Search

Don Rodríguez de Almela, Compendio historial

1479 Biblioteca Nacional de España, Madrid

Previous Next
Document Date Century City Province
Don Rodríguez de Almela, Compendio historial 1479 15cent/3/late Castilla-León
Summary

The Compendio was written for Isabel in 1479, but not formally presented to the queen until 1491, elaborates on the tradition: ‘Those kings and princes of old, recalling the great splendour of the deeds and acts of war also commanded that their singers came with their lutes and vihuelas and other instruments to play and sing for them the ballads that were devised to tell of celebrated knightly deeds’


Document type Subject Siglum Archive name Call no.
non-fiction MS Vihuelas Performance Practice Song w. vih/lute/guit E-Mn Biblioteca Nacional de España, Madrid Mss 1525 and 1535 (olim F-115 and F-126)
Original text

Aquellos reyes e principes antiguos, considerando el muy gran resplandor de los fechos e actos de guerra mandavan otrosi que los menestrilles e juglares viniesen con sus laudes y vihuelas y otros ynstrumentos para que con ellos les tañessen e cantasen los romançes que heran ynventados de los fechos famosos de cavalleria (Menéndez de Pidal 1924: 376–77; .

Version in Corona1999:
Aquellos reyes y principes antiguos [...]
cuando comian y cenaban, y cuando acostarse
querían, mandaron otrosi que los menestriles
y juglares viniesen con sus laudes y vihuelas
y otros instrumentos, para qua con dos ellos
les tañesen e cantasen los romances que eran
inventados de los hechos de caballerias.

People mentioned
Notes

menendezpidalPJ, p. 376; subiraHIST, p. 91: Vihuela, Lute.
[Text from corona1999, page 249: Diego Rodríguez de Almela, Compendio historial (c. 1479). Quoted in menendezpidalPJ, p. 376; and subiraHIST, p. 91. English translation in chaseSPAIN, p. 35; knighton1992, pp. 557-558.]

These old monarchs and princes [...] when
they dined and supped and when they
desired to go to bed, also commanded the
minstrels and jongleurs to come with their
lutes and vihuelas and other instruments,
so that with them they could play and sing
romances about the deeds of chivalry.
[Text from corona1999, page 249: Diego Rodríguez de Almela, Compendio historial (c. 1479). Quoted in Menndez Pidal 1924, p. 376; and Subirá 1953, p. 91. English translation in Chase 1959, p. 35; Knighton 1992, pp. 557-558.]