The Earl of Lucanor: Medieval Fables and Moral Lessons

The Earl of Lucanor: Wisdom Through Fables

The Earl of Lucanor is written in the form of advice camouflaged as fables told by the counselor Patronio to Count Lucanor. The Count asks for advice on everyday issues, and the counselor does not provide direct answers; instead, he uses fables or short stories so the Count can draw his own conclusions.

Case Study: The Greedy Friend

Problem: A friend wants to give all his land to the Count.

Example: The king's most trusted servant is put to a test—due to the envy of other servants—to see if he is greedy enough to take everything the king owns, including his land and his son. The servant's confidant advises him to remain a faithful servant to the king. The king's order was merely a test, mirroring the situation faced by the Count's friend.

Case Study: Duty and Faith

Problem: The Count struggles to balance his duties as a knight with the laws of the Bible.

Example: A hermit asks if he will reach heaven. Upon learning he will, he asks who his companion will be. He is displeased to learn his companion is King Richard of England, a warrior. However, the hermit learns that the King has repented for his bad deeds and fought against the Moors for the glory of the Lord.

Case Study: The Danger of Daydreaming

Problem: A man advises the Count to do something for personal gain.

Example: A woman carrying a honey pot on her head dreams of selling it to buy eggs, then chickens, then sheep, eventually becoming very rich. Lost in her daydreams, she laughs, drops the pot, and loses everything.

Case Study: Overcoming Poverty

Problem: The Count complains of poverty and expresses a desire to die.

Example: Two rich men are compared. One faints from the poverty he finds himself in, crying out in despair. The second man, who is even richer, is seen eating crusts of bread. Seeing that someone wealthier than him is currently in a worse state, the first man is comforted and finds a way out of his poverty.

Case Study: The True Treasure

Problem: Men advise the Count on the greatest treasure one can save.

Example: A Lombard man accumulates great wealth without considering if his earnings were gained through good or evil means. When he is dying, he seeks confession from Saint Dominic. The Saint refuses his confession, and the man dies without salvation.

Teaching Narrative in Medieval Literature

One of the most important purposes of medieval literature was to moralize and teach. Due to limited access to schooling, writers were tasked with educating the public.

This didacticism is transmitted through two great literary traditions:

• Verse: Works by Gonzalo de Berceo or the Archpriest of Hita.
• Prose: Works by Alfonso X and Don Juan Manuel.

In the moralizing intention of medieval literature, clerics (religious men, regardless of their specific faith) occupy a prominent place.