Medieval Catalan Literature: Homilies, Ramon Llull & Chronicles

Homilies d'Organyà

The Homilies d'Organyà are manuscripts explaining several passages from the Gospels. Five preserved fragments contain a portion of the Gospel followed by the author's subsequent explanation; the author is anonymous. There are variations and differences in language (Latin / Romance Catalan), in the type of text, and in the author's intent. They are an important component of the earliest samples of our written literary culture.

Ramon Llull

Work. Ramon Llull's production covers a multitude of forms, styles, themes, and contents. His output comprises the following blocks:

• Mystical works: "Book Lover and the Beloved (included in Blanquerna)" contains a dialogue between man and God.
• Works of doctrine and philosophy: "Book of Gentiles and the Three Wise Men," "Book of the Order of Chivalry," and three books of proverbs.
• Works in verse: "Song of Ramon," a lyric poem in which he confesses his sins, projects, and disappointments.
• Narrative prose: Within Llull's narrative work are included Blanquerna and the "Book of Wonders."

Blanquerna

Blanquerna: Llull shows that the most desirable state for people from a Christian standpoint is the hermit. It is considered an autobiographical novel and one of the first attempts in Europe during the Middle Ages to tell the life of the protagonist in a linear fashion.

Book of Wonders

Book of Wonders: Felix, the protagonist, follows a path to personal and spiritual perfection. The work includes the Book of Beasts and other widely known stories set as fables.

Chronicles

Chronicles are narratives of historical facts mixed with legendary elements, intentional exaggerations, and manipulations. They originate in the second half of the twelfth century and the early thirteenth century. Four great chronicles are usually highlighted: the Book of James I (Llibre dels Fets), the chronicle attributed to Bernat Desclot, Ramon Muntaner, and Peter of Aragon. These works are dominated by the narrator's subjective viewpoint and attempt to promote a national and heroic sentiment.

Book of the Chronicle and Feats

Chronicle of James I: This was written by someone close to the monarch or perhaps dictated by the king himself. It functions as a book of memoirs intended to save from oblivion certain facts. The narrative material covers the period from the king's birth until his later life and deeds.

Chronicle of Ramon Muntaner

Chronicle of Ramon Muntaner: This is the largest and most extensive of the chronicles. The author was born in Peralada. Muntaner is shown as a fervent defender of the monarchy and a propagandist of the Crown's expansion; he had the goal of giving evidence of his services to the Crown.

Royal Chancery and Cancelleresca Prose

Royal Chancery. This institution was responsible for drawing up and filing official documentation of the Crown. Components of the chancellery used Latin, as did the rest of Christendom. The big difference between written and spoken Latin meant that, for village or local use, documents in the Romance languages—Catalan and Aragonese—were necessary. The cancelleresca prose allowed our language to take on a classic balance and a degree of perfection. It created an educated literary prose with more unified parameters, contributing to standardization and becoming a reference point for later humanist writers.