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muslims, jews and christians in medieval muslim seville - Scholars PDF

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MUSLIMS, JEWS AND CHRISTIANS IN MEDIEVAL MUSLIM SEVILLE: (711-1248 CE) PERCEIVING ARTISTIC EXPRESSIONS AS SIGNS OF ACCULTURATION LAURA ELAINE VAUGHAN A THESIS Presented to the School ofMusic andthe Honors College ofthe UniversityofOregon inpartial fulfillment oftherequirements for the degree ofBachelorofMusic Performance June 2006 11 An Abstract ofthe Thesis of Laura Elaine Vaughan for the degree ofBachelorofMusic Perfonnance in the School ofMusic to betaken June 2006 Title: MUSLIMS, JEWS AND CHRISTIANS IN MEDIEVAL MUSLIM SEVILLE: (711-1248 CE) PERCEIVING ARTISTIC EXPRESSIONS AS SIGNS OF ACCULTURATION Approved: ProfessorAllie Dhu McLucas In the past few centuries, scholarshave begunto reevaluate the Euro-centrism ofwestem history. Spain in the Middle Ages presents fertile research groundbecause it was ruled under Muslims for sevenhundred years. Musicologists still debate as to whetherthe famous manuscript, Las Cantigas de Santa Maria, contains any Arabic musical influence. This thesis enlarges the scope ofthis debatebeyond the musical manuscript. This study centers on Seville, where Alfonso X commissionedthe Cantigas, in orderto better understand the cultural relationships within the city at the time ofthe Cantigas' creation. Ilook at five art fonns that were either created in Seville orhad strongties withthis city: the illustrations, poetry, and music ofthe Cantigas, atreatise on chess commissionedby Alfonso, and the architectureofSeville. This thesis does not prove anynew theory. Instead, I focus on finding anew approach to discovering amore conclusive answer regardingArabicmusical influence inLas Cantigas de Santa Maria. Through this comparative analysis, I seek to accurately gauge thepossibilityofArabic musical influence withinLasCantigas de Santa Maria. III Table ofContents 1. Introduction p. 1 11. Review ofLiterature p. 7 I. Historical Background ofMedieval Andalusia, or al- Andalus p. 13 II. Seville's (Islamic Ishbiliya) History under therule ofthe Moors p. 26 III. Architecture ofSeville p. 36 IV. Seville in the Time ofAlfonso X p. 46 V. Short History ofthe Music ofal-Andalus p. 60 VI. Las Cantigas de Santa Maria p. 70 A. The Manuscript. p. 70 B. The Illuminations p. 74 C. Music and Text. p. 80 1. Form p. 80 11. TheMelodic Notation and Rhythmic Modes ofthe Cantigas p. 86 D. Problems TranscribingLas Cantigas de Santa Maria p. 89 E. Performancepractice ofLas Cantigas de Santa Maria p. 94 F. My Approach to PerfomlancePractice ofthe Cantigas p. 97 VII. The Linkbetween the Cantigas and the Nawba ofthe Maghrib p. 109 VIII. Conclusion p. 115 IX. Appendix l. CD Tracks and Translation ofText.. p. 119 X. Selected Bibliography p. 121 IV Illustrations and Figures Illustration I...Map ofThe Islamic World in the Seventh through Tenth Centuries...p. 15 Illustration 2 Map ofAl-Andalus, 1009 to 1248, From the TaifaKingdoms to the Fall ofthe Almohads p. 23 Illustration 3 Map ofSeville, San Bartolome p. 29 Illustration 4.... Image ofLa Alhambra, Patio de los Arrayanes (Court ofthe Myrtles) Photographtaken byauthor. p. 35 Illustration 5 Cathedral ofSevilleand the Giralda minaret; Photograph takenby author p. 38 Illustration 6... Three Images ofMinarets in Modem Seville: (top) Seville Parish Churches Santa Catalina and San Gil; (bottom) Seville Parish Church ofSantaMarina Top two photographs takenbyMargaret Kaluzny, bottom byauthor. p. 39 Illustration 7 View ofCathedral ofSeville from Plane p. 42 Illustration 8... Patio de las Munecas, AlcazarofSeville, photo takenbyauthor......p. 44 Illustration 9, 10, 11, 12,13, 14....Six Images from El Tratado delAjedrez, (The Book of Chess) showing cultural relationships p. 56-7 Illustration 15 Scanned Image ofCantiga 167 from the 'Codex ofMusicians' manuscript p. 70 Illumination 16 Illustration from the 'Codex ofMusicians' manuscript, found next to the Prologue p. 74 Illumination 17...Illuminations from the 'Codex ofMusicians' manuscript, found next to Cantigas 170 and 270...p. 78 Illumination 18... Illuminations from the 'Codex ofMusicians' manuscript, found next to Cantigas 300 and 120 '" p. 79 Figure 1.. Graph oftheRhyme Scheme and Musical Phrases ofthe Cantigas p. 81 Figure 2 , Written-Out Form ofmuwashshah, zajal, and cantigas p. 84 Music Excerpt 1 Cantiga 103, Angles Transcription p. 91 Music Excerpt 2 Cantiga 280, Cunningham Transcription p. 92 v Music Excerpt 3 Cantiga 190, Angles TranscIiption p. 103 Music Excerpt4 Cantiga 100, Angles Transcliption p. 103 Music Excerpt 5 Cantiga 103, Angles Transcliption p. 105 Music Excerpt6 Cantiga 165, Angles Transcliption p. 106 Music Excerpt7 Cantiga 167, Angles TranscIiption p. 107 Music Excerpt 8 Cantiga 189, Angles TranscIiption p. 108 i. Introduction Spanishhistorians have repeatedlyrefuted the ideathat Spain has been influenced byArabic peoples. The Inquisitionlasted for such along peliod oftime thatthe