Medieval Castilian Literature: Mester de Clerecía and Beyond
The Rise of the Mester de Clerecía
During the 13th and 14th centuries in Castile, significant changes impacted not only the political, economic, and social spheres but also the artistic and cultural landscape. The arrival of Gothic art, the establishment of the first universities, and the poetic vocation of the clergy were particularly important. The mester de clerecía (clergy’s craft) emerged as a distinct literary style.
The Mester de Clerecía’s Characteristics
While the mester de clerecía developed alongside the existing mester de juglaría (minstrelsy), it possessed unique characteristics:
- Metrics: Unlike the minstrels, the mester de clerecía demonstrated mastery of metrical regularity, employing the cuaderna vía (four-line stanza of 14-syllable Alexandrine verses).
- Themes: Unlike the secular themes of minstrelsy, the mester de clerecía focused on religious subjects, epic-romance, and didactic material.
- Language and Style: While building upon the colloquial style of minstrelsy, the mester de clerecía poets consciously cultivated a style that blended popular and learned elements, achieving both fluency and expressiveness.
Gonzalo de Berceo (13th Century)
Gonzalo de Berceo, a key figure of the mester de clerecía, believed in the unity of the natural and supernatural worlds. His religious poems feature exemplary figures comparable to epic heroes. His language and style, in many ways, resemble those of the chanson de geste, yet his religious themes, metrical regularity, and conversational tone distinguish his work. Berceo’s narrative literature vividly reflects the beliefs, habits, and customs of his time, employing dialogue and creating realistic portrayals of characters and environments, often with humor. His works include epic poems such as the Book of Apollonius (an adventure story), and the Book of Alexander (a chronicle of Alexander the Great’s life).
14th Century Mester de Clerecía
The 14th century witnessed a significant evolution of the mester de clerecía. New metrical forms were experimented with alongside the cuaderna vía, and the focus shifted from epic narratives to didactic and moral literature.
Juan Ruiz, Archpriest of Hita
Juan Ruiz’s Book of Good Love exemplifies this evolution. The work exists in two versions: a shorter version and a longer, more complete version. Its sources are diverse, drawing from Western, Muslim, and Jewish cultures. Western influences stem from the Bible, patristic, canonical, and juridical literature, and classical authors. Muslim influences are evident in the conception of love and the feminine ideal, the use of astrological elements, the alternation of narrative and lyric sections, and the use of maqāma (a type of Arabic literary form). Hebrew narrative techniques are also present.
Metrical, Language, and Style of the Book of Good Love
The Book of Good Love is a multi-metrical poem, employing the cuaderna vía alongside shorter forms like zejel and villancicos. The choice of form reflects the tone of the narrative, with more formal styles used for solemn passages and simpler forms for comedic or minstrel-like sections. The language is characterized by simplicity, naturalness, irony, humor, and the use of colloquialisms, proverbs, and satire. The use of adjectives, synonyms, and diminutives is also notable.
Don Juan Manuel
Don Juan Manuel stands out as the first Castilian author to demonstrate a full awareness of his role as a writer. His prose is characterized by a sober and concise style, prioritizing clarity and realism to serve the moral-didactic purpose of his work. His writing is marked by digressions for clarification, attention to detail, and an economical use of ornamental language.
The Works of Don Juan Manuel
Unfortunately, a fire at the Peñafiel Monastery, where his works were stored, resulted in the loss of many of his writings. His most original work, El Conde Lucanor, consists of two prologues and five parts, made up of stories or exempla. Don Juan Manuel adapted these exempla from various sources to convey specific moral teachings. While each story addresses a different topic, they share a common structure: a narrative framework, an example, and concluding lines. A narrator presents a young count and his tutor, Patronio, in conversation. The count seeks advice from Patronio, who offers a parable containing the solution to the count’s problem, reinforcing the moral lesson in the concluding lines.