Masterpieces of Medieval Spanish Literature

The Libro de Buen Amor and Its Structure

It appears as a structured autobiography in a series of affairs, usually unsuccessful, which are often mediated by a third party (such as the highlights of Don Melón and Doña Endrina). The ego-protagonist, who covers several characters, gives unity to the amorous experience. The work introduces didactic or moralistic digressions, interspersed with lyrical pieces of varied metrics and two allegorical compositions. Most are written in cuaderna vía, although some lines have 16 syllables. In prose, only one of the two prologues appears.

The Development of Castilian Prose

The first manifestations of medieval Castilian prose date from the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries: Bible translations, reports, and other texts with little literary intention in the use of language. In the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, a movement developed to provide Christian education to the people in their own language. The first collections include Sendebar and Kalila and Dimna. Castilian prose was consolidated thanks to the works of King Alfonso X, the result of a school whose output can be classified into history, legal, scientific, and recreational subjects.

Honor and Redemption in El Cid

Honor: At the baseline, the Cid is exiled by the king because of false accusations. To recuperate his honor, he conducts a series of feats. Honor: El Cid suffers a personal affront when his sons-in-law, the heirs of Carrión, mistreat and abandon his daughters in the oak woods of Corpes. El Cid achieves a second restoration of his honor using the RIEPT: gaining victory over the infants and arranging a new marriage.

The Tradition of Spanish Ballads

The oral dissemination of ballads was favored by the singing of the blind and pastors. Because of that oral transmission, there was a continuous recreation of the texts, which resulted in variations caused by forgetfulness. From the late fifteenth century, they began to be gathered in broadsides, songs, ballads, and music books. The old romances are documents from the late Middle Ages and mid-sixteenth century, a period when they enjoyed great popularity due to their anonymity and oral transmission (the oldest dating to 1421). The new ballads are those composed by poets from the late sixteenth century, imitating the shape and style of the ancients.