Romance of Abenamar
Encyclopedia
The Romance of Abenámar is a medieval Spanish romance
, written as a dialog between the Moor Abenámar and the Catholic
King John II
of Castile
. The poem is a short "frontier romance" in Castilian Spanish
with assonant rhyme
. The historical events it describes took place in 1431, but the author and date of composition are unknown.
ish Nasrid dynasty
, while the Catholic Christian kings of Castile
were seeking greater tribute from and control over the Nasrid kingdom of Granada. Abenamar is either King Yusuf IV
(Abenalmao) himself, or one of his courtiers. The poem is a dialog between Abenamar and King John II of Castille, who wishes for complete possession of Granada.
In 1431, there were several claimants to the throne of Granada. King Muhammad IX had entered Iberia from Tunisia in 1428 or 1429, with the promise of Castilian support in overthrowing Muhammad VIII. However, the Castilian Catholic King John II did not decisively support either, instead playing them against each other to obtain greater tribute and the concession of Granada as a vassal of Castile. Muhammad VIII surrendered in 1429 and was killed in March of 1431, leaving Muhammad IX on the throne, but without having reached an agreement with Castile. John II continued to demand greater concessions, and would not offer a permanent peace. Instead, he supported another candidate, Yusuf IV (Ibn al-Mawl, also known as Abenalmao). Yusuf agreed to tribute and to be John's vassal.
On June 27, 1431, Yusuf met with John outside the city of Granada, as they prepared to install Yusuf as king. The poem imagines their dialog as Abenamar honors John, but the city refuses to be possessed by the Catholic king.
The city, however, would become part of a unified and Catholic Spanish kingdom only a generation later, as John's daughter Isabella I of Castile
and her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon
conquered Granada in 1492.
As John surveys Granada from a distance he asks Abenamar about the high castles and palaces that he can see inside. Abenamar describes some of the architectural wonders of the Moorish capital, naming in turn the Alhambra
, the mosque
, the Nasrid
palace in the Alixares, the Generalife
, and the Red Towers. After seeing Granada and hearing of its wealth, John addresses the city itself and proposes marriage to it, offering Cordoba and Seville as a dowry. However, Granada proudly refuses him, replying "Casada soy, que no viuda; el moro que a mí me tiene, muy grande bien me quería." (I am married, and no widow; the Moor whom I belong to loves me very well.)
. This rhyme scheme, which matches vowels while ignoring consonants, was common in Spanish poetry of the time. Every second line participates in the rhyme by ending with the vowels ía, a stressed i followed by unstressed a. For example, the sixth and eighth lines end with the words crecida (crescent-shaped) and mentira (lie).
Romance (genre)
As a literary genre of high culture, romance or chivalric romance is a style of heroic prose and verse narrative that was popular in the aristocratic circles of High Medieval and Early Modern Europe. They were fantastic stories about marvel-filled adventures, often of a knight errant portrayed as...
, written as a dialog between the Moor Abenámar and the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
King John II
John II of Castile
John II was King of Castile from 1406 to 1454.He was the son of Henry III of Castile and his wife Catherine of Lancaster, daughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster by Constance of Castile, daughter of King Peter of Castile.-Regency:He succeeded his father on 25 December 1406, at the age of...
of Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
. The poem is a short "frontier romance" in Castilian Spanish
Castilian Spanish
Castilian Spanish is a term related to the Spanish language, but its exact meaning can vary even in that language. In English Castilian Spanish usually refers to the variety of European Spanish spoken in north and central Spain or as the language standard for radio and TV speakers...
with assonant rhyme
Assonance
Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds to create internal rhyming within phrases or sentences, and together with alliteration and consonance serves as one of the building blocks of verse. For example, in the phrase "Do you like blue?", the is repeated within the sentence and is...
. The historical events it describes took place in 1431, but the author and date of composition are unknown.
Historical context
The Romance of Abenamar takes place during a period of instability in the MoorMoors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
ish Nasrid dynasty
Nasrid dynasty
The Nasrid dynasty was the last Moorish and Muslim dynasty in Spain. The Nasrid dynasty rose to power after the defeat of the Almohad Caliphate in 1212 at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa...
