Spanish Medieval Literature: Romances and Mester de Clerecía

Spanish Romances: Medieval Ballads

Some episodes of epic poems began to be narrated separately, adapting to a simpler metric form. These became known as romances (ballads).

Romances are formed by a variable number of eight-syllable verses, with assonance rhyme in the even-numbered verses, while the odd-numbered verses remain free.

Key Features of Romances

• Simplicity and Sobriety: They are characterized by brief descriptions and a general lack of adjectives.
• Oral Tradition: As compositions of an oral nature, they require the use of specific resources like repetitions and exclamations.
• Fragmentary Nature: They often begin in medias res and have abrupt endings.

Classification of Romances

• Historical Romances: They deal with historical events of the time or feature real people. They often reflect the same themes and characters as the chansons de geste (songs of deeds).
• Lyrical and Fictional Romances: They have a very romantic and varied subject matter, dealing with invented stories. They refer to feelings of absence, disappointment, and often introduce fantasy elements.

Mester de Clerecía: The School of Clergy

The Mester de Clerecía (School of Clergy) was a literary school of educated authors that succeeded the Mester de Juglaría (Minstrelsy). At that time, the word 'cleric' did not only mean a monk but referred to educated men of letters.

The works of the Mester de Clerecía were intended to persuade and educate the public on the doctrines of the church, imparting knowledge and Christian values.

Characteristics of Mester de Clerecía

• Themes: The themes are different from those in the chansons de geste. Clerics wrote about religious matters and were inspired by Latin texts and authors.
• Protagonists: The protagonists are not only gentlemen who performed feats in war; they can be saints, virgins, or biblical figures.
• Metrics: The verses are regular. It uses the cuaderna vía: stanzas of four 14-syllable verses (alexandrines) with a single consonant rhyme.
• Style: The language is cultured and refined. They use descriptive techniques and various literary resources to demonstrate their learning.