Catalan Literature: Chronicles and Chivalric Novels
News
The origin of news lies in the dissemination of songs, stories, and verses in the vernacular, recounting heroic deeds and events of general interest by minstrels. Catalan chronicles and epic poems were used as sources of information and also served as propaganda for monarchs and royal houses. Chronicles are narratives of historical events occurring during a specific period, reign, or dynasty. Initially written in Latin and intended for a clerical audience, some translations emerged in the 13th century. In the 13th and 14th centuries, they were first written in Catalan.
Chronicle of James I (Book of Deeds)
Written between 1244 and 1276, it is divided into four parts and narrates the historical events surrounding his reign.
- Part 1: Less accurate due to the time elapsed, covering the events from 1028 to 1228. Notably, it includes the story of King James I’s conception, recounted with irony and originality.
- Part 2: More detailed, explaining events from 1228 to 1240, including the War of Urgell.
- Part 3: The shortest.
- Part 4: Returns to greater detail and covers events up to the monarch’s death.
The Book of Deeds can be considered a memoir, describing James I’s reign. The king is portrayed as a medieval hero and the true protagonist of the story. It features the use of the first person and an intimate tone. The style is characteristic of spoken language: lively, direct, popular, colloquial, and with careful repetitions. When characters speak, they do so in their own language.
Bernard Desclot’s Chronicle (Book of King Peter)
Written between 1283 and 1288, it focuses on the reign of Peter the Great and describes events before and after Alfonso I of Aragon.
It is divided into three sections: the first covers the reigns preceding James I, the second focuses on the monarch, and the third consists of chapters on Peter II. The protagonist is the king, not the author. Desclot uses epic poems to describe events before Peter II’s reign. In contrast, he narrates contemporary events with the care and precision of an official chronicler, having access to royal documents. The subject matter revolves around the deeds and achievements of several kings of the Catalan Crown, primarily focusing on two kingdoms: the conquest of Sicily and the fight against the French.
Ramon Muntaner’s Chronicle
Ramon Muntaner is the author of the third and largest of the four major chronicles. Written between 1325 and 1328, it covers the period from the conception of James I (1207) to the coronation of Alfonso III of Aragon (1328). While the protagonists are the kings of the Catalan dynasty, the chronicler himself also appears. The book resembles a collection of memories, with the author’s intention being to praise the House of Aragon. Muntaner is a passionate patriot, defender of the Catalan union and its beautiful land. The most important topic is the Catalan expedition to the East. Muntaner’s work is highly valuable from a historiographical perspective. The style is agile, lively, colorful, and direct, drawing on minstrel techniques. The language is pure and full of popular expressions and sayings. The chronicle was intended for collective reading aloud, aimed at listeners rather than individual readers, highlighting its didactic nature.
The Chronicle of Peter IV of Aragon
Completed between 1383 and 1385, it covers the reigns of Peter III and his father. It was conceived as a memoir, with Peter III as the author. Notable events mentioned include the return of the Kingdom of Mallorca to the Crown and the struggles against the Catalan nobility of Aragon and Valencia. Its autobiographical form reveals aspects of the king’s personality. It is the only major chronicle that does not use legends or prose versions of epic poems. Its style is drier and more monotonous than the others, except in episodes narrating personal events related to the monarch, where the style becomes more emotional. It is based on various documents and records of the monarch himself, who is portrayed as a Renaissance prince, intriguing and sometimes cruel. The narrative, using the majestic plural, is explained with remarkable accuracy. Generally, it lacks an epic tone.
Anselm Turmeda
Anselm Turmeda was born in Mallorca in the mid-14th century and died around 1430 in Tunis. A Franciscan friar who renounced Christianity and converted to Islam, he became a revered figure in the Islamic world and a banned author by the Inquisition. His most extensive work, of which the original text is lost and only a 16th-century French version survives, is the Disputation of the Donkey (1418), in which Brother Anselm Turmeda argues against the nobility about the nature of animals.
The Chivalric Novel: Matter of Britain
The chivalric novel originated in a narrative verse form called the roman courtois. This courtly genre was intended for a readership that valued chivalric ideals and the role of the lady in courtly life. This courtly character, transmitted through readings, incorporated the element of love into the plot, distinguishing it from epic poems. Epic poems, sung by minstrels in squares and castles, focused solely on the great deeds of knights, with heroes facing Saracen armies. The protagonists of chivalric romances are errant knights linked to King Arthur’s court, and the narratives unfold in Britain or continental islands. Knights leave the court and embark on journeys to fulfill missions, overcoming various trials and threats. These adventures involve magical elements, and the incorporation of the lady and the element of love is crucial. These works are known as the Matter of Britain. The Romance of Tristan and Isolde and the compositions of Chrétien de Troyes, introduced in Catalonia at the end of the 12th century, are the most famous examples. They were well-received and became popular. During the 14th century, translations of major romances appeared. This dissemination culminated in the emergence of original Arthurian romances written by Catalan authors.
The Books of Chivalry
This genre primarily developed in Spanish literature, with Amadís de Gaula and Palmerín de Inglaterra being two representative works. These books recount the chivalrous adventures and prowess of an errant knight endowed with exaggerated courage and strength, overcoming all sorts of enemies. The action is always set in exotic and remote locations, both geographically and temporally. These novels have an improbable character, creating an atmosphere of fantasy and dreams.
Books of chivalry were highly successful, especially among 15th-century knights. These knights sought to emulate the mythical figures of the heroes: they became real-life errant knights, seeking honor and prestige through tournaments, jousts, and other chivalrous deeds.
Chivalric Novels
In the 15th century, as a result of the interplay between reality and fiction, another genre emerged: the chivalric novel. This genre includes the anonymous Curial e Güelfa and Tirant lo Blanc by Joanot Martorell.
The protagonist is also a strong and courageous knight, but with a human dimension. In short, the novel is plausible and, as mentioned, inspired by the real lives of knights of the time.
Curial e Güelfa
This anonymous work was written in the mid-15th century. It is divided into three books: the first recounts Curial’s education and training, the second focuses on the tournament of Melun (France), in which Curial participates as an errant knight, and the third narrates Curial’s captivity in the Holy Land and his return to Montferrat.
Characteristics of the Work
The realism that characterizes the genre is present in this novel, both in the portrayal of the protagonist and in the logical sequence of actions.
To emphasize the verisimilitude of the story, the characters, except for the protagonist, have names from the contemporary era, which were familiar to the audience.
The novel includes allegorical passages and mythological figures, appearing at moments that change Curial’s fate. Another feature of modernity and realism is the central theme: the social ascension of a character of low status through chivalry. The novel also contains elements of humor.