Amadis of Gaul by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo

Knighted by his father King Perión, Amadís battles and kills the Firm Island's terrible Endriago, a winged abomination born from two ogres crosses the enchanted arch of true lovers and passes through all kinds of dangerous adventure in search of his beloved Oriana. He is persecuted by the wizard Arcalaús, but protected by Urganda la desconocida (Urganda the unknown or unrecognized), an ambiguous priestess with magical powers allowing her to change her aspect at will. Abandoned at birth on a barge in England, the child is raised by the knight Gandales in Gaul and investigates his origins through fantastic adventures. However, it seems that in fact it was Juan de Lobeira, and not the troubadour Vasco de Lobeira, and that rather than originating with him it was the revision of an earlier work from the beginning of the 14th century.Īfter an introduction in which it is claimed that the text was found in a buried chest (the famous motif of the false document), the story narrates the star-crossed love of King Perión of Gaul and Elisena of England, resulting in the secret birth of Amadís. What's more, in the Portuguese Chronicle of Gomes Eannes de Azurara (1454), the writing of Amadís is attributed to a Vasco de Lobeira, who was dubbed knight after the battle of Aljubarrota (1385). Montalvo himself confesses to have amended the first three volumes, and to be the author of the fourth. It was published in four books in Castilian, but its origins are unclear: The narrative comes from Portugal, originates in the post-Arthurian genre, and had certainly been read as early as the 14th century by the chancellor Pero López de Ayala as well as his contemporary Pero Ferrús. It was first published in Zaragoza in 1508 by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo (or Garci Ordóñez de Montalvo). Īmadís de Gaula (English, Amadis of Gaul) is a landmark work among the knight-errantry tales which were in vogue in 16th century Spain, and formed the earliest reading of many Renaissance and Baroque writers.

There is usually at least one damsel in distress per chapter in the classic chivalry epic Amadis of Gaul. Miguel de Cervantes wrote Don Quixote as a parody of the the mediaeval romance genre in general and the Amadís de Gaula in particular.

Amadis of Gaul by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo