Epic Poetry & the Mester de Clerecía in Medieval Spain
Epic Poetry
Exaltation of Local Heroes
This type of poetry, which emerged after lyric poetry, aimed to encourage warriors and strengthen national identity. Due to its technical complexity, it wasn’t common in the literature of early civilizations. Medieval European romantic epics were often spread orally through minstrels.
Epics: The Song of the Cid
The Song of the Cid is a Castilian epic poem preserved almost entirely in a 14th-century manuscript. It’s believed to be a copy of a 1207 manuscript attributed to Per Abbat, potentially a minstrel from the Burgos region.
The poem focuses on the later years of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, El Cid (1049-1099), a knight in the courts of Sancho II and Alfonso VI of Castile and León.
The Song of the Cid celebrates El Cid, a man of lesser nobility who valued loyalty and effort. He’s contrasted with the wealthy, represented by the cowardly and treacherous Infantes of Carrión. El Cid is depicted as a valiant knight, a devoted husband and father, a loyal subject, and a fervent Christian.
Unlike French epic heroes, El Cid is characterized by moderation: prudence, balance, shrewdness, and cunning.
Themes: Restoration of Honor
- Recovery of Honor: Initially, El Cid is exiled by King Alfonso VI due to false accusations. He performs heroic deeds to restore his honor, increasing his fame and wealth, eventually earning a royal pardon.
- Recovery of Honor (Second Stage): El Cid’s daughters are mistreated and abandoned by the Infantes of Carrión. El Cid seeks justice, leading to a second restoration of honor. He arranges marriages for his daughters to the heirs of Navarra and Aragon, surpassing their previous husbands in lineage.
Through his defense of honor, El Cid rises in the social hierarchy, exceeding his status before exile and disgrace.
Level of Speech
The poem has an irregular meter, with verses ranging from 10 to 20 syllables, divided by a caesura. Verses are grouped in series, or stanzas, varying in length. The rhyme scheme is assonance.
External Structure
- Song of Exile: Narrates events from El Cid’s departure from Vivar to his victory over the Count of Barcelona.
- Song of the Wedding: Covers the period from the start of El Cid’s Levantine campaign to the marriage of his daughters to the Infantes of Carrión.
- Song of the Affront at Corpes: Extends from the lion scene to the story’s conclusion, culminating in El Cid’s triumph.
The narrative employs ellipses and prolepsis to create a dynamic pace. An omniscient narrator maintains a chronological order. Dramatic discourse reproduces characters’ words.
The poem utilizes oral formulas, including conative formulas (e.g., “Well pray what is now said”), epic epithets (e.g., “He who in good hour was born”), binary phrases (e.g., Moors and Christians), and pleonasms (e.g., “mourn his eyes”). It also incorporates humor to relieve dramatic tension.
The Mester de Clerecía
Emerging in the 12th century, the Mester de Clerecía shared several characteristics:
- Narrative texts, often religious or heroic, with occasional lyrical elements.
- Moral or didactic intent.
- Authors displayed erudition, referencing written sources.
- Written in verse with a regular meter, typically monorhymed quatrains of Alexandrine verses (14 syllables).
These works were read individually or collectively, disseminated orally by minstrels and clerics in sermons, reaching both religious and secular audiences.
Gonzalo de Berceo
Gonzalo de Berceo, born in Berceo (La Rioja), spent much of his life at the San Millán de la Cogolla monastery as a priest or cleric. He studied at the University of Palencia, becoming a teacher. He was the first Castilian poet to identify himself by name in his works.
Berceo’s poems, intended for monks, priests, and novices, conveyed Christian doctrine in the vernacular. His works fall into three categories:
- Hagiographic Works: Life of San Millán de la Cogolla, Life of St. Dominic of Silos, Life of Santa Oria, and Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence.
- Marian Works: Praises of Our Lady, Lamentations of the Virgin, and Miracles of Our Lady.
- Doctrinal Work: The Sacrifice of the Mass.
Miracles of Our Lady
In Miracles of Our Lady, Berceo highlights the Virgin Mary’s power in salvation. The book consists of two parts:
- Introduction: The narrator, identified as Berceo, enters a garden (an allegory for the Virgin Mary and spiritual recovery). He portrays himself as rosemary, symbolizing fallen humanity seeking lost grace.
- Miracles: Twenty-five stories exemplify Mary’s compassion and intercession, demonstrating the doctrine presented in the introduction.
The Virgin Mary is depicted in human terms: motherly, authoritative, strong, and sometimes severe. In each story, she rewards, punishes, or aids her devotees. The characters, both allies and adversaries, are primarily individuals connected to the Church.