Medieval Spain: Society, Culture, and Literature (6th-15th Centuries)
Literature in the Middle Ages
What Language Was Literature Written in During the Middle Ages?
Primarily in Latin.
What Are the First Literary Works Preserved in Romance Languages?
The jarchas.
What Is the Subject of Jarchas?
They are typically love songs.
With What Other Early Lyric Poems Do Jarchas Share This Theme?
They share similarities with the cantigas de amigo (songs of my friend) in Galician-Portuguese and some Castilian villancicos.
What Type of Poetry Developed During the 15th Century?
A significant body of learned poetry developed in Castilian.
Medieval Society and Politics
What Period Is Known as the Middle Ages?
The period from the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 6th century until the 15th century.
Why Did the Monarch Have Real Divine Power?
The monarch was considered king by the grace of God. To resist the monarch was to resist God.
How Was Medieval Society Organized?
Medieval society was extremely hierarchical. It was composed of:
- Nobility: Their function was to defend the kingdom.
- Bourgeoisie
- Peasantry
- Clergy
Social Groups in Medieval Spain
Who Were the Mudejars?
A group of Muslims who remained in Christian territory after the Reconquista, but did not convert to Christianity.
Who Were the Moors?
Muslims who converted to Catholicism.
Who Were the Muladis?
Hispano-Goths who Islamized and were incorporated into the Muslim world.
Who Were the Mozarabs?
Hispano-Goths who kept their language and religious beliefs under Muslim rule.
Who Were the Franks?
Mostly individuals of foreign origin, primarily French, who were engaged in trade and crafts.
Cultural and Economic Developments
What Three Circumstances Conditioned Medieval Castilian Culture?
- Contact with Islam
- The victory of Romance languages
- The founding of the first universities
Explain the Relationship Between Pilgrimage Routes and the Creation of Cities.
Christian pilgrimage routes facilitated contact with the rest of Europe.
What Is Paralysis in the 14th Century?
It refers to the halt of Castilian-Leonese military expansion, coinciding with a time of general crisis.
What Are the Causes That Led to Population Decline in the 14th Century?
Epidemics, starvation, and wars caused a significant demographic decline, particularly affecting the rural world.
What Was the Situation of Livestock and Agriculture in the 14th Century?
Agriculture was stagnant. On the contrary, sheep farming reached significant expansion through measures such as the official recognition of the Mesta.
What Is the Mesta?
An institution responsible for organizing the fixed routes of sheep flocks from the winter pastures in the south to the summer pastures in the north.
How Was the Situation of Different Social Classes in the 14th Century?
The high nobility was the hegemonic class. An oligarchy emerged, composed of a limited number of lineages. Although the clergy dominated culture, the high nobility gained ground in this area.
What Was the Situation of the Mudejars in the 14th Century?
Many converted to Christianity and migrated to North Africa.
What Was the Situation of Jews in the 14th Century?
They were victims of hostility from Christians, who accused them of all evils. Many converted to Christianity, leading to clashes between old Christians and converts.
Explain How Gothic and Romanesque Styles Evolved in the 14th Century.
From the mid-11th century, many buildings were constructed, most of them religious. The 11th and 12th centuries saw a predominance of the Romanesque style, which spread along the pilgrimage routes. The Gothic style triumphed in the 13th century, richer and more stylish, a testament to the strength of urban centers.
How Was Art in the 14th and 15th Centuries?
Due to the crisis of the 14th century, construction plans for cathedrals were suspended. In the following century, civil art gained great importance, and the construction of buildings for individuals increased.
What Demographic Recovery Occurred in the 15th Century, and What Did It Favor?
In the 15th century, outbreaks of disease diminished, resulting in a demographic recovery that favored agricultural rebuilding.
What Characterized the First Half of the 15th Century?
The first half of the century saw great political instability resulting from conflicts between the aristocracy and the monarchy.
Explain How the Nobility Evolved in the 15th Century.
The nobility extended its domain in culture, becoming more refined and enjoying courtly, artistic, and intellectual life.
What Is a Dual Monarchy?
The text does not provide information to answer this question.