YUSEF ABUL HAGIG.

THE FINISHER
OF THE ALHAMBRA.
(WASHINGTON IRVINGS TALES OF
THE ALHAMBRA 1832)
AMANDA SERRANO
EMMA ORTIZ MURCIA

SUMMARY
The author tells the story of Yusef Abul Hagig, the Moslem prince in Granada who was the finisher
of the work started by Alhamar, the founder of the Alhambra.

REAL AND HISTORICAL FACTS AND CHARACTERS

He [Yusef] ascended the throne of Granada in the year of grace 1333 [...] he undertook a
great campaign, in conjunction with the king of Morocco , against the kings of Castile and
Portugal , but was defeated in the memorable battle of Salado it took place in the presentday province of Cdiz.
Yusef obtained a long truce after this defeat Castile entered in the Hundred Years War as
an ally of France, and that was the reason for the mentioned truce.

Alfonso XI of Castile, took the field with great force, and laid siege to Gibraltar
his dreaded foe [ Alfonso XI] had suddenly fallen a victim to the plague

Introduction:

STRUCTURE

Presentation of the protagonist -> Combination of historical piece of information (year of

coronation of King Yusuf I in 1333) with a description of his:

(1) Outward appearance (noble presence,great bodily strength, and a fair complexin,
suffering his beard to grow to a dignified length and dying it black)
(2) Inner characteristics: His manners were gentle, affable, and urbane; he carried the benignity
of his nature into warfare, prohibiting all wanton cruelty, and enjoining mercy and protection
towards women and children, the aged and infirm, his genius was more for peace than
war
he had an excellent memory, and had stored his mind with science and erudition
devoting himself to the instruction of his people and the improvement of their morals

STRUCTURE
Introduction:
Special attention to buildings and architectural works carried out by Yusef
(real references of the places)

Gate of Justice (Alhambra, 1348)

 Description of:

STRUCTURE

(a) Time: ascended the throne of

Granada in the year of grace 1333, in the
year 1354, as he was one day praying
(b) Setting: the nobles of Granada [...] soon
filled the city of Granada with magnificent
palaces, the walls and ceiling wrought in
fretwork, and delicately gilded and painted
with azure, vermilion, and other brilliant
colors many of the fountains, which
threw up jets of water to refresh and cool
the air

STRUCTURE
Body: development of the event

one anecdote will be sufficient to show the magnanimity of this generous

prince. The long truce which had succeeded the battle of Salado was at an
end, and every effort of Yusef to renew it was in vain
his dreaded foe had suddenly fallen a victim to the plague
The same reverence for the deceased was observed by all the Moorish
commanders on the frontiers, who suffered the funeral train to pass in
safety, bearing the corpse of the Christian sovereign from Gibraltar to
Seville

STRUCTURE
Conclusion:
...Yusef did not long survive the enemy he
had so generously deplored. In the year
1354...
The mosque still exists which once
resounded with the dying cries of Yusef,
but the monument which reorded his
virtues has long since disappeared

CHARACTERISTICS
Enhancing the qualities of Yusuf:
and though repeatedly obliged by circumstances to take up arms, he was
generally unfortunate

The genius of a sovereign stamps a character upon his time

the elegant and graceful taste of Yusef

Yusef reluctantly took up arms

Granada, in the days of Yusef, was as a silver vase filled with emeralds and
jacinths

and was touched with a noble sorrow

CHARACTERISTICS

Pieces of information that contribute to the effect of veracity:

described by Moslem writers and the majesty of his countenance

increased, say they....
...he was accounted the best poet of his time

... to use the beautiful simile of an Arabian writer, Granada, in the days
of Yusef, was as a silver vase
The Spanish chroniclers themselves [...] according to their accounts
the mosque still exists which once resounded with the dying cries of
Yusef
His name, however, remains inscribed among the delicate and
graceful ornaments of the Alhambra

CHARACTERISTICS
Washington Irvings Tales of the Alhambra contains a great amount of the
following kinds of elements:
Gothic
Medieval
Oriental/exotic

CHARACTERISTICS
Gothic: citadel, mere mass of
crumbling ruins, deadly, anxiety,
dreaded, mourning, dead, death,
mute, melancholy, mournful
pageant, suffered, funeral train,
corpse, deceased, weltering in his
blood, murderer, fury, superb
sepulchre, epitaph, dying cries
Medieval: fortress, courts, halls,
towers, Christians

CHARACTERISTICS
Oriental/exotic: halls, ...noble presence, great bodily strength, and a fair complexion, and the
majesty of his countenance increased, say they, by suffering his beard to grow to a dignified length
and dying it black, palace, elegance, magnificence, ...soon filled the city of Granada with
magnificent palaces; the halls of which were paved with mosaic, the walls and ceilings wrought in
fretwork, and delicately gilded and painted with azure, vermilion, and other brilliant colors, or
minutely inlaid with cedar and other precious woods..., ...Many of the houses had fountains, which
threw up jets of water to refresh and cool the air. They had lofty towers also, of wood or stone,
curiously carved and ornamented, and covered with plates of metal that glittered in the sun. Such
was the refined and delicate taste in architecture that prevailed among this elegant people...,
...Granada, in the days of Yusef, was as a silver vase filled with emeralds and jacinths...", ...delicate
and graceful ornaments of the Alhambra

DIDACTIC PURPOSE
To show the Americans how a sultan, a
public leader could be so noble and fair:
he carried the benignity of his
nature into warfare, ...the bent of
his genius was more for peace than
war
Alas! cried he, the world has
lost one of its most excellent princes;
a sovereign who knew how to honor
merit, whether in friend of foe

DIDACTIC PURPOSE
It is not all about war and conquest but also about citizens rights, protection and
education:
the instruction of his people and the improvement of their morals and
manners, he established schools in all the villages, with simple and uniform
systems of education
He attended vigilantly to the police of the city, establishing nocturnal
guards and patrols, and superintending all municipal concerns...

enjoining mercy and protection towards women and children, the aged
and infirm, and all friars and other persons of holy and recluse life...

DIDACTIC PURPOSE
Hence, the model behaviour is applicable to the entire Moorish community, who,
in spite of having been sieged, felt empathy and showed respect for the
Christians loss:
Even those of Gibraltar, who had been so closely invested, when they knew
that the hostile monarch lay dead in his camp, determined among themselves
that no hostile movement should be made against the Christians

DIDACTIC PURPOSE

By these words and these stories, in particular this one, Washington Irving has tried
to instruct people of his era and the coming years, just by capturing those goodnature deeds carried out by a great Moslem prince.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://www.biografiasyvidas.com/biografia/y/yusuf_i.htm

http://www.virtualsalt.com/gothic.htm
http://granadablog.net/tales_of_the_alhambra/index.php?chapter=9