Guias de príncipes e perplexos. A honra letrada face ao Cisma em Fernão Lopes

Abstract

Although anchored in a specific historical reality, the narratives proposed by Fernão Lopes for the reigns of three Portuguese kings –D. Pedro, D. Fernando and D. João I– have been successively understood as the result of a complex construction, associated with a presumed unifying ideological plan and a very specific political context. Throughout this construction process, the chronicler of Avis used several key elements, such as those figures he would repeatedly identify as letrados, and which allow us to make a critical reading of his narrative. Here, we seek to analyse precisely Fernão Lopes’ uses of these characters in his relationship with the different monarchs, particularly under the spectre of the Great Schism (1378-1417). Using the works of the Portuguese chronicler dedicated to the reigns of Fernando I and João I, our study will focus on two main themes: first, the way in which the chronicler describes these individuals and places them in an effective or metaphorical dialogue with the different kings; second, the way in which he represents these men and attributes to them a symbolic capital within a narrative that affirms a certain letrado honour. This enquiry will be preceded by a brief analysis on the concept of honor: what did such a concept mean in the context of the late Middle Ages and how did it evolve?