Medieval Literature and the Evolution of Feudal Society

Medieval Literature: History and Society

Medieval literature comprises the period from the 5th century until the end of the 15th century. During this era, Western Europe was organized socially according to the economic and political model of feudalism. Trade was very underdeveloped, and society was divided into three estates: the nobility, the clergy, and the peasants.

The Crisis of Feudalism and Cultural Shifts

The decay of feudalism was already clear by the 14th century when a general crisis occurred. Regarding ideas and medieval cultures, after the fall of the Roman Empire, written culture took refuge in monasteries. Books were copied by hand, which was a costly process; therefore, many books and libraries did not exist outside the monasteries.

All this static view of culture corresponded to a static view of world society that could not be changed and remained unchanged. Time was conceived in a non-dynamic way: the happening of the day did not change and was unalterable. This was a theocentric concept of reality.

The Evolution of Written Culture and the Role of Women

At the end of the Middle Ages, written culture left the ecclesiastical walls. Women began to have a major presence in the last centuries. Since the late 11th century, women gained an unusual relevance, becoming the undisputed protagonists of the literary current of courtly love. At the end of the Middle Ages, the development of trade and the mercantile economy favored travel and both the exchange of ideas and contact between cultures.

Oral Poetry and Primitive Peninsular Lyrics

Oral poetry—lyric poetry linked to song—was expressed through songs and dance. Epic poetry was also accompanied by music. Both the lyrics and the epic would be performed by minstrels, singers, and actors. The text would have an individual creator, though oral poetry is characterized by two features: its anonymity and the multiple variants of a text.

Primitive Peninsular Lyric Testimonies

Various writings of the medieval period are retained: Mozarabic jarchas, Galician Cantigas de Amigo, and Castilian traditional lyrics. The brief jarchas are compositions written in Mozarabic that are included at the end of muwashshahs. The jarchas show a striking resemblance to other Peninsular and European lyric expressions; love themes dominated these songs. The oldest Cantigas de Amigo date back to the 13th century.

There are important differences between jarchas and Galician-Portuguese Cantigas de Amigo, such as:

• Further extension.
• The use of chained parallel stanzas.
• Continual references to nature.

The Epic Tradition and Heroic Deeds

The epic is the account of the exploits of a hero written in verse. These poems represent historical events. These character poems were called cantares de gesta because they were sung. Notable examples include:

• French: The Song of Roland.
• German: The Song of the Nibelungs.
• Castilian: Cantar de Mio Cid, Cantar de Roncesvalles, and Mocedades de Rodrigo.