13th Century Spanish Culture and the Rise of Castilian Prose
Society and Culture in 13th Century Spain
Society and culture during the 13th century were marked by the Almohads' defeat in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212), which launched a new offensive by the Christian kingdoms known as the Reconquista. There was an interesting mix of cultures during this period. This relative prosperity in the 13th century permitted significant cultural development, including the early foundation of the University of Palencia in 1212 and the University of Salamanca in 1218.
Developments in Literary Creation
Developments in literary creation definitively established the vernacular as a language of culture. Alfonso X conducted the first linguistic normalization. The momentum that the Castilian language received during this century became possible because of the oral literature that had emerged previously. Don Juan Manuel defended his works against the changes they might suffer in the future.
The Beginnings of Castilian Prose
The beginnings of Castilian prose are attributed to Alfonso X, whose reign began in 1252. The first witnesses of this development are the monastic glosses of Santo Domingo de Silos (Burgos) and San Millán de la Cogolla (La Rioja). Regarding the translation of works into Castilian from the Arab East, the two most famous collections of stories are the Book of Sendebar (or the Deceit of Women) and Kalila and Dimna.
The Alfonsi School and Translation Methods
Alfonso X the Wise gathered his court and translated all the knowledge known in his time into Castilian. The consequences were that Castilian expanded and turned toward its new role as the official language of the kingdom and literature. By making knowledge accessible to those who did not know Latin, he favored the secularization of culture.
Work Methodology
Except for the Cantigas de Santa Maria, Alfonso X did not compose his works alone. The Alfonsi School began its work by collecting the Latin, Arabic, and Jewish sources needed for each project. These were then translated into high Castilian: one person would read the source and another would copy it into the already established Castilian form.
Major Works of Alfonso X the Wise
- Right: The Siete Partidas, a compilation of the laws of the time.
- History: The General Estoria, which intended to be an exhaustive treatise on universal history, and the Estoria de España, which used all available sources to tell the story of Spain.
- Science: Various scientific treatises.
- Entertainment: The Libro de Axedrez, Dados et Tablas (Book of Chess, Dice, and Tables).
Don Juan Manuel: Arms and Letters
Don Juan Manuel was a noble of great ambition. He was the first to embody the ideal of the gentleman who cultivates both arms and letters. His strong personality manifests in his work, which is dyed with moral and didactic intentions. His works are dominated by Eastern sources, and he strove to achieve a clear and concise style. He wrote books that have since been lost, such as the Book of the Knight and the Squire and the Book of States.
Structure of El Conde Lucanor
His most famous work, El Conde Lucanor, contains arguments presented as talks between the Count and his adviser, Patronio. All stories share a specific structure:
- The Count exposes a problem to his adviser.
- Patronio answers by telling a story.
- Patronio offers advice derived from the story.
- The Count applies the advice and achieves success.
- The author decides to add a moral to the tale in the form of a pareado (couplet).
All these tales maintain a clear didactic intention.