ideaof tolerance and cultural interchange thathad existed in Muslim Spainbecame aghost ofthe past. While othercountIies' historians wereputtingdown thehistoryoftheirnations' past, Spain was caught in apolitical atmosphere that did not allow for the freedom to lookback centuries at the truth that pointedto therealityofseveral religions living, ruling, and influencing each otherinone area. Theprestigious twentieth-century historian, Sanchez-Albomoz, exclaims: "Without Islam, who can guess what ourdestiny might have been? Without Islam, Spainwould have followed the samepaths as France, Germanyand England; and tojudge from what we have achieved overthe centuries in spite ofIslam, perhaps we would have marched at theirhead."l Americo Castro was one ofthe first scholars inthe twentieth centuryto lookback into Spain's past in away thatignored the preconceptions forced upon the Spanishpeople as awhole. Published and translated, Castro'sbook setthe stage for scholars ofthe twentieth centuryto rediscoverthe truth ofmedieval Spain and the influences thatmake itwhatitis today.2 Spainhas possessed, within bothits political and popularculture, a view ofitselfthatrejects the conceptthat the Spanishpeoplewere everanything other than Spanish. Despitethe fact that Celts, Visigoths, Romans, Muslims and Jews lived upon the Iberian Peninsula, many SpanishhistOlical documents repudiate the ideathat thesepeoples had any influence overthepure 'Spanish' population. In The Spaniards, I AsquotedinMariaRosaMenocal, TheArabicRoleinMedievalLiterGlYHistory: A ForgottenHeritage (Philadelphia:UniversityofPennsylvaniaPress, 1987), II. (translatedbyMonroe 1970: 257) 2AmericoCastro, TheSpaniards:AnIntroduction to TheirHistOf)!. (Berkeley: UniversityofCalifomia Press, 1971) 2 Castro traces the Oligins ofespaiiolas a tenn that came from Provencein the thilieenth century. Beforethe thirteenth century, the Christians on the Ibelian Peninsulahad no collective identity and refen-ed to themselves as cristianos. The lbelianPeninsulahad beennamed Hispaniabythe Romans. TheFrench thus called them espaiioles. As the native Iberians achieved more successes as aunited front against the Muslims, a national identitybeganto emerge and theybeganto apply the tenn espaiioles to themselves.3 Therefore, itwas onlyoncethe Muslim population arrived that anational identitywas created. In light ofthis infonnation, the idea ofapure 'Spanish' population that has always existed seems unlikely. This thesis was inspired bymyintroduction to the culture ofAndalusiain June 2005. Themystelies that sun-OlInd its pastare as complicated as the streets that wind through the Arab districts in cities like Granada or Seville. However, the complexityof its past is beginningto beunearthed. Is this quest beingdone in orderto show the world that various peoples can livetogetherin peace and hannony? Itis possibleto arguethis, in afashion. However, it cannotbe ignoredthat the Muslims, Jews, and Christians who livedin al-Andalus were continuouslywaning againstone anotherand striving for each other's power. A striking fact is that, in al-Andalus, Muslims and Christians were not necessmily always fighting each other-Muslim and Christian leaders would create alliances to defeat mutual enemies; religion did not always dictate who was fiiend orfoe. Peace and hannonyare subjectivetelms. Itcanbe argued that toleration ofanother culture in one's own cityas opposed to genocide and expulsion is amuchmore favorable option. Muslim Spain seems to represent a grey area that cannot as yet, be defined as simplypeaceful or chaotic. The cultures were coexisting, thoughthe level oftolerance 3Castro, TheSpaniards:AnIntroduction to TheirHistory, 11. r 3 and acceptance would change depending onvarious factors, especiallythe ruler orruling culture. Somehow the atmosphere ofMuslim Spain allowed various cultures to live together for centuries in the same cities without genocide orterrible oppression. What gave them this abilityis one ofthe secrets that will onlybe able to beunderstood with time and research. In this thesis, Iintend to explorethe relations between the three different cultures in al-Andalus through analyzing various forms ofartistic expression ofthe thilieenth century. Forthe purposes ofthis thesis, Iwill focus mostlyupon the relationship between the dominant cultures, Cluistian and Muslim, withless emphasis onthe role ofthe Jewish population. In particular, I will be particularly addressing the works ofSeville extant and created duringthe time ofAlfonso X. Alfonso X came into Seville after his father conquered it in 1248; he adopted various structures as Christian centers, such as the Great Mosque in Seville. This adoption ofarchitectural structures as well as commissioning Mudejars4 to build new buildings in an obviously 'Arabic' style occurred throughout Andalusiaafterthe Reconquista. Christian communitieshad, beforethe Reconquistahad turned decidedlyin their favorS, attempted to avoid the Islamic arts in al-Andalus. Once most ofthe