El viaje a Camelot de Bartolomé de las Casas

Abstract

The author analyzes the Brevísima, by Bartolomé de las Casas, in the context of the knightly imaginary boom in the 16th century Spain, propitiated by the companies of the Conquista and the Colonia, which also equally embodied religious heroic deeds. The author considers knightly reflection –overshadowed perhaps by the dramatic quality and violence of what is narrated, among other reasons–, beginning with the lascasian promise to ennoble the peaceful peasants provided that the colonization process be characterized as justice; she highlights the courteous and peaceful character of the Indians, as well as their values which have a touch of knightliness («just like the males, the females preferred death before betraying their honor or fail their husbands»; emphasizes their respect for the hierarchy whether it be natural or acquired, and the responsibilities that each has, including those of the good king, who protects his vassals and defends the boundaries of his territory); also his gentle manners is seen as a mark of nobility. The narrative standard of Brevísima is similar to that of many masterpieces that follow the knightly tradition. It utilizes all the elements in a civilized portrayal of the Indians, depicted as living in a society and according to Christian virtues prior to the arrival of the Spanish, in a balance that would be threatened by the excessive zeal of the Conquistadores.