Laberinto de Fortuna

Laberinto de Fortuna (Labyrinth of Fortune) is the major work of Juan de Mena (1411–1456), who completed the poem in 1444. It is an epic poem written in "arte mayor" (verses of 12 syllables). Though the title implies an examination of Fortune, the work is essentially a propagandistic piece in favor of Castilian political unity behind Álvaro de Luna, the court favorite of King Juan II of Castilla. It includes considerable social satire criticizing corrupt nobles and urging the king to take action against them. The Labyrinth was much read during the 15th and 16th centuries, although its linguistic and structural complexity led to the publication of a "glossed" version (in which explanatory notes follow each stanza) in 1499. The work is also known as Las treszientas (The Three-Hundred) because it consists of 300 stanzas (although some manuscripts include only 297).