15th-Century Spanish Literature and Old Ballads

Historical, Social, and Cultural Context

Fifteenth-century society was conflictual. Relations progressively deteriorated between members of the three ethnic-religious communities that had hitherto lived in a climate of mutual tolerance.

The political crisis deepened in the fifteenth century, and Castile experienced a sense of lawlessness that was reflected in its literature. At the end of the century, the Catholic Monarchs subdued the nobility, concentrated power in their hands, and established an authoritarian monarchy.

Classical antiquity was rediscovered by Italian humanists such as Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio.

Literary Genres of the 15th Century

In the fifteenth century, epic poems and the mester de clerecía (ministry of clergy) disappeared, and the old ballads arose instead. Under courtly influence, cultured lyric poetry flourished, and interest in folk songs (carols) was awakened. Theatrical activity reappeared strongly, the cultivation of historical and didactic prose was promoted, and new cultural trends from Italy were integrated.

Popular Poetry and Traditional Narrative: Old Ballads

The romances (ballads) are short lyrical-epic compositions arising from the fragmentation of ancient epics.

1. Evolution and Transmission

The romances were transmitted orally during the fifteenth century. Throughout the sixteenth century and the first half of the seventeenth century, authors collected them in songbooks (cancioneros) and compiled them into ballad books (romanceros). From the second half of the sixteenth century and during the seventeenth, poets like Cervantes, Góngora, Quevedo, and Lope de Vega composed new or artistic ballads.

2. Key Themes and Topics

• Historical-National: They derived from old Castilian epics and exalted national heroes like El Cid.
• Romantic and Lyrical: Created by the popular imagination.
• Border and Moorish: They narrate military episodes taking place on the border between Moorish and Christian kingdoms during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.
• Carolingian: They focus on the figure of Charlemagne and the characters and events associated with him.
• Breton: They were inspired by the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.