Key Themes and Forms of Medieval Spanish Literature

General Characteristics of Medieval Literature

The works revolve around the life of the Virgin and the saints. The purpose is to teach the people and instill the values of the nobility or the church. The artist is derivative and imitates the works of various sources. The transmission is primarily oral.

Four Streams of Medieval Poetry

Early Castilian Lyric and Jarchas

• Early Castilian Lyric: These poems are short, featuring irregular meters and a wide range of issues.
• The Jarchas: Short compositions written in Mozarabic, placed at the end of the muwashshahs. The theme is love, often featuring a girl lamenting the absence of her beloved.

Galician-Portuguese Lyric

The major manifestations are:

• The songs of a friend (Cantigas de Amigo): In which a girl laments the absence of her beloved.
• The songs of love (Cantigas de Amor): In which a gentleman addresses his beloved and laments her indifference.
• The songs of derision (Cantigas de Escarnio): In which someone speaks with scorn.

The Troubadour Lyric

There are three core themes:

• The weary: Love-themed poetry.
• The pastorals: Showing rural scenes.
• The Sirventes: Anecdotal or satirical compositions.

Medieval Narrative

Narrative in verse reached great development in the Middle Ages, since oral transmission is most suitable to the rhythm of verse. Medieval narratives adopted two schools:

Mester de Juglaría (12th Century)

Features of the Minstrelsy

• Recitation of epic poems disseminated orally.
• Written in verse (epic and narrative poetry).
• Assonance rhyme and irregular measure of the verses.
• Topics: History of medieval heroes.
• Simple and popular language; works are unattributed.

Works: Cantar de Mio Cid

The author is anonymous. It chronicles the exploits of the Cid, his exile, and the conquest of Valencia. It is divided into three parts: Song of Exile, Song of the Wedding, and The Reproach of Corpes.

Mester de Clerecía (13th - 14th Century)

Features of the Clergy

• Written by clerics with religious and didactic themes.
• The purpose is to spread the lives of saints and move readers toward devotion.
• Regular Metrics: Cuaderna Vía stanza, verses of 14 syllables (Alexandrine), and consonant rhyme (14A 14A 14A 14A).
• Refined language, but with popular expressions.

Works: The Book of Good Love

The author is the Archpriest of Hita. The main theme is to show the negative consequences of "crazy love." Finally, the work aims to criticize social flaws, teach models, describe customs of the time, and entertain or amuse the audience.