The religious poetry of Jaime de Oleza y Calvó (1552-1604)

Abstract

Literature written in Spanish in 16th century Mallorca includes both a popular side, as evidenced in the existence of a number of broadsides that in great measure deal with the Counter Reformation, as well as a more extensive body of literature written by the poet Jaime de Oleza y Calvó (1552-1604). His lengthy poem, Sacro trofeo de Cristo (Valencia, Pedro Patricio Mey, 1599), in the same vein as one composed by the French author Olivier de la Marche, imitates the latter’s Chevalier délibéré, which the Spaniard  Hernando de Acuña had translated with the title El caballero determinado (1553). These poems are inscribed withing the the tradition known as “spiritual chivalry (“caballería espiritual”) or chivalric romances “in a sacred manner” (“a lo divino”) which are characterized by a deep moral content that arises from the structure of allegorical discourse. Underlying this content is the Christian concept of the History of Salvation, in which the theme of redemption is central. In addition to these compositions, and in harmony with the Counter Reformation spirit of the time, this article analyzes other poetic compositions dealing with the Eucharist and the doctrine of the immaculate conception, poems that reveal their author’s passionate defense of Catholic orthodoxy.

Keywords:  Mallorcan Religious Poetry, Counter Reformation, Jaime de Oleza