"The Abencerraje" and "Ozmin and Daraja"

Two Sixteenth-Century Novellas from Spain

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism
Cover of the book "The Abencerraje" and "Ozmin and Daraja" by Barbara Fuchs, Larissa Brewer-Garcia, Aaron J. Ilika, University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Barbara Fuchs, Larissa Brewer-Garcia, Aaron J. Ilika ISBN: 9780812206456
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc. Publication: April 2, 2014
Imprint: University of Pennsylvania Press Language: English
Author: Barbara Fuchs, Larissa Brewer-Garcia, Aaron J. Ilika
ISBN: 9780812206456
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc.
Publication: April 2, 2014
Imprint: University of Pennsylvania Press
Language: English

Since its publication in 1561, an anonymous tale of love, friendship, and chivalry has captivated readers in Spain and across Europe. "The Abencerraje" tells of the Moorish knight Abindarráez, whose plans to wed are interrupted when he is taken prisoner by Christian knights. His captor, a Spanish governor, befriends and admires the Moorish knight, ultimately releasing him to marry his beloved. Their enormously popular tale was repeated or imitated in numerous ballads and novels; when the character Don Quixote is wounded in his first sortie, he imagines himself as Abindarráez on the field.

Several decades later, in the tense years leading up to the expulsion of the Moriscos from Spain, Mateo Alemán reprised themes from this romance in his novel Guzmán de Alfarache. In his version, the Moorish lady Daraja is captured by the Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabel; she and her lover Ozmín are forced to engage in a variety of ruses to protect their union until they are converted to Christianity and married. Though "Ozmín and Daraja" is more elaborate in execution than "The Abencerraje," both tales show deep sympathy for their Moorish characters.

Faithfully translated into modern, accessible English, these finely wrought literary artifacts offer rich imaginings of life on the Christian-Muslim frontier. Contextualized with a detailed introduction, along with contemporary legal documents, polemics, and ballads, "The Abencerraje" and "Ozmín and Daraja" reveals early modern Spain's profound fascination with the Moorish culture that was officially denounced and persecuted. By recalling the intimate and sympathetic bonds that often connected Christians to the heritage of Al-Andalus, these tales of romance and companionship offer a nuanced view of relationships across a religious divide.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Since its publication in 1561, an anonymous tale of love, friendship, and chivalry has captivated readers in Spain and across Europe. "The Abencerraje" tells of the Moorish knight Abindarráez, whose plans to wed are interrupted when he is taken prisoner by Christian knights. His captor, a Spanish governor, befriends and admires the Moorish knight, ultimately releasing him to marry his beloved. Their enormously popular tale was repeated or imitated in numerous ballads and novels; when the character Don Quixote is wounded in his first sortie, he imagines himself as Abindarráez on the field.

Several decades later, in the tense years leading up to the expulsion of the Moriscos from Spain, Mateo Alemán reprised themes from this romance in his novel Guzmán de Alfarache. In his version, the Moorish lady Daraja is captured by the Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabel; she and her lover Ozmín are forced to engage in a variety of ruses to protect their union until they are converted to Christianity and married. Though "Ozmín and Daraja" is more elaborate in execution than "The Abencerraje," both tales show deep sympathy for their Moorish characters.

Faithfully translated into modern, accessible English, these finely wrought literary artifacts offer rich imaginings of life on the Christian-Muslim frontier. Contextualized with a detailed introduction, along with contemporary legal documents, polemics, and ballads, "The Abencerraje" and "Ozmín and Daraja" reveals early modern Spain's profound fascination with the Moorish culture that was officially denounced and persecuted. By recalling the intimate and sympathetic bonds that often connected Christians to the heritage of Al-Andalus, these tales of romance and companionship offer a nuanced view of relationships across a religious divide.

More books from University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc.

Cover of the book The Purposes of Paradise by Barbara Fuchs, Larissa Brewer-Garcia, Aaron J. Ilika
Cover of the book The Shame and the Sorrow by Barbara Fuchs, Larissa Brewer-Garcia, Aaron J. Ilika
Cover of the book The Phenomenon of Torture by Barbara Fuchs, Larissa Brewer-Garcia, Aaron J. Ilika
Cover of the book How to Accept German Reparations by Barbara Fuchs, Larissa Brewer-Garcia, Aaron J. Ilika
Cover of the book Topographical Stories by Barbara Fuchs, Larissa Brewer-Garcia, Aaron J. Ilika
Cover of the book Sisters and Brothers of the Common Life by Barbara Fuchs, Larissa Brewer-Garcia, Aaron J. Ilika
Cover of the book Free Speech on Campus by Barbara Fuchs, Larissa Brewer-Garcia, Aaron J. Ilika
Cover of the book How the Anglo-Saxons Read Their Poems by Barbara Fuchs, Larissa Brewer-Garcia, Aaron J. Ilika
Cover of the book Faithful Republic by Barbara Fuchs, Larissa Brewer-Garcia, Aaron J. Ilika
Cover of the book Embodied History by Barbara Fuchs, Larissa Brewer-Garcia, Aaron J. Ilika
Cover of the book Everyday Politics by Barbara Fuchs, Larissa Brewer-Garcia, Aaron J. Ilika
Cover of the book Ethnonationalist Conflict in Postcommunist States by Barbara Fuchs, Larissa Brewer-Garcia, Aaron J. Ilika
Cover of the book Women at War by Barbara Fuchs, Larissa Brewer-Garcia, Aaron J. Ilika
Cover of the book Family Values and the Rise of the Christian Right by Barbara Fuchs, Larissa Brewer-Garcia, Aaron J. Ilika
Cover of the book The Risk of War by Barbara Fuchs, Larissa Brewer-Garcia, Aaron J. Ilika
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy