Juan Ruiz's Influence on Chaucer Revisited: A Survey

Abstract

In 1849 G. Ticknor was the first to point out that Juan Ruiz's Libro de Buen Amor presented some similarities with Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Nevertheless, it was only after S. Honore-Duverge's 1955 article about the probable visit to Spain of the English poet, that the issue referred to was researched seriously. Thus, at the end of the 60's, T. J. Garbaty published a series of articles in which he analysed the hypothetical connections between the Libro de Buen Amor and Chaucer, focussing on the latter's Troilus and Cryseide. This issue, however, did not receive much attention by either European or North American Medievalists during the 70's, with M. P. Hodapp's and Waller's articles being the only exceptions. Until the 16th century, Juan Ruiz's book remained a widely read and influential text in Spain. Copies of it circulated freely around the Peninsula and, although it cannot be concluded that the Libro de Buen Amor was known outside Spain, Chaucer always showed great interest for the literature of the countries he visited. Mine is an attempt to collect the most relevant data on this topic to date and to offer new perspectives for approaching it.