Key Figures of Medieval Spanish Mester de Clerecía

Gonzalo de Berceo

Born at the end of the 12th century, Gonzalo de Berceo is the first Spanish poet whose name is known. He lived in San Millán de Suso and was a cleric linked to the monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla. He died in the mid-13th century.

His works are didactic, religious, and moralizing. He wrote several lives of saints, such as Santo Domingo de Silos, San Millán, and Santa Oria. However, his most important work is Milagros de Nuestra Señora, consisting of twenty-five short stories inspired by European legends in the Marian tradition.

Style and Technique

Regarding style, Berceo is an author conscious of his creation. He understands the art form, using a language derived from Latin that is directed toward the common people. Berceo addresses his audience as if he were a minstrel, using simple, clear language that does not preclude humor. His poems are also noted for their lyricism and the realism of the family and rural atmosphere in which he usually places his stories.

The Archpriest of Hita

He is the most important clerical author of the 14th century and creator of one of the major works of Spanish literature of the Middle Ages: The Book of Good Love (Libro de Buen Amor). We know few details of his life, all taken from his works. He is characterized as a gay and jovial poet.

The Book of Good Love

The Book of Good Love presents a variety of themes, genres, stanzas, and verses. In it, we can distinguish seven sections:

• 1. A prose preface: Explains the moralizing intention of the work.
• 2. A narrative: Written in autobiographical form, detailing the protagonist's love affairs.
• 3. Various examples: Such as the battle between Don Carnal and Doña Cuaresma, and the fable of the wolf, the goat, and the crane.
• 4. Moral satires.
• 5. Reflections: A series of topics such as confession and fighting sin.
• 6. Lyrical-religious poems: Such as those devoted to the Virgin.
• 7. Profane lyrical poems: Such as the songs of the serranas.

The author's philosophy is to know the sins and hate the sin. The work transitions from the religious to the mundane, from the exaltation of carnal love to pious devotion, and from moralizing to satire, serious thought, and ironic humor.

Style and Legacy

In The Book of Good Love, along with the characteristics of the Mester de Clerecía, there are also troubadour aspects, such as metric irregularities, the appearance of diverse characters, and a carefree, comic tone. Features of his style include lively, popular speech, a variety of expressive resources, and realism. This work is one of the most vital creations of medieval Spanish literature and an exponent of the new bourgeois mentality.