Epic Poetry of Medieval Spain: Chansons de Geste and El Cid
Epic Poetry
Epic poetry narrates the heroic deeds of characters deeply rooted in their communities. This genre emphasizes action and adventure, with the pursuit of honor through risk as its central theme.
A distinction is often made between learned epic poetry with known authors and popular epic poetry transmitted orally and anonymously. The authorship of medieval epic poems (typically called chansons de geste) is often debated. Scholars suggest educated writers with historical and literary knowledge composed these poems, while minstrels, professional performers, disseminated them orally to wider audiences.
Chansons de Geste in Castilian
Few medieval epic poems survive in Castilian or other Iberian languages. Many are known indirectly through references and summaries in medieval historical chronicles and isolated episodes in later ballads.
Castilian Epic Cycles
Cycle of the Counts of Castile
Several lost songs (except one) explore the origins of Castile and its independent political organization under Count Fernán González in the 10th century. These include:
- Poema de Fernán González: The only surviving poem, not in its original form, but a 13th-century version in mester de clerecía meter. It blends historical facts and legendary elements to depict Fernán González’s struggles against the Moors, Navarre, and León to achieve Castilian independence.
- The Traitor Countess (lost)
- The Seven Infants of Lara (lost)
- Romance del Infante García (lost)
Common characteristics of these works:
- Strong historical basis, despite fictional plots.
- Emphasis on revenge, often cruel and bloody, as character motivation.
- Prominent roles of women who utilize various means, including violence, to overcome obstacles.
Carolingian Cycle
Works related to the French Emperor Charlemagne (8th-9th centuries), particularly the Chanson de Roland, which focuses on the French defeat at the Battle of Roncesvalles (Navarra) and the death of Roland, Charlemagne’s nephew. Known works include:
- Roncesvalles Poem: A surviving fragment, likely from the 13th century, depicting Charlemagne’s lament over his fallen warriors.
- Mainetes: A lost, fictionalized account of Charlemagne’s youth, known through chronicles.
- Bernardo del Carpio: A lost song, reflected in chronicles and ballads, depicting a Castilian nobleman’s rebellion against Charlemagne, representing a nationalist reaction against French influence.
Cycle of El Cid
Works related to Rodrigo (or Ruy) Díaz de Vivar (c. 1043-1099), a Castilian nobleman connected to the reigns of Ferdinand I, Sancho II, and Alfonso VI. Known as El Cid (Arabic for ‘lord’), he inspired epic poems in Latin and Castilian, medieval chronicles, ballads, and later literary works. Besides the Poema de Mio Cid, other poems include:
- Cantar de Sancho II and the Siege of Zamora: A lost work reflected in chronicles, depicting Sancho’s assassination and El Cid’s attempts at revenge.
- Mocedades de Rodrigo: A late, fictionalized account of El Cid’s youth, mostly complete.
Cantar de Mio Cid
The authorship and dating of this masterpiece of Hispanic medieval epic poetry have been debated. Menéndez Pidal attributed it to two jongleurs around 1140. Current scholarship suggests a composition date around 1200, possibly by Pedro Abad, a lawyer from Burgos.
The poem, approximately 4,000 lines long (3,730 preserved), uses irregular verses (10-20 syllables) divided into hemistiches, with assonant rhyme in stanzas called tiradas. The original title is lost; it is now known as Poema de Mio Cid or Cantar de Mio Cid. The poem is divided into three parts: “The Exile,” “The Wedding,” and “The Affront.”