Medieval Fiction and Ramon Llull's Legacy

Medieval Fiction

Between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries, different types of narrative developed: religious and moral (Ramon Llull), history (chronicles), philosophy (Bernard Metge), and novelistic.

Ramon Llull

Life

Ramon Llull was born in Mallorca in 1232, just three years after King James I conquered the island from the Saracens. A descendant of a wealthy Barcelona family, he received a good education, enabling him to become seneschal at the court of King James II of Majorca. He married, had two sons, and cultivated troubadour poetry.

In 1263, as he explains in his autobiography, Jesus Christ appeared to him crucified. This vision led him to abandon court life and dedicate himself fully to converting infidels to Christianity through three tasks:

• The publication of works that would spread Christian doctrine worldwide.
• The foundation of schools that taught his philosophical system, his art, and languages.
• Trips to European and Saracen lands for apostolic purposes.

In 1274, he experienced the illumination of Randa Muntaner, where, according to Llull, God showed him the way and gave him his philosophical system.

Work

Llull's 265 titles, written in Catalan, Latin, and Arabic, include the following:

• L'Art: His philosophical system, with successive formulations, addressing the relationship between reason and faith. Llull claims to defend his faith as a revelation but seeks to prove it with logical arguments.
• Religious and Moral Works: This section includes The Book of Contemplation, The Book of the Order of Chivalry, and The Book of the Gentile and the Three Wise Men.
• Poetry: This includes mystical themes in poetic prose, such as The Book of the Lover and the Beloved. Works in verse are dedicated to the Mother of God, especially poems with autobiographical subjects like Lo Concili.
• Novels: Intended for readers to understand, love, and serve God. This genre includes Blanquerna (about Evast and Aloma and their son) and the Book of Marvels.