Spanish Medieval Poetry: Mester de Juglaría and Mester de Clerecía

Mester de Juglaría

From the 11th to the 15th century, the characteristics of this school were its popular character, real or historical themes, irregular meter, and the use of formulas to attract the public. Minstrels performed in squares, towns, and castles, wearing a jacket and reciting heroic poems.

In Spain, the most important epic poem is the Poema del Cid, written around 1140 and attributed to two minstrels. It is divided into three parts:

• Cantar del destierro (Song of Exile): El Cid is exiled by Alfonso VI. He struggles against the Moors and sends presents to the king to seek forgiveness.
• Cantar de las bodas (Song of the Weddings): El Cid conquers Valencia. The loot he sends to the king attracts the attention of the Infantes de Carrión, who ask for the hand of El Cid's daughters. The king grants their request.
• Cantar de la afrenta de Corpes (Song of the Reproach of Corpes): The Infantes abuse and neglect their wives. El Cid calls for justice, and in the Courts of Toledo, they are found guilty. His daughters marry the princes of Navarre and Aragon, thus linking El Cid's family to the royal families of Spain.

Mester de Clerecía

Man lives surrounded by mysteries, and all answers are in God. Clerics, scholars, and learned men wanted to publicize their work to the widest possible audience and educate them. They used simple language but incorporated learned vocabulary. Characteristics include educational and religious themes, regular meter, and a didactic purpose.

Key works from the 15th century include:

• Milagros de Nuestra Señora (Miracles of Our Lady): Anonymous author. The first book is by Gonzalo de Berceo. His interest is to inspire devotion to the Virgin. The legends represent the punishment of the wicked. The account of events seen or experienced by the Virgin in the 13th century is seen as glorious and the solution to all problems.
• Libro de Buen Amor (Book of Good Love): Author: Juan Ruiz. His desire is to remove man from the 'mad love' in the world, but sin is human, and the book offers advice for a controversial book. It is highly studied. Elements include love stories presented autobiographically, poems criticizing sins, compositions dedicated to the Virgin, and lyrics about Christ's Passion. Main themes are irony, ambiguity, and parody.

Commentary on the Poema del Cid

This fragment belongs to the Poema del Cid, composed in the 12th century. It is structured into parts like "Song of Exile," "Song of the Weddings," and "Song of the Reproach of Corpes" (though the count of songs may vary slightly). It is an epic poem adapted by minstrels for public memorization.

Poem Structure and Style

Theme: The theme of the poetry is...

Structure: The poem is composed of verses with irregular/regular meter. The verses are considered major or minor art, employing assonance and rhyme (consonant).

Stylistic Resources:

• Epic Epithets: The author uses epithets to help listeners visualize the character being referred to (e.g., "mio Cid," "el Campeador").
• Narrative Point of View Shifts: These shifts are used to energize the narrative (e.g., "¡Tente, Campeador!").
• Minstrel Calls: Expressions used to capture the listeners' attention (e.g., "Decidme").

Conclusion

The poem belongs to the juglaría (minstrelsy). The minstrels who composed it used expressive resources to draw public attention.