Propaganda and Political Legitimation in the Construction of the Funerary Memory of King John I of Portugal (1385 – 1433)

Abstract

This article investigates the construction and role of narratives about the death of King John I of Portugal (1385 – 1433) as tools for dynastic legitimization of the House of Avis in the 15th century. Narratives about royal death were used to create dynastic stories aimed at legitimizing the power of princes in the late Middle Ages. Portuguese royal chroniclers such as Fernão Lopes, Gomes Zurara, Rui de Pina, Garcia de Resende, and Duarte Nunes Leão played a crucial role in crystallizing the memories of the dynasty by using idealized discourses to glorify the monarchs. The Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385, considered the "birth certificate" of the Avis Dynasty, was a central element in these narratives, as evidenced by the epitaph of John I in the Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória. This monastery became a "chronicle in stone," symbolizing power and serving as a tool to legitimize a royal house that ascended to the throne illegitimately. We understand the construction of narratives about the deaths of these sovereigns within the concept of "uses of the past," which served a project of consecrating the founding king and his descendants. In this context, we examine sources, chronicles, and funeral monuments from Batalha, investigating the construction of narratives about the death of John I as instruments of legitimization, political propaganda, and dynastic affirmation of the House of Avis in the 15th century.