drama continued its development in religious festivals.
Jorge Manrique: Coplas a la muerte de su padre
Considered one of the best poets of the century, Jorge Manrique’s Coplas a la muerte de su padre explores themes of death and the transience of life, focusing on the life and death of his father. The poem’s 40 stanzas, each with 12 lines of sextilla doble (8 and 4 syllables), are known as the coplas manriqueñas. The style is simple, natural, and profound, offering an emotional and nostalgic evocation of the past.
Romances
Romances are categorized as old and new. Old romances are anonymous, orally transmitted ballads, some sharing themes with the chansons de geste. New romances are authored imitations of the old style. Romances are lyrical-narrative compositions in octosyllabic verse with assonance in even lines. They are characterized by a fragmentary style and employ lyrical, epic, and dramatic elements. Classifications include epic, historical, and lyrical-romantic.
15th-Century Prose
Prose followed existing models, featuring idealistic novels, embellished reality, and satire.
15th-Century Theater
Theater remained the least developed genre, with religious drama continuing its prominence.
La Celestina
La Celestina, by Fernando de Rojas, is the most significant work reflecting the spiritual climate of the 15th century. It portrays the bewilderment and pessimism of a transition period, while also expressing a modern sensibility. This dialogic work features realistic characters driven by passion. It combines themes of fortune, love, and death, with a purported moralizing intention alongside a pessimistic undercurrent. The style is considered the most varied of its time.