Key Authors and Works of Medieval Spanish Literature
The Mester de Clerecía
The Mester de Clerecía emerged in the 13th century. It consisted of clerics and intellectuals whose didactic works aimed to disseminate knowledge acquired from Latin texts. Their main feature is the use of the cuaderna vía: stanzas of four lines of 14 syllables with a caesura and assonance rhyme. These works were composed to be recited, not sung. While Latin was the dominant language, the first vernacular declaration is found in the Book of Alexander. These narratives are typically lengthy and develop a continuous story. Two important works are The Book of Alexander and the Book of Apollonius.
Gonzalo de Berceo
Gonzalo de Berceo is the most important author of medieval Spanish poetry. Born in Berceo, he served the monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla. His works sought a didactic purpose and aimed to attract pilgrims to the monastery. He was the only author whose works are all of a religious character. His most important work is Miracles of Our Lady, a series of short stories in which sinners are saved as devotees of the Virgin. He also wrote the lives of various saints, such as Vida de Santo Domingo de Silos, Vida de Santa Oria, and Martyrdom of St. Lawrence. Berceo is the first known author to write in Castilian.
The Works of Alfonso X
Alfonso X created new words from Latin, known as neologisms. His goal was to preserve everything that was important in writing. He made an effort to reflect logical rigor and order, dividing materials into paragraphs and chapters. His work includes:
- Law: with the Book of Laws or Seven Partidas
- Science
- Games: with his book The Book of Chess, Dice, and Tables
- History: with the General Estoria and Crónica General
Books of Chivalry and Adventure Stories
The 14th century saw the development of a type of story that did not have a moralizing purpose but focused on creating a world of fiction: the romance. This genre extolled chivalric ideals at a time when the nobility was courtly and refined, preferring an idealized literature. The gallant hero emerged, whose only motive was to defend justice and serve his lady. The first book of this genre was The Book of the Knight Zifar by Ferrand Martínez, followed by Amadis of Gaul.
The Book of Good Love
The Book of Good Love is the most important work of the Mester de Clerecía. Juan Ruiz’s work reflects the bourgeois world in which the author lived. Conceived as an autobiographical work, he declares his intention to teach people. It is an ambiguous work full of vitality, appearing serious, mocking, profane, and religious. We only know the author’s name and that he was the Archpriest of Hita. The book is preceded by a prologue that explains its intention: to warn of the dangers of love. The book is structured like a love-autobiographical novel, which is the main theme of the entire work. The author incorporates both popular and learned language, makes room for proverbs, uses diminutives, and offers a wealth of vocabulary. The play constantly portrays the human being torn between religious and secular senses.
The Infante Don Juan Manuel
The Infante Don Juan Manuel was fond of the vernacular language. His work links the chivalric ideals of life with Christian morality. All his books have a didactic purpose. His most important work is the Book of Count Lucanor or Patronio, which can be divided into three parts:
- Collection of 51 enxiemplos (exemplary tales)
- Collection of 100 proverbs with moral content
- Treatise on the salvation of the soul
This is the outer structure. Its framework is the old/young theme, in which the young Count seeks advice from Patronio to succeed in court. The Count poses situations, and the old man answers with examples. All stories have an initial approach to Count Patronio for advice, the old man gives the example to the Count, and the final moral in which the author intervenes. The style is clear and simple in the examples and more obscure when presenting concepts in proverbs.