The Sources of the Folk Tales in Ramon Llull's Llibre de les besties

THE Llibre de les besties is a collection of some twenty-eight apologues or exempla intercalated as Seven in Llibre de meravelles, or FPlix, written by Ramon Llull, most celebrated Catalan writer of Middle Ages. E. Allison Peers has published an English translation of work.' Internal evidence suggests that Llibre de les besties was written during winter of 1285--1286, probably in Montpellier. Similar indications in main work establish date of its composition as 1287-1289 in Paris. Thus Llibre de les besties was written prior to more extensive work into which it was interpolated. Like episode of Curioso impertinenle in Quijote, there appears to be no direct relationship between main work and interpolation. Further indication that it was written apart from main work is fact that it contains both a Prologue and an Epilogue. The manner in which work was intercalated also attests to its separate nature. In first chapter of Llibre de les besties Fdlix, protagonist of main work, has just taken leave of a philosopher when he encounters two men in a valley who say that they have just passed through a meadow where a group of animals are in process of electing a king. After making extensive comments on religious order to which two men belong-the Order of Apostles, which was condemned by Pope in I286-he leaves them and goes to place where election is taking place. The subsequent chapters make no further mention of Fdlix until very last paragraph, a sort of epilogue, which states that the Book of Beasts is finished, which Fdlix took to a king in order that he might see manner according to which, in what beasts do, it is significant how king ought to rule and how he should guard against evil counsel and false men.2

Apostles · Art · Catalan · Humanities · Literature · Order (exchange) · Paragraph · Prologue · Classics · Early Modern Spanish Literature · History · Law · Medieval Iberian Studies · Medieval Literature and History · Philosophy

• Literature as an ancilla Artis

  Lola Badía•Hispanic Research Journal•2009

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