Jaume Roig and Spill: Life, Works, and Medieval Misogyny

Jaume Roig

Biographical Data

The first historical record of Jaume Roig appears in 1434, where he is titled as a master and served as a Medical Examiner of Valencia. He married Elizabeth Pellisser and was a benefactor of the Trinity Convent in Valencia. He served as a doctor to Maria of Spain, wife of King Alfonso V of Aragon. His daughter was named Violant.

The Spill (L'Espill)

The original manuscript is preserved in the Vatican Library. It has seen three editions. While the text does not explicitly state the author's name, it is attributed to J.R.

Medical References

• The text contains abundant references to hospitals, diseases, and medicines, demonstrating the author's extensive medical knowledge.
• It critiques the feminine gender, yet highlights an exceptional woman whose identity remains an enigma.
• The husband of this woman is referred to by the cryptic name "White Red."

Content and Moral Intentions

The purpose of the novel is to prove that all women are vile, with the exception of the Virgin Mary, and it advises men to avoid them. The narrator, a centenarian, seeks to indoctrinate the youth and warns them against messy love affairs. He intends to provide moral advice to his nephew, Baltassar.

Vision of Life

There is a notable contradiction between the misogynistic vision of life presented in The Spill and the author's private life. The work utilizes humor and abandons medieval tropes to offer a pessimistic, satirical perspective on existence.

Bourgeois Ideals

The success of the work lies in the creation of a protagonist who, despite being banished by a vile mother, achieves great fortune through his own efforts. His primary goal is quintessentially bourgeois: to live well-regarded in Valencia, surrounded by a wife and children. The protagonist's disillusionment with women and his life with his servants suggest an autobiographical element, standing in stark contrast to the traditional chivalric novel.

The Spill and the Picaresque

The work is often compared to the picaresque genre. However, it is distinct from the Lazarillo de Tormes because the protagonist moves within a bourgeois society, whereas the picaresque hero typically navigates a feudal society resisting social class change.

Misogyny in The Spill

The text serves as a primary historical example of medieval misogynistic literature.