Las Leyendas de la Hermosa Jarifa
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Authors
Melanie Werner
Issue Date
2026
Type
Language
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Abstract
This project uses creative storytelling to explore ideas of honor, social status, religion, and political unrest in 15th-century Muslim Granada. The story is based around the 16thcentury Moorish novel El Abencerraje y la Hermosa Jarifa, and it combines historical elements and Spanish legends to expand on the original story and lives of the characters. While the retelling follows a variety of characters, it primarily focuses on Abindarráez, a young Abencerraje prince, and his journey to discover what honor means to him in a world rocked by deception and betrayal. The story is framed as a “proposal” for an animated series, divided into a series of episodes. Each episode includes a plot summary, an analysis, and drawings and explanations of the characters.
As I researched for this project, I examined many sources such as traditional legends from the period (especially surrounding the Alhambra, the Granadan palace where Abindarráez is from), journal articles, and other historical written sources documenting what life was like in 15th-century Granada. For the character designs, I investigated several visual elements such as fabrics from the Nasrid period, traditional art, and additional clothing artifacts. I then incorporated my findings into my characters’ outfits and designs to reflect their societal status and role in the story.
While this story is still in development, there are several arguments and themes that stand out in the narrative. Through its interactions of characters with diverse religious backgrounds and social statuses, Las Leyendas de la Hermosa Jarifa builds a picture of Al-Andalus that supports neither a society rooted purely in conflict or conviviencia, but one that is much more complicated. It also stands as a challenge to traditional Spanish Golden Age stereotypes of violence equating to ultimate honor. At its heart, this story is one about conflicting tensions, whether it be the unpredictable world of Nasrid politics or the imminent Christian Reconquista. Most importantly, however, it is also about internal tensions: the inner struggle and journey of a young man discovering who he is.