Medieval Spanish Literature: Clergy, Authors and Masterpieces

Mester de Clerecía

As they recognize, the Mester de Clerecía sets how clerical works function. These works appeared under the monastic orders with the purpose of teaching religious customs to the people and acting as a form of propaganda. Notice that the clergy were educated men who knew Latin, unlike the common people who only knew Castilian.

Characteristics and Content

• Content: Religious content with a didactic purpose.
• Metric: Cuaderna vía (fourteen-syllable monorrime lines) designed to teach the people.
• Transmission: Oral, because the population was largely illiterate.

Gonzalo de Berceo

Gonzalo de Berceo is the first known Castilian poet. He wrote Milagros de Nuestra Señora (Miracles of Our Lady), which relate miracles showing how the Virgin protects her devotees. The work consists of two parts: an introduction and twenty-five similar miracle stories in structure.

Book of Good Love

Written by Juan Ruiz, the Archpriest of Hita, in the 14th century, the Book of Good Love presents the first reflection on love. It contrasts the evils of earthly love with the divine love of God. Good love represents spiritual devotion, while bad love leads to adventures that end poorly.

Characteristics and Interpretation

• Fictional Autobiography: The amorous adventures of the archpriest with various women serve as the backbone of the narrative.
• Diverse Content: Includes funeral lamentations, songs of praise, epic episodes, and serranas (compositions where the protagonist encounters mountain women).
• Objective: Primarily entertainment with moral undertones.

Castilian Prose

Much like the Mester de Clerecía, kings and nobles utilized narrative prose for didactic purposes and to regulate society.

Alfonso X the Wise

Promoting the coexistence of Muslims, Jews, and Christians, Alfonso X made Castilian the official language of administration and legal documents. Key contributions include:

• Legal Codes: Works like the Siete Partidas.
• Scientific and Historical Works: Compilations spreading the scientific knowledge of the era.
• Translated Collections: Oriental stories that served as behavioral examples for nobles, such as Calila e Dimna and Sendebar.

Don Juan Manuel

Don Juan Manuel compiled El Conde Lucanor, featuring 51 short stories aimed at teaching nobles how to manage their lands and responsibilities. The narrative structure typically follows this pattern:

• Count Lucanor presents a problem to Patronio.
• Patronio relates a story to extract a lesson.
• Don Juan Manuel concludes the work with a moral lesson (moralja).