Medieval Feudal Society, Ramon Llull and Catalan Literature

Feudal Society Structure

Feudal society had two main classes of people: those who commanded and did not work (the nobility, including lords and ladies) and those who obeyed and worked (serfs and servants). The first group lived in palaces and castles and dedicated themselves to the administration of their extensive properties. On the other hand, the second group lived in huts made of mud and reeds and dedicated themselves to the cultivation of the land, animal husbandry, and the services demanded by their lord. The feudal lord formed an army of loyal vassals who were linked in a hierarchical manner through an oath of fidelity and independence. All of this network of social relations had the objective of keeping serfs and servants subjugated.

Ramon Llull and His Philosophical Mission

Ramon Llull (1235–1315) was a nobleman who lived in the court of Prince James of Majorca, the second son of King James, and initially dedicated himself to the cultivation of troubadour poetry. However, at around thirty years of age, when he was already married with two children, he lived an experience that radically changed his life, as recorded by a disciple who wrote his contemporary biography. Ramon Llull separated from his wife and children, sold his possessions, and dedicated himself to religious activities. He devoted nine years to study and one to prayer. His ultimate goal was to preach to Muslims and Saracens, for which he learned Arabic.

He experienced what he considered a strange sensation—God enlightened him with the inspiration of an art method that permitted the conversion of all infidels through necessary reasons of fundamental comprehension. Consequently, he became known as the Doctor Illuminatus. Ramon Llull worked constantly with all his forces to achieve three main objectives:

• To convert unbelievers to Christianity.
• To write books for spreading his beliefs and create language schools for the formation of preachers.
• To convince Christians that the best method for dealing with disbelievers was discussion and debate rather than force or violence, while also utilizing the language of those he wished to convert and guiding fellow Christians toward spiritual perfection.

Ramon Llull was a writer in the first great Catalan language and one of the universal figures of literature, treating themes that previously were reserved exclusively for Latin. The Catalan language in his hands proved to be flexible, expressive, and rich. Among his most notable long novels are Evast e Blanquerna and Llibre d'amic e amat (included within the Book of Marvels).

Chrétien de Troyes and Arthurian Romance

Chrétien de Troyes, starting from diverse Celtic legends, fixed the bases of the Arthurian novel or the Matter of Britain. The books of the virtuous knight presented chivalry as an endeavor where knights went in search of adventures with the goal of achieving honor and winning the love of a great lady. In these scenarios, there are many wonderful items and magic phenomena. Later chivalric novels from the 15th century feature more human protagonists who intervene in concrete historical situations and known real spaces, such as Tirant lo Blanc by Joanot Martorell, a chivalric novel characterized by its human dimension, verisimilitude, and a happy, entertaining treatment.

Ausias March and Medieval Poetry

Ausias March was born in the Valencian town of Gandia around 1397. After his father died in 1413, Ausias became the proprietor of Beniflà in Gandia when he was just 16 years old. Six years later, he was named a knight by King Alfonso the Magnanimous for participating in a military expedition to Sardinia against Corsica. Ausias March fought the Genoese and the North of Africa. In 1452, Ausias stopped intervening in military affairs and dedicated himself to improving the cultivation of his properties. He spent a great deal of time as a royal falconer and judge in Gandia. In 1437, he married Isabel Martorell; however, the relation between March and Martorell was tense and conflictive due to disputes over the dowry. Following her death, March married Joana Escorna in 1453. Although neither marriage produced surviving descendants, he fathered at least five children out of wedlock before dying in 1459.

Ausias March departed from the traditional troubadour aspects, writing in Catalan to express his thoughts in an original way while synchronously presenting a real person. March possessed a great capacity to create powerful images and long comparisons, drawing upon his personal experience, love, and philosophical thought.

Humanism and the Renaissance

Humanism is a cultural movement that started in Italy during the 14th century and constitutes the core of the Renaissance that spread across Europe in the 16th century. It marks the historical transition from the Middle Ages to the Modern Age.

The Renaissance is the historical period and cultural movement that originates from Italian humanism and establishes itself throughout Europe during the 16th century. The art of the Renaissance is characterized by its classical and elegant forms. Bernat Metge is recognized as the writer who best assimilated humanism, with his most important work written in a cultured, polished, and elegant prose style.