Unit 1 Overview: The Middle Ages (ENG)

6 min read•february 11, 2023

Kashvi Panjolia

AP Spanish Literature 💃🏽

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The Middle Ages and Their Historical Context

The literatures and cultures of the Spanish-speaking world were not born in a vacuum. The Spanish language formed over centuries of migrations, imperialism and the coexistence of various cultures. It's impossible to assign a date to the birth of Spanish as a language, but certainly, a Spanish-speaking identity began to form during the time known as the Middle Ages (el Medioevo) 🏰. The Middle Ages began with the fall of Rome in the 5th century and lasted until Columbus visited the New World at the end of the 15th century.

What is known today as “Spain” was born on the Iberian Peninsula, the destination of various migratory groups after thousands of years of history. The Roman Empire introduced vulgar Latin to the peninsula, which would then merge with local languages to create a variety of dialects that serve as the roots of today's Spanish.

Ronda, Spain. Image courtesy of pxfuel.

Then, the conquest of the Iberian peninsula by the Muslims in 711 CE injected a new vocabulary into early Spanish. For this reason, the works "Exemplo XXXV: Lo que aconteció a un mozo que casó con una mujer muy fuerte y muy brava" and "El romance del rey moro" point out the characteristics of medieval Spain, especially the coexistence ("convivencia") of cultures and practices that mark a new “Spanish” identity. 🇪🇸

The conquest of the Iberian Peninsula by the Moors (Muslims) began in 711 and lasted for several centuries. The Moors were Berber and Arab Muslims who originated from North Africa, and they were able to rapidly conquer the majority of the Iberian Peninsula due to the weakness of the Visigothic kingdom, which was the dominant power in the region at the time. The Moors established a thriving Islamic culture in the region, which included advances in science, literature, and architecture. They also introduced the Arabic language and the religion of Islam, which had a lasting impact on the local population.

The reconquest of Spain by the Christians began in the early 8th century and lasted for several centuries. The Christians gradually regained control of the Iberian Peninsula through a series of military campaigns, known as the "Reconquista." This process was driven by religious and cultural tensions between the Christian and Muslim populations, as well as a desire for political control. The reconquest of Spain was completed in 1492, with the capture of Granada, the last Muslim kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula.

Medieval Literature

Medieval Spanish literature was a period of great cultural and literary achievements, with stories rich in content and imagination. It was a time when literature was not just a source of entertainment but also a means of transmitting history, values, and beliefs. However, it is important to note that during this time, the vast majority of people were illiterate. This affected the way in which stories were presented, as oral tradition and visual aids played a significant role in the dissemination of information.

One of the defining features of medieval Spanish literature was the use of artwork to accompany the written word. The integration of text and image allowed for a more immersive and interactive experience, making it easier for people to understand and remember the stories being told. 🖼

In addition to religious texts, medieval Spanish literature also included a range of secular works, such as epic poems, romances, and ballads. These works often drew upon Spain's rich cultural and historical heritage, with stories that explored themes such as love, bravery, and adventure. They were also heavily influenced by the oral tradition, with stories being passed down from generation to generation and evolving over time.

Despite the challenges posed by widespread illiteracy, medieval Spanish literature remained an important source of knowledge and inspiration. Through its use of storytelling, it helped to preserve Spain's cultural identity and shaped the way that future generations would understand their history and traditions.

Medieval Spanish was also very different from the modern Spanish you have been learning. It may be difficult to understand these works simply because the conjugation and grammatical structures are different than what you are used to, but you should read each work line by line and read slowly to ensure you understand what is happening.

Mnemonic

Use the mnemonic MARCA to remember the characteristics of medieval literature:

❤️ Moraleja: medieval works typically come with a lesson to learn or a moral to uphold. These works are also known as didactic (didáctico) works.
🕌 Arabes: the presence of Arabic/Moorish people is usually biased by Christian writers. The Christians in this time did not like the Moors, and in their writing, their point of view depicted the Moors as enemies of Christianity.
⚔️ Reconquista: the works take place during the Reconquista (reconquest) of Spain from the Muslim moors.
🤲 Convivencia: the works also demonstrate different levels of peace and conflict between Christians and Muslims coexisting on the same land.
⬇️ Al-Andalus: The Muslim empire of Spain, whose culture influences Christian culture (El Conde Lucanor) and whose collapse united the Christians ("El rey moro").

Alhambra Fortress, Granada, Andalucía, Spain. Image courtesy of Wikimedia.

Analyzing Spanish Literature

Throughout this course, there are five elements you need to know for each of the 38 works:

Explain the work's themes and compare the works to other works (could be literature other than the required 38 works)
Identify literary terms and analyze their effect in the work, and how they are used to develop the work's themes
Define the characteristics of the work's genre
Explain how the work reflects the literary period or movement it was written in
Discuss the contexts that influenced the creation of the work

It is crucial that you annotate the works you are given to go beyond the written text and contextualize the works. You will also need to identify important literary devices as you read, and how the point of view of the author/narrator affects the story.

There are six themes (temas) that this course centers around. Each of the required works will contain one or more of these themes:

🫂 Las sociedades en contacto
🎭 La dualidad de ser
👥 Las relaciones interpersonales
📖 La creación literaria
⏰ El tiempo y el espacio
👩 La construccion del género

Each of these six themes has organizing concepts that are more specific and will be seen in the required works. You should be able to compare the themes and their development within the work across different pieces of literature and art.

Timeline

🤜 418CE: The kingdom of the Visigoths begins to take hold of the peninsula.

🏰 460CE: The decline of the Roman Empire leaves the peninsula governed by the Visigoths and their affiliated kingdoms

✝️ ~ 530CE: By this time, Catholic Christianity had become the main religion for the peninsula

⚔️ 711CE: Muslim Arabs invade Spain from the south and defeat the Visigoth king, Rodrigo. Quickly, Muslims conquer almost the entire peninsula, except the kingdom of Asturias in the northwest, and establish the kingdom of Al-Andalus.

⏬ 720-1212CE: The Christian kingdoms of northern Spain gradually expel Muslims, beginning the process of the Reconquista, or the 7th century period in which Christians reconquered the Muslim peninsula.

🔬1212-1492CE: Al-Andalus experiences significant advances in science, mathematics and architecture, while in many places on the peninsula Muslims and Christians lived in peace. However, gradually the Christians of the north reconquer their territory until leaving only the Muslim kingdom of Granada in the south of the peninsula.

🔚 1480-1492CE: The Catholic Monarchs, Isabel de Castilla and Fernando de Aragón, defeat the Muslim forces of the kingdom of Granada, which marks the end of the Reconquista and the unification of the entire Iberian Peninsula under the name of Spain.

Browse Study Guides By Unit

🏇Unit 1 – La época medieval

1.0Unit 1 Overview: The Middle Ages (ENG)

1.1Conde Lucanor, Exemplo XXXV – Don Juan Manuel

1.2“Romance de la pérdida de Alhama” – Anónimo

🛳Unit 2 – El siglo XVI

🖌Unit 3 – El siglo XVII

🎨Unit 4 – La literatura romántica, realista y naturalista

🤺Unit 5 – La Generación del 98 y el Modernismo

🎭Unit 6 – Teatro y poesía del siglo XX

🌎Unit 7 – El Boom latinoamericano

🗣Unit 8 – Escritores contemporáneos de Estados Unidos, y España