The Sapiential literature in Alfonso X's Castile

Abstract

Vernacular sapiential literature was the privileged means of disseminating knowledge in Alphonsine Castile. We will briefly present the main discursive modalities, which often differ from those of the western Mirrors of Princes: extensive use of sentences and proverbs; framework narrative into which are inserted tales and fables with an exemplary and didactic objective; use of similes and dialogues. The aim of these treatises is to make knowledge accessible to all, from children to princes, but also playful and pleasant. To form consciences and to win conviction, one must first of all rely on intuition and easy memorization, more than on demonstration and argumentation. In the appendices, we also offer some examples of the filiations of these texts, from the Eastern world.