If the old aphorism is to be believed, «Spain begins at the Pyrenees». This European and Spanish proclamation of difference or uniqueness is born out, in a sense, but also turned on its head by this collection of essays by an eminent group of American Hispanicists. These articles focus on various aspects of medieval Iberian society, economy, and religion as well as the Peninsula's rich and diverse literature of the era. This essay collection thus provides a valuable introduction to the study of the Spanish «national character», which is indeed unique but rooted in general European traditions.
