The Minstrel's Art: Epic Poems and Medieval Storytelling

The Minstrel and Mester of Minstrelsy

The Minstrel was a poet who recounted events and deeds of heroes from history and legend through epic poems. This craft, or art of storytelling, was known as the Mester of Minstrelsy.

The Minstrel's Role and Performance

The minstrel's mission was to recite, and even dramatize, epic tales. They traveled through towns and castles, entertaining people by reciting verses from memory. Epic poems were primarily composed for oral transmission, not for reading.

Minstrels provided various forms of entertainment, including:

• Singing
• Dancing
• Reciting lyric poems accompanied by instruments to enliven festivals

Minstrel vs. Troubadour: Key Distinctions

The primary difference between a minstrel and a troubadour is as follows:

• A minstrel's function was to perform an already existing work, typically requesting a reward at the end of their performance.
• A troubadour composed their own works and recited them within the courtly environments to which they belonged.

Understanding Epic Poems

Epic poems, also known as heroic poems, were written in verse and Romance languages, focusing on the exploits of medieval heroes.

Origins of the Epic Poem

There are several theories regarding the origins of the epic poem. Some scholars argue that the Spanish epic originated in the eleventh century as an imitation of the French epic tradition.

Theories on Epic Poem Formation

The exact formation of epic poems is also debated, with several prominent theses proposed:

• Individualist Theory

  This theory posits that epic poems were composed by a single individual, often a monk, who was commissioned for the work.

• Traditionalist Theory

  This theory suggests the existence of brief, traditional epic poems that served as the foundation for longer, finalized works.

• Neotraditionalist Theory (Ramón Menéndez Pidal)

  Proposed by the philosopher Ramón Menéndez Pidal, this theory reformulates the traditionalist view. After years of extensive research, Pidal concluded that epic poems evolved from ancient epic-lyric poems, composed concurrently with the events they narrated. These poems persisted in the collective memory, undergoing oral adaptations and extensions until they developed into full epic poems.

Evolution and Decline of Epic Poems

Epic poems began to decline towards the end of the Middle Ages. However, the epic genre did not disappear entirely; instead, it transformed into other literary forms.