CAVALRY novel: characteristics and examples

The novel of chivalry was one of the most popular literary genres in the Spain of the XV and XVI. This genre is characterized by recounting the exploits of a knight errant who travels the world to defeat enemies and fight for a better world. In this lesson from a TEACHER we are going to show you the main Characteristics of the novel of chivalry with examples of the most outstanding works so that you know better this type of literary text that was so important in Spanish cultural history.

The chivalric novel was formerly known as "romance" because the term "novel" was not yet coined with the meaning that we give it today. It is a type of literary genre that is written in prose and that was very successful in Spain during the 16th century, although they began to be cultivated at the end of the XV). The authors of the Golden Agewere in charge of naming this type of literature so popular at that time and baptized it with the name of "book of chivalry", a name that today has been updated to be called "novel" of knights.

The reason for this name is that the adventures that were narrated in its pages made reference to the feats of brave and heroic knights. We are, therefore, before a fictional genre that is full of battles, action and combats starring heroes who they fulfill the ideal model of citizen and man: brave, kind and faithful men who go to arms to protect their country and their town.

In the chivalric novel, the protagonist is always a errant knight, a hero who travels the world to defend his people and fight for a better world to live in. He is a very brave and honorable character who is moved by feelings as pure as the faith, goodness and love; a romantic gentleman who is in love with a lady and to whom he dedicates all his victories in combat. As we see, morality and romanticism go hand in hand in these novels that, for many, are classified as sentimental novels.

Origin of the chivalric novel

The origin of chivalric novels can be traced back to a type of novel in verse that appeared in France (the "roman courtois") and where an idealized protagonist was shown who was a Christian warrior and with great loving feelings. These characters were surrounded by an atmosphere of fantasy and mystery that what they did was to further intensify the figure of the brave warrior who fights to achieve a better world. This type of French novel was introduced in Castile and, over time, evolved into the chivalric novels that we know so much about.

We must not overlook that, in the Middle Ages, the figure of the knight errant appeared, a character that inspired to create the protagonists of these novels, lonely and courageous heroes who left home motivated by love and faith. In Europe, the chivalric novel had a great impact but it was in Spain where the genre achieved greater popularity.

We can divide different stages of the novel of chivalry in Spain:

1. Charlemagne cycle: they are stories in which the figure of Charlemagne appears in a very notorious way in the plot of the novel.
2. Breton cycle: are the novels that told the stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
3. Cycle of antiquity: characterized by recounting the classic exploits such as, for example, the battle of Troy.
4. Cycle of the Crusades: the novels specialized in relating the great crusades that could be real or fictitious.
5. RenaissanceThis is when the chivalric novel reached its peak and both authors and readers began to cultivate this literary genre. In fact, even the battles of the New World were recounted in chivalric books.

But let's find out in more detail what are the main characteristics of the novel of chivalry so that, thus, we can better know what this literary genre consists of. There are many elements that define this type of novel, however, here we detail the most relevant ones.

Episodic structure

Chivalric novels can be considered as episodes of a specific battle and, therefore, another author You can continue with the saga by adding new episodes starring the same character but in other settings and battles.

The honor of the knight

One of the most important elements in the figure of the protagonist of chivalric novels is the defense of his honor. Let us remember that the knight errant is an idealized hero and that, therefore, he serves as a model for society. During the novel it is common for the gentleman to have to face different tests that will determine his honor and that will allow him to conquer the lady or improve her social recognition. The knight's motivation is, among others, to defend her honor.

Idealized love

Another characteristic of the chivalric novel is the appearance of a love relationship that is presented in an idealized way. The gentleman has a deep romantic love for a lady, and indeed many of her battles will be dedicated to her. A relationship that always ends well and that will end with a wedding and, perhaps, with children.

Violent and glorified battles

In chivalric novels there are plenty of narratives of battles and warlike encounters in which the hero will succeed in winning and being more recognized. These battles will add value and recognition to the protagonist, thereby achieving more fame and power. It is common for battles to appear such as duels, tournaments or confrontations with fantastic characters (such as giants, monsters, etc.).

Fantasy influence

We must not confuse the chivalric novel with the works of the epic genre because they are not the same. A very characteristic element of this type of novel is that the scenarios in which the battle takes place is often fantastic and, therefore, there may be monsters, giants, etc. The presence of fantasy elements is very common in this literature, which can include characters such as magicians, witches, and so on.

Mythical time

The chivalric stories are not located in a real or historical time but they usually take us to mythical or remote times that are very far away. In this way, all the idealism that the novel wants to generate can be magnified by not being able to relate time and space with a world known to us.

The topic of the manuscript found

Another of the main characteristics of the chivalric novel is that the author begins the book by telling the reader that these pages have been found by chance and that he has simply been in charge of translating or publishing them. With this resource, it is possible to generate an interest in the reader and a hope about the existence of a magical and more fantastic past.

The importance of action

In chivalric novels what is important is everything that happens throughout history and not so much the protagonist or his psychology. For this reason, it is common for us to meet characters that are poorly defined or unrealistic but who are the ones who carry out amazing feats and with a great moral and behavioral message.

Moralistic intention

We must not forget that in the XV and XVI the Catholic Church had a lot of weight in the arts and, therefore, in these novels we also see the trace of religion in a very direct way. These novels not only had a literary purpose but, through the exploits recounted on the pages, a moralistic message was launched and closely linked to Christian doctrine.

To finish this lesson, we are going to discover you some acquaintances chivalric novel examples that will help you to know in depth this popular literary genre that was so successful in the Spain of the Golden Age. The best known authors of chivalric novels are the following:

• Ferrand Martínez (14th century): He was a Spanish clergyman who is considered the author of the work "Romance of the gentleman Zífar", one of the most successful of the Middle Ages and the one that is considered to have been written around 1300. We are before one of the oldest manuscripts of the chivalric novel and it tells us the story of Zífar, a Christian knight who ends up being king.
• Joanot Martorell (15th century): this author from Valencia wrote one of the chivalric books best known to all "Tirant lo Blanch", a work written in Catalan but which he could not finish. He began to write it in 1460 and it told the story of a gentleman in love and very passionate.
• Francisco de Morais Cabral (16th century): Portuguese author who wrote a romance titled "Palmerín d'Anglaterre" and that it was a version of the well-known "Amadís de Gaula".