Medieval Spanish Literature: Poetry, Narrative, and Prose
Medieval Spanish Literature
Poetry of Goliardo
Goliards were university students who traveled between schools, knowledgeable in Latin, and sought financial support to lead enjoyable lives. Their poetry, composed from the 11th to the 13th centuries, was learned yet lighthearted and witty. Intended for a select audience, these poems explored themes of love, criticism, and tavern life. Carmina Burana exemplifies this type of poetry.
Andalusian Poetry
Influenced by Arabic traditions, Andalusian poetry flourished in Al-Andalus within a diverse society of Arabs, Jews, and Christians. Bilingualism, with Castilian and Mozarabic languages, played a significant role. Both compositions incorporated jarchas as refrains.
Medieval Narrative
Originating in 12th-century France, medieval narrative was satirical and esteemed. Initially written in verse, it transitioned to prose and shorter poetic forms. Couplets, appearing in 13th and 14th-century France, aimed to evoke laughter. Characters included rogues and women. Roman de la Rose stands as an allegorical representation of love.
Mester de Clerecía
Unique to Spain, the Mester de Clerecía referred to the work of clerics proficient in Latin and Castilian. This learned narrative literature in verse, with a didactic purpose, developed during the 13th and 14th centuries. Key 13th-century works include The Book of Alexander, Apollonius, and the anonymous Fernán González.
Gonzalo de Berceo
Gonzalo de Berceo wrote hagiographies (“Lives of Saints”) and “Miracles of Our Lady,” dedicated to the Virgin Mary. He wrote for the faithful, encouraging alms for his monastery.
14th-Century Mester de Clerecía
The Archpriest of Hita’s Book of Good Love is a diverse work encompassing poems to the Virgin, serranillas (compositions where a knight encounters and hires a woman for guidance in exchange for money, food, and sex), satires mocking contemporary issues, and the allegorical play “Don Melon and Doña Endrina” with characters reminiscent of La Celestina.
Plot of “Don Melon and Doña Endrina”
Don Melon, unable to seduce any woman, is criticized by Don Love for excessive virility and lack of a woman. Don Love advises him on courting women, suggesting the use of a go-between (trotaconventos). The book also includes fables with moral lessons. Its purpose is moralizing, differentiating between good love (of God) and mad love (of worldly pursuits).
Prose Fiction
Didactic prose, drawing from Greco-Latin and Eastern sources, aimed to teach through stories and fables. Examples include Don Juan Manuel’s Count Lucanor, the Archpriest of Hita’s Book of Good Love, and the Eastern-influenced One Thousand and One Nights. These works employed the frame story technique, embedding narratives within a main storyline.
Main Narrators
Ramon Llull (13th Century)
A philosopher, theologian, novelist, and poet, Ramon Llull primarily wrote to convert Muslims and Jews to Christianity. Working in Catalan, Arabic, and Hebrew, his notable works include The Book of Contemplation of God, Blanquerna, and The Book of Wonders. His fables, using the frame story technique, aimed to moralize and improve society. His prose is considered elegant and modern for its time. He belongs to Catalan literature.
Geoffrey Chaucer
This English writer translated Roman de la Rose. His most famous work, The Canterbury Tales, written in verse, features pilgrims traveling to the Canterbury Cathedral who tell stories to each other. The host promises a prize for the best story. Chaucer’s style reflects the social class of each character, with tales ranging from legends and fables to sermons.
Giovanni Boccaccio
Boccaccio’s Decameron portrays bourgeois individuals fleeing the plague who take refuge in a villa and tell stories for entertainment, totaling one hundred narratives. These stories celebrate intelligence and cunning, influencing bourgeois literature of the time.