Medieval Spanish Literature: An Overview
Traditional Lyric Poetry
Traditional lyric literature was transmitted orally and preferred for its memorability and musicality. Oral poetry was anonymous, seen as community property. The primary transmitters during the Middle Ages were juglars, who toured villages reciting compositions.
Lyric Poetry Characteristics
Lyric poetry is characterized by its concise style, scarcity of details, and simplicity. This created an air of mystery and achieved maximum expressive concentration.
Main Forms of Lyric Poetry
- Jarchas: Short stanzas (5-6 lines) appearing at the end of Arabic poems called moaxajas. Written in a mix of Arabic or Hebrew, Romance, they represent a lyrical manifestation of Al-Andalus.
- Cantigas de Amigo: Galician poems similar to jarchas, consisting of parallelistic stanzas chained by a repeating verse structure with slight variations. The oldest examples date to the 12th century.
- Villancicos: Castilian lyric poetry composed of short verses. Consists of two parts: the chorus (2-4 lines introducing the subject) and the gloss (stanzas developing the chorus’s content). The oldest date from the late 15th century.
Epic Poetry
A taste for narrative and historical curiosity explain the development of epic poetry. Minstrels recited poems extolling the exploits of heroes embodying a people’s virtues, known as cantares de gesta. Castile has three main works: Cantar de Mio Cid, Roncesvalles fragment, and Mocedades de Rodrigo.
Romances
Romances are shorter epic poems. They emerged after the decline of epics, gaining importance through effective communication. They are poems of variable length, composed of eight-syllable verses with even lines rhyming in assonance, and odd lines often unrhymed.
Romance Style
Romances emphasize essence over superfluous details for concentrated expression. They feature simple syntax, archaic language, dialogues for dramatization, frequent exclamations and questions engaging the listener, and fixed epithets like epics.
Romance Types
Multiple collections of romances were printed in the 16th and 17th centuries. Traditional romances are older texts, while those by known authors are new romances. They are classified by subject:
- Historic: Recount events from Castilian epic, like the Cid’s exploits.
- Carolingian and British: Based on epic tales of France and Britain.
- Frontier and Moorish: Narrate events on the border of Castile and Muslim kingdoms.
- Novelesque and Lyrical: Tell dramatic events, love stories, and adventures.
Learned Poetry (13th-14th Centuries): Mester de Clerecía
Mester de Clerecía refers to narrative poems with didactic and religious themes. They use stanzas of four fourteen-syllable verses with a central caesura, rhyming in consonance.
Key Works of Mester de Clerecía
- Works of Gonzalo de Berceo: The first known Castilian author. Wrote religious works, notably Milagros de Nuestra Señora. He used simple language with Latin words.
- Libro de Buen Amor: Masterpiece of the mester de clerecía by Juan Ruiz, Archpriest of Hita. A long poem (nearly 2,000 stanzas) about love and deceit, interweaving narrative and lyrical episodes. Its rich and picturesque language makes it a highlight of medieval Spanish literature.
Cultured Poetry in the 15th Century
A fertile period for poetry. Cancionero poetry addressed didactic, moral, and love themes. Courtly love is a prominent theme, with abstract concepts and verbal complexity. Three key poets:
- Marquis of Santillana: Author of allegorical love poems, including Comedieta de Ponza and Serranillas (moral compositions).
- Juan de Mena: Known for amatory and moral allegory poetry with Latinate language. His major work is Laberinto de Fortuna, written in couplets of twelve-syllable verses with assonant rhyme and caesura.
- Jorge Manrique: Famous for Coplas a la Muerte de su Padre, an elegy combining traditional elements. It expresses the transience of life and power of death, with nostalgic evocations of lost goods. The poem is divided into three parts: general reflections on death, historical figures, and his father’s death.
Cantar de Mio Cid
Recounts the exploits of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar. A poem of 3,700 verses in assonant rhyme.
Cantar de Mio Cid Structure and Themes
- Song of Exile: Cid is exiled by King Alfonso VI. He leaves his family and undertakes incursions against the Moors to regain the king’s favor.
- Song of the Wedding: Cid conquers Valencia and is pardoned. His daughters marry the Infants of Carrión.
- Song of the Affront: The Infants of Carrión show cowardice and mistreat Cid’s daughters. Cid demands justice, and the Infants are defeated in a duel. Cid’s daughters marry the kings of Aragon and Navarre.
The main theme is the recovery of honor. The poem is known for its realism, credible descriptions, and use of epic epithets.
Medieval Prose
Vernacular prose initially used in translations from Arabic to Latin. Alfonso X the Wise made Castilian a language of culture, and Juan Manuel further developed its literary maturity.
Alfonso X
Made Castilian capable of transmitting complex information. His works include historical, legal, scientific, and entertainment texts, enriching Castilian lexicon and syntax.
Prose Fiction
Early stories (13th century) were translations or adaptations of Eastern fables and tales with didactic purposes. Prose reached notable development in the 15th century, with complex syntax and Latinate lexicon. Key genres:
- Sentimental Novels: Analyze love through exchanged letters, often ending sadly. Cárcel de amor is a prime example.
- Novels of Chivalry: Focus on the adventures of a knight errant seeking heroism and love. Amadis de Gaul is a notable work.
Don Juan Manuel and El Conde Lucanor
The most important Castilian prose writer of the 14th century. His works reflect class-consciousness and defense of property. El Conde Lucanor, his most outstanding work, combines education and entertainment. It consists of 51 examples with a common concern: maintaining honor, finances, and social standing. Each example has four parts: a dialogue between the Count and Patronio, a story, application of the story to the Count’s situation, and a moral.
Medieval Theater
Little is known before the 15th century, except for a fragment of Auto de los Reyes Magos. Intense dramatic activity in Castile during the 15th century, linked to religious holidays. Juan del Encina, considered the father of Spanish theater, wrote short dramatic pieces called Églogas, with religious and secular themes.
La Celestina
Written by Fernando de Rojas. The story centers on the love of Calisto and Melibea. Themes include love, fortune, and death. The work is considered a critique of foolish love, with a moralizing intention. Written in dialogue form, it resembles humanistic comedy and has features of the novel, such as its length, non-dramatic scenes, and detailed characterization.