A King Travels: Festive Traditions in Late Medieval and Early Modern Spain

Teofilo F. Ruiz; Teofilo F. Ruiz

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A King Travels

Festive Traditions in Late Medieval and Early Modern Spain

Teofilo F. Ruiz and Teofilo F. Ruiz

Language: English

Published/Copyright: 2012

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About this book

A King Travels examines the scripting and performance of festivals in Spain between 1327 and 1620, offering an unprecedented look at the different types of festivals that were held in Iberia during this crucial period of European history. Bridging the gap between the medieval and early modern eras, Teofilo Ruiz focuses on the travels and festivities of Philip II, exploring the complex relationship between power and ceremony, and offering a vibrant portrait of Spain's cultural and political life.

Ruiz covers a range of festival categories: carnival, royal entries, tournaments, calendrical and noncalendrical celebrations, autos de fe, and Corpus Christi processions. He probes the ritual meanings of these events, paying special attention to the use of colors and symbols, and to the power relations articulated through these festive displays. Ruiz argues that the fluid and at times subversive character of medieval festivals gave way to highly formalized and hierarchical events reflecting a broader shift in how power was articulated in late medieval and early modern Spain. Yet Ruiz contends that these festivals, while they sought to buttress authority and instruct different social orders about hierarchies of power, also served as sites of contestation, dialogue, and resistance.

A King Travels sheds new light on Iberian festive traditions and their unique role in the centralizing state in early modern Castile.

Author / Editor information

Teofilo F. Ruiz is Distinguished Professor of History at the University of California, Los Angeles. His many books include The Terror of History: On the Uncertainties of Life in Western Civilization and From Heaven to Earth: The Reordering of Castilian Society, 1150-1350 (both Princeton).

Reviews

"This study brings to the forefront the Iberian Peninsula, a geographical area usually neglected in the studies of these celebrations, while it informs, enlightens, and entertains. A great read."---Candelas Gala, European Legacy --- "Ruiz is . . . a master storyteller. The chroniclers who originally recounted these festivities and processions in loving detail intended to recreate for their readers a complete vision of the clothing, music, food, decorative arches, dances, and jousts that constituted them, and Ruiz has done the same service for us."---Jodi Campbell, English Historical Review --- "[O]ne may recommend the present study as a labour of love--a detailed and interesting introduction to that colourful world of chivalry which, as he confesses, has captivated the author since his youth."---James Casey, European History Quarterly --- "Accomplished historian Ruiz examines festivals in Spain from approximately 1200 to the mid-17th century. Starting from the premise that these events conveyed social, political, and ideological content, the author argues effectively that a close analysis over time of various festivals and related traditions--e.g., those associated with royal entries and visits to major municipalities; royal births, weddings, and funerals; Corpus Christi and Carnival--improves historians' understanding of changes in political processes and culture. . . . The book provides information and insight that anthropologists, students of Spanish literature, and historians of Spain and colonial Spanish America will draw upon for many years." --- "One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2012" --- "Teofilo F. Ruiz, Winner of the 2011 National Humanities Medal"

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Frontmatter
i

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Contents
vii

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Preface
ix
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Abbreviations
xiii
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CHAPTER I. Festivals in Late Medieval and Early Modern Spain: An Introduction
1
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CHAPTER II. The Meaning of Festivals: A Typology
34
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CHAPTER III. Royal Entries, Princely Visits, Triumphal Celebrations in Spain, c. 1327–1640
68
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CHAPTER IV. The Structure of the Late Medieval and Early Modern Royal Entry: Change and Continuity
113
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CHAPTER V. A King Goes Traveling: Philip II in the Crown of Aragon, 1585–86 and 1592
146
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CHAPTER VI. Martial Festivals and the Chivalrous Imaginary
193
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CHAPTER VII. Kings and Knights at Play in Late Medieval and Early Modern Spain
210
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CHAPTER VIII. From Carnival to Corpus Christi
246
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CHAPTER IX. Noncalendrical Festivals: Life Cycles and Power
293
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Conclusion
331
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APPENDIX. The Feasts of May 1428 at Valladolid
335
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Bibliography
339
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Index
345

Publishing information

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

eBook published on:

March 25, 2012

eBook ISBN:

9781400842247

Edition:

Core Textbook

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400842247

eBook ISBN: 9781400842247

Keywords for this book

Royal Entry; Crown of Aragon; Festival; Procession; Castile (historical region); Pas d'armes; Moors; Tortosa; Emblem; Knight; Trade-off; Social group; Chivalry; Western Europe; Clothing; Catabolism; Nobility; Courtesy; Musical instrument; Binche; Heir apparent; Glucose uptake; Viaticum; El Escorial; Astronomer; Miguel I of Portugal; Morisco; Lac operon; Fiction; King of Hungary; Northern Germany; Prediction; Retinue; Jean Paul; Weighting; 1330s; Grandee; Tirant lo Blanch; Triumphal arch; Henry II of France; George Orwell; Medina del Campo; Meal; Placard; Yunnan University; Result; Alpujarras; Sophistication; His Family; Supermassive black hole; Hernando del Pulgar; Obligation; Tamil Nadu; Infantes of Aragon; Law and literature; Tatars; Entertainment; Theme (narrative); Early modern period; Cavalcade; Geometric mean; Primary mirror; Boyar; Everyday life; Plaintiff; Reaction rate; Aragonese Way; Costume; Tantum Ergo; The Hermetic Tradition

Audience(s) for this book

For an expert adult audience, including professional development and academic research

A King Travels

Overview

About this book

Author / Editor information

Reviews

Topics

Table of contents

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

Abbreviations

CHAPTER I. Festivals in Late Medieval and Early Modern Spain: An Introduction

CHAPTER II. The Meaning of Festivals: A Typology

CHAPTER III. Royal Entries, Princely Visits, Triumphal Celebrations in Spain, c. 1327–1640

CHAPTER IV. The Structure of the Late Medieval and Early Modern Royal Entry: Change and Continuity

CHAPTER V. A King Goes Traveling: Philip II in the Crown of Aragon, 1585–86 and 1592

CHAPTER VI. Martial Festivals and the Chivalrous Imaginary

CHAPTER VII. Kings and Knights at Play in Late Medieval and Early Modern Spain

CHAPTER VIII. From Carnival to Corpus Christi

CHAPTER IX. Noncalendrical Festivals: Life Cycles and Power

Conclusion

APPENDIX. The Feasts of May 1428 at Valladolid

Bibliography

Index

Bibliographic data