Spanish Epic Poetry and Medieval Literary Traditions

The Spanish Epic

Minstrels were men who made their living traveling to entertain people. They recited songs for the people. The works performed by these minstrels are known as Mester de Juglaría (the office of the jugglers).

Features of Mester de Juglaría

• They are anonymous and are transmitted orally.
• Their subjects are of a heroic type.
• The meter is irregular, utilizing assonance rhyme.
• There is frequent use of typical forms of oral expression, such as calls to the public to capture their attention.

The most important work of Mester de Juglaría that remains today is the Cantar de Mio Cid.

El Cantar de Mio Cid

The Cantar de Mio Cid is preserved in a manuscript copied in 1307 by a certain Per Abbat, and it consists of 3,730 verses. Some scholars suppose that it was composed in the twelfth century by two minstrels from Medinaceli. The poem features an irregular meter with assonance rhyme. In the middle of each verse, there is a pause (caesura).

The poem sings of the exploits of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, a Castilian knight famous for his valor in war and his victories against the Muslims. It is divided into three parts or songs:

• Song of Exile: El Cid is banished by King Alfonso VI of Castile. He leaves Burgos and is separated from his wife and daughters. He heads toward Muslim lands, where he achieves his first military successes.
• Song of the Marriage: El Cid conquers Valencia from the Arabs and offers it to the King. Alfonso VI authorizes the marriage of the Cid's daughters, Doña Elvira and Doña Sol, with two Castilian nobles, the Heirs of Carrión.
• Song of the Affront of Corpes: The Heirs of Carrión, who are mocked in court due to their cowardice, decide to return to Castile. On the road, they mistreat and abandon their wives in the oak grove of Corpes to avenge the ridicule they suffered.

The Cid takes revenge on them and eventually marries his daughters to the Infantes of Navarre and Aragón. The Cantar terminates with the recovery of the honor of the Cid, who also achieved status by marrying into the higher nobility.

Mester de Clerecía: The Office of the Clergy

The Mester de Clerecía (office of the clergy) was a school of cultured poets. It appeared in the 13th century and employed regular meter and religious themes. Its purpose was primarily to spread culture among the people and to convey moral teachings.

The most important authors are Gonzalo de Berceo (13th century), author of The Miracles of Our Lady, and Juan Ruiz, Archpriest of Hita (14th century), author of The Book of Good Love.

Early Literary History of the Canary Islands

Until the thirteenth century, news of the existence of the Canary Islands was found primarily in Greco-Roman classical texts. Later, the conquest of the archipelago was initiated by adventurers. From these settlers and travelers came the first prose narrative texts produced in the Canaries. These accounts by historical chroniclers detail the conquest and the lifestyle of the aborigines, which have been reflected in their works.