, while the Catholic Christian kings of Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
were seeking greater tribute from and control over the Nasrid kingdom of Granada. Abenamar is either King Yusuf IV
Yusuf IV, Sultan of Granada
Yusuf IV was the sixteenth Nasrid ruler of Granada in Al-Andalus on the Iberian Peninsula in 1432. He was known as Yusuf Ibn al-Mawl, or in Spanish, Abenalmao. A maternal grandson of Muhammed VI, Yusuf IV was placed on the throne of Granada on 1 January 1432 with the support of the Catholic King...
(Abenalmao) himself, or one of his courtiers. The poem is a dialog between Abenamar and King John II of Castille, who wishes for complete possession of Granada.
In 1431, there were several claimants to the throne of Granada. King Muhammad IX had entered Iberia from Tunisia in 1428 or 1429, with the promise of Castilian support in overthrowing Muhammad VIII. However, the Castilian Catholic King John II did not decisively support either, instead playing them against each other to obtain greater tribute and the concession of Granada as a vassal of Castile. Muhammad VIII surrendered in 1429 and was killed in March of 1431, leaving Muhammad IX on the throne, but without having reached an agreement with Castile. John II continued to demand greater concessions, and would not offer a permanent peace. Instead, he supported another candidate, Yusuf IV (Ibn al-Mawl, also known as Abenalmao). Yusuf agreed to tribute and to be John's vassal.
On June 27, 1431, Yusuf met with John outside the city of Granada, as they prepared to install Yusuf as king. The poem imagines their dialog as Abenamar honors John, but the city refuses to be possessed by the Catholic king.
The city, however, would become part of a unified and Catholic Spanish kingdom only a generation later, as John's daughter Isabella I of Castile
Isabella I of Castile
Isabella I was Queen of Castile and León. She and her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon brought stability to both kingdoms that became the basis for the unification of Spain. Later the two laid the foundations for the political unification of Spain under their grandson, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor...
and her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon
Ferdinand II of Aragon
Ferdinand the Catholic was King of Aragon , Sicily , Naples , Valencia, Sardinia, and Navarre, Count of Barcelona, jure uxoris King of Castile and then regent of that country also from 1508 to his death, in the name of...
conquered Granada in 1492.
Contents
The poem opens with John praising the nobility of Abenamar. Although it was written by Castilians, it portrays the Moor favorably and is sympathetic to the Moorish kingdom's fight to remain independent.As John surveys Granada from a distance he asks Abenamar about the high castles and palaces that he can see inside. Abenamar describes some of the architectural wonders of the Moorish capital, naming in turn the Alhambra
Alhambra
The Alhambra , the complete form of which was Calat Alhambra , is a palace and fortress complex located in the Granada, Andalusia, Spain...
, the mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
, the Nasrid
Nasrid dynasty
The Nasrid dynasty was the last Moorish and Muslim dynasty in Spain. The Nasrid dynasty rose to power after the defeat of the Almohad Caliphate in 1212 at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa...
palace in the Alixares, the Generalife
Generalife
The Palacio de Generalife was the summer palace and country estate of the Nasrid Emirs of the Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus, now beside the city of Granada in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain.-History:...
, and the Red Towers. After seeing Granada and hearing of its wealth, John addresses the city itself and proposes marriage to it, offering Cordoba and Seville as a dowry. However, Granada proudly refuses him, replying "Casada soy, que no viuda; el moro que a mí me tiene, muy grande bien me quería." (I am married, and no widow; the Moor whom I belong to loves me very well.)
Structure
The poem consists of forty-six short lines with assonant rhymeAssonance
Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds to create internal rhyming within phrases or sentences, and together with alliteration and consonance serves as one of the building blocks of verse. For example, in the phrase "Do you like blue?", the is repeated within the sentence and is...
. This rhyme scheme, which matches vowels while ignoring consonants, was common in Spanish poetry of the time. Every second line participates in the rhyme by ending with the vowels ía, a stressed i followed by unstressed a. For example, the sixth and eighth lines end with the words crecida (crescent-shaped) and mentira (lie).