IberianPeninsula was in Christianhands, their admiration for the craftsmanship and skill ofthe Islamic artisans beganto show. Mudejar craftsmen were employed for a long enough period that the craftwas no longerboundbyculturalbarriers and Christian and Jews knew the skills ofthe Mudejartrade. In this thesis, not onlywill 4MudejarswerecraftsmenwhokeptthetraditionsofMuslimartisansaliveundertherule oftheChristians. AlargepopulationofMudejars livedinGranadaduringtheNasridrule. AftertheReconquista,theposition ofaMudejarwasoneofthemostfeasiblepositionsforaMuslimpersontobehiredandsubsistinthenew Christian-dominatedculture. SFerdinandTIlwas thelastimportantconquerorofMuslimlandsinMuslimSpain. Cordoba,Jaen,and Sevilleareamonghisgreattriumphs. Sevillewasconqueredin1248. , 4 the architectureofSevillebe studied, but two works commissioned byAlfonso X. The first work I will present is a treatise entitled EI Tratado de Ajedrez(1283), atreatise on chess commissioned (and possiblydirected by) Alfonso X. In this treatise, each folio of the treatise contains an illustration describingthe particularsituation in chess-these also testify to the cross-cultural relations that existed within the court ofAlfonso X. The second work, and the form ofartistic expression that Iwill focus upon in this thesis, is Las Cantigas de Santa Maria. The Cantigas is composed ofillustrations, text, and music. This compilationpresents an amalgamation ofvarious miistic styles and therefore cantell us about the societyin which it was created much betterthanjust a single excerpt ofa musical manuscript or single work ofliterature. It is an excellentresource to answerour question about whetherinfluencewas imparted from one culture to another, particularly ifArabic culture can be seen to have influencedthe Christian Spanish culture.6 Alfonso X looked to Las Cantigas de Santa Maria, in large part, for salvation. Themanuscript was intended to contain 100 Cantigas-as death nem'ed and the illness that wracked Alfonso's mind progressed, it grew to the much greaternumberof420. The Cantigas and Alfonso are connectedto Seville due to the fact that Alfonso died in Seville, he asked for the Cantigas to be played in the Seville mosque-cathedral everyMarian holiday, the citywas one ofthe most important locations his fatherhad conquered and that Alfonso then inherited the responsibility ofrepopulating, as well as other connections that will be elaboratedupon later in this thesis. 6Despitethe fact thatIamveryinterestedinthe ideaoftheArabic culturehaving influencedwestern medievalsociety, Idonotwantthereaderto thinkthatthis is the onlypurposeofmythesis. Iamsearching tounderstandtherelationshipbetweencultures, and thismeans thattheinfluencecouldgofrom Muslimto Christian,viceversa,fromJewishto ChristianortoMuslims, etc. 5 I follow the school ofthoughtthat music is aresultofthe times and society within which it is created. Therefore, my thesis will present an approach that combined the analysis ofmusic as well as the possible social, economic, orpolitical influences that existed at this time. Thepresentation ofa historical background ofMuslim Spain, Almohad Seville, and the Seville ofAlfonso X are necessary sections for readers who have not been exposed to the rich history ofmedieval Spain. Ihave read many musical articles concerningthe topic ofthe Cantigas and the possibility ofArabic influence-all writers have given some historical background as a foundation to understand the complexityofAndalusian societyin which the music and poetry were composed. The other forms ofartistic expression Iwill present-architecture, various genres ofpoetry, illustrations, and a treatise on chess are all forms thathave been accepted within their fields as demonstrating Arabic influence within a European context. Musicologists are still struggling to arrive ata conclusion as to whether the Cantigas reveal the same cultural mixingas these other forms. The Cantigas manuscript provides a very rough sketch ofhow theymight actuallybeperformed; it is impossible, inmyopinion, to make a solid conclusion concerningthebackground ofthe Cantigas solelybasedupon the music writtendown in the manuscript. Sincewe CaImot exactly replicate theperformance, Iagree with the philosophythat we should look to the culture withinwhich this musicwas created. In mysections coveringthe historyofAndalusia and the two eras, that ofthe Almohads andAlfonso X, Ihave chosen specific details of the cultures existingthere and their interactions to in orderto showhow closely interrelated Christian, Muslim, and Jewish lives were inmedieval Andalusia. Bybringing forth examples ofartistic expression created in this society, and the accepted facts that

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Jun 8, 2006 under the rule ofthe Moors p. I have not found a concrete answer to this question of .. Andalusian Umayyad ruler to claim the title as caliph as equals of the Muslims and they were taxed whereas the Muslim population
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