La montura aciaga del arcipreste Juan Ruiz

This article proposes a new semantic implication for the Archpriest Juan Ruiz´s mule when he enters the Guadarrama mountains. The aim of this study is to examine the nature of this animal figure within the context of the demonic elements that surround the pilgrimage, the four serranas, and the fictitious character of the Archpriest. This interpretation uncovers the illicit relations that clerics had with their concubines, who, according to their sociocultural significance and descriptions of them in Medieval sermons and folklore, entered into the realm of the diabolical after their death. This new reading not only reflects the sharp and lively hermeneutics of the Libro de buen amor, but it also proposes a reconsideration of the physical and moral person of the Archpriest. Consequently, the Archpriest´s historical figure, parts of his geographical journey, and the loss of his mule can be approached and dissected beyond a mere historical analysis.