Medieval Spanish Narrative: Origins, Themes, and Styles

Origins of the Narrative

Fernando III establishes Latin and Castilian as languages of rule. During the 13th century, collections of stories or enxiemplos emerged, intended to provide religious material.

Kalila and Dimna

A collection of tales of Indian origin, emphasizing morality based on sagacity, cunning, and emotional mastery.

Sendebar

A collection of Indian fables focusing on love, women, and greed.

Alfonso X, son of Ferdinand III, promoted Castilian as a unifying language between Christians, Jews, and Arabs. He aimed to document everything of political, social, economic, and scientific importance.

Themes

His work covers a wide variety of themes:

Rights

He endowed the people with clear and reasonable rules of law based on Roman law and contemporary laws.

Sciences

Astronomy treaties and studies on the properties of gemstones.

Games

Lists of different forms of entertainment of the era.

History

An account of humankind's progress from its origins to his time, though incomplete.

Style

Emphasis was placed not only on what to say but also on how to say it, highlighting the importance of lexical syntax.

Glossary

Creating words for concepts previously only appearing in cultured languages was crucial. This led to a learned language, where Latin words were replaced by romances, and other Latin words were introduced.

Syntax

The use of unknown ties to create long sentences began.

Narrative in the 14th Century

The development of the bourgeoisie led to a decline in religious idealism, fostering a new awareness of art and literature. The works of this period are of higher quality due to lower costs and new reader demands.

Historical-Narrative Prose

Originally intended to convey acts of war, showing epic influence. It then began to show interest in royal marriages, deaths, travels, and conquests.

Prose Fiction

Reaching its peak in the 14th century, prose fiction features protagonists of nobility who do not evolve, pursuing love and their place in society. It unfolds in places populated by fabulous creatures and historically remote times. It has an open structure with no particular end, divided into two cycles:

• Arthurian: Follows the adventures of Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. The works show an idealized world in which adventure, chivalry, and mythic and symbolic elements are particularly pertinent.
• Trojan: Focuses on the Trojan War and the epic poems The Odyssey and The Iliad, highlighting the successes achieved and the entrenchment of Arthurian material.

Don Juan Manuel

Nephew of King Alfonso X, he continued his uncle's work and is considered the foremost representative of 14th-century prose.

Themes

His work covers a wide variety of themes: vanity, hypocrisy, justice, hunting, honor, wealth, and friendship.

Style

He employs a style that shows his concern for language, resulting in a book with a slow pace.

Works

Libro de los Castigos, Book of the Knight and the Squire, Libro de los Estados, and Libro de Patronio. These stories are completed with didactic intent, typically having a moral end. It consists of three parts:

1. Collection
2. Collection of one hundred enxiemplos (proverbs)
3. Treaties on the salvation of the soul

The central part is formed by examples, in which a young woman seeks advice from Patronio, who responds with examples.