The Miracles of Our Lady

The Miracles of Our Lady, Milagros de Nuestra Señora, is the main work of Gonzalo de Berceo.

The book is a collection of exempla about twenty-five miracles of the Blessed Virgin Mary, written around 1260 in a sort of Spanish dialect called Riojan.

Context and influence

The sources used by Gonzalo de Berceo were various collections of tales about the miracles written in Latin. The book was helped to promote Marian devotions among the people by making the subject easier to understand them for the people of his time. In order to get that he made used of the characteristic resources of the minstrels (see Mester de Juglaría). However, it is important to note that Gonzalo de Berceo belonged to the Mester de Clerecía.

Structure

The work begins with an allegorical introduction in which the author introduces himself in an idealized nature, which symbolizes the virtues and perfections of the Virgin. Then, the writer report about twenty-five miracles performed by the Virgin in favour of people who feel a great devotion for her. At the end of each story there is a moraleja (moral) or teaching to make the listener or reader realize the advantages of being a devotee of the Virgen. These miracles are divided in three different groups:

• Miracles in which Maria rewards or punishes men, as La casulla de San Idelfonso.
• Miracles in which the Virgin forgive and manages to save his devotees, as El sacristán impúdico.
• Miracles in which the characters suffer a spiritual crisis and Mary helps them to solve their conflicts, as La abadesa encinta.

Bibliography

• Miracles of Our Lady by Gonzalo de Berceo, edited by Richard Terry Mount 1998 ISBN 0813120195

External links

• Milagros de Nuestra Señora and Lais by Mary de France. Similarities and differences. Written by Pamela Bastante. Biblioteca Gonzalo de Berceo.