Song and Source in the Cantigas de Santa Maria

Abstract

This paper seeks to re-orient our view of the Cantigas de Santa Maria (CSM) around their status as songs and asks how this might impact on our understanding of the manuscript sources. Building on the model for the CSM’s creation presented in the 2006 article ‘Collection, Composition and Compilation in the Cantigas de Santa Maria’ by Stephen Parkinson and Deirdre Jackson, it argues for a broader view of what constitutes ‘creation’ in the context of the Cantigas, and posits a potential ‘song-creation process’ as opposed to the three separate compositional processes—for text, music and miniatures—proposed by Parkinson and Jackson. It also argues that the gap between content and written record inherent in song allows us to extend our frame of reference beyond the manuscripts towards questions of audience and reception, despite the lack of evidence of further transmission.