The King and his Subjects: Legal Representations in Alfonso X the Wise’s “Cantigas de Santa Maria”

This paper explores the legal perceptions of the relationship between the king and his subjects as reflected in the images and miracle narratives of the Cantigas de Santa María produced at the court of King Alfonso X the Wise of Castile and Leon. In particular, the article first examines how the laws regulating the public image of the ruler were reflected in the images of King Alfonso X and the Virgin Mary in the manuscripts of the Cantigas. The second part of the paper analyses in detail one of the stories in the collection that is particularly interesting in terms of legal representations. Finally, we present the first complete translation of this story into Russian.