The Seven Knights of Lara: Text, Context, and Translation by Peter J. Mahoney

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Seven Knights of Lara: Text, Context, and Translationby Peter J. Mahoney Katherine Oswald Mahoney, Peter J. The Seven Knights of Lara: Text, Context, and Translation. Juan de la Cuesta Hispanic Monographs , 2019. ISBN: 978-1-58871-318-6. In his contextualization of the legend of The Seven Knights of Lara(henceforth SKL) within the Alphonsine cultural project, Peter Mahoney elucidates that King Alfonso X's use of the vernacular served to make knowledge accessible to a broader group than it otherwise had been. The Seven Knights of Lara: Text, Context, and Translation, which contains English translations of the Estoria de España's and the Crónica de 1344's versions of the SKL, serves a similar purpose. With a substantial introduction that addresses the legend's origins and offers in-depth analyses of central figures and themes, along with exceptionally readable and well-contextualized translations, Mahoney has allowed an entirely new audience to experience the betrayals, heartbreak, and redemption endured by the house of Gonzalo Gústioz. Mahoney's introduction occupies close to one third of the text, providing necessary background for new readers of the Spanish epic and fresh analyses for those familiar with the genre. Presupposing minimal prior knowledge, he includes a concise introduction to the epic before entering into his detailed discussion of the legend itself. He begins his introduction to the SKLwith an overview of the theories regarding the origin and composition of a now-lost epic poem that would have been prosified by the Alphonsine chroniclers (15-21). In doing so, Mahoney centers on two overarching theories. The first is an early composition, around the year 1000, which would have occurred chronologically close to the events narrated. The second is a later composition in the thirteenth century, which places the poem's formation closer to the composition of the Estoria de España–the earliest preserved account of the SKL. This discussion of the SKL's initial formation leads to a consideration of the challenges presented by the version included in the Crónica de 1344—specifically, whether or not Pedro de Barcelos knew a second epic poem about the brothers. Closely related to the questions surrounding the legend's formation is that of its historicity, which Mahoney addresses in a later section (63-68). He gives an overview first of arguments that link elements of the legend to historical figures and events, such as name coincidences, and then cites refutations of such theories. Addressing the legend itself, Mahoney moves into a review of proposed foreign influences and a subsequent delineation of the characteristically Spanish qualities [End Page 233]of the legend, centering his discussion on the figures of Almanzor, Mudarra, Lady Lambra, and Lady Sancha (19-25). He then considers practical questions, including the purpose of epics such as the SKL, the intended audiences, and the applications of such tales (25-29). In doing so, Mahoney situates the legend within the Estoria de España's overarching purpose and, as such, within the political context of Alfonso X's reign—specifically, the King's preoccupation with treason and loyalty. Establishing first the primary objectives of the Estoria de Españaand then cautioning against a general reading of the consequences of nobiliary feuds, he concludes that the SKLin the Estoria de Españaserved as a condemnation of treason and an exaltation of loyalty, primarily (and respectively) through the characters of Ruy Velázquez and Gonzalo González. Mahoney's analyses of Gonzalo González and Mudarra (29-53) and the SKL's place within the Alphonsine cultural project (53-63) are the strongest of the introduction, as it is in these sections that his critical voice most comes across. He challenges the notion that responsibility for the legend's tragedy falls on Gonzalo González, centering his argument on the question of honor. Using terminology presented in Alfonso X's Siete partidas, Mahoney situates Gonzalo González's reactions within the contexts of honor and expected knightly behavior. While he does not gloss over the young nobleman's more reactive moments, he does effectively rationalize his seemingly impulsive responses. With respect to Mudarra, Mahoney offers a...