Chapter Four. Reconquest ideology and andalusï narrative practice in the Conde Lucanor

Abstract

This chapter gives a background of the Conde Lucanor (CL) with a discussion of the political and religious discourses of the Reconquest, including other texts by Juan Manuel. Then it demonstrates how the CL reflects these discourses and how Juan Manuel's use of Andalusī narrative practices subverts his discourse of Christian Reconquest. The Reconquest was conceived as a battle for both the bodies and souls of conquered Andalusī Muslims. Juan Manuel's inconsistent relationship with Islam and Andalusī culture, demonstrated in his treatment of Andalusī Muslim characters, is amplified by his choice of literary genre. By way of conclusion, the tension between the sectarian rhetoric and colonial, frontier reality of the Reconquest is quite evident in the CL, particularly in Juan Manuel's ambiguous relationship to Andalusī history and culture. Juan Manuel's enthusiasm for Andalusī literary technique and popular narrative tradition determined both the structure and the content of the CL.Keywords: Andalusī Muslims; Andalusī narrative practices; Conde Lucanor (CL); Juan Manuel; reconquest ideology