The Cantigas de Santa Maria as a means of self-presentation of the king Alfonso X the Wise

The thesis deals with a method of self-presentation employed by the king of Castile Alphonse X the Learned (†1284) as it appears in his Marian songbook Cantigas de Santa Maria, where the king proclaims himself to be a troubadour of the Virgin Mary, thus creating a double character of king-troubadour. The first part presents an analysis of the »king« aspect of this double character and the alfonsine concept of monarch as a comprehending head of the people. In the second part the troubadour persona of the king is scrutinized with special emphasis on proximity between those two concepts. It is shown along the way how the close relation with the saint enables the king to enrich his secular regal power with a touch of sanctity independent of Rome