Catalan Chronicles: Epic Tales and Royal History
It is common for nations to have an epic, the story of their heroic deeds and glories. Though the Soviets enjoyed iconic heroes, real or imaginary, especially from the time they acquired a sense of national community, these contributed to reinforcing the same stories. Texts are not preserved in epic verse in Catalan songs of feat, which does not mean they did not exist but were lost, as evidenced by the fact that occasionally some fragments appear known as quatre grans cròniques.
The Great Catalan Chronicles
These are chronic, historical texts in prose that reflect the maximum time of splendor of the Crown of Aragon.
General Characteristics of the Chronicles
- Jaume I: Llibre dels Feits, told in a personal, autobiographical style, recounts the memories of the King, especially concerning the conquest of Valencia and Mallorca. Intent on teaching a language alive, providentialism is evident: the belief that their own victories are due to a divine plan.
- Bernat Desclot: Almost nothing is certainly known about him; Bernat Desclot was not his real name. His chronicle speaks especially of the reign of Peter II the Great, who was contemporary to him.
- Ramon Muntaner: His chronicle is the most famous. It speaks of a long historical period (from the birth of Alfons to the Coronation of James I), but the most interesting part is when the author recounts his experiences in the wars. It is the most unbiased and least enthusiastic of the four reporters. He never reserves a starring role for himself but leaves it for kings and great lords, serving as a mercenary soldier. Nationalism involves providentialism and exaggerations, such as language, as James I lived and directed. The fact seems destined to be read aloud.
- Pere the Ceremonious: Speaks of his own reign and the reign of his father, Alfonso the Merciful. The author guides a justification. Focuses more on the intrigues of the court rather than the more epic heroism of their own past.
These chronicles have great historical, linguistic, and literary value.
Bernat Metge and Humanism
Humanism and the Royal Chancery
His work is framed in ideological and artistic currents that announced the transition towards the Renaissance: Humanism, which came from Italy, is done using several writers. Humanism meant a return to Classical Antiquity and a rejection of many aspects of the medieval era. Humanists possessed great erudition.
In the Crown of Aragon, humanist ideals found full acceptance among those in power. Kings like John or Martin l’Humà were defenders to the point that it was mandatory to know Latin over Aragonese and Catalan to be an official from the Foreign Royal, an institution of great importance at the time.
It was a bureaucratic body that was drawing all the official records of the royalty, nobility, or ecclesiastical estates of the Crown of Aragon. Its importance comes mainly from the linguistic uniformity that was introduced throughout the country in the context of written language: a kind of common language was imposed above the greater variety of oral language.