James I: from glorious commemoration to a certain (induced) oblivion in the balearics

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.28939/iam.debats-140.3

Keywords:

James I, conquest of Majorca, popular memory, legends, Festa de l'Estendard celebration

Abstract

The rupture represented by the three-stage Catalan conquest of the Balearic Islands in 1229 (Majorca), 1234 (Ibiza) and 1287 (Minorca)—the latter by King Alphonse, the Liberal—led to a drastic decimation of the earlier Islamic society and subsequent introduction of a Catalan and Christian culture. In this sense, its architect James I became a foundational myth in the kingdom, not dissimilar to what occurred in the Kingdom of Valencia. Memories of him remained victorious, even eclipsing the monarchs from the period of the Kingdom of Majorca (1276–1343): James II, Sanç and James III. Indeed, he monopolised collective remembrance amongst the population, being assigned characteristics and events that belonged to his heirs.

Logically, remembrance of him has remained in place on the aforementioned basis until the present day. However, we are now hearing and experiencing debates and political interference that are attempting to alter this vision. The article first looks at this ancestral perspective that had remained practically unchanged until the turn of the millennium to then outline current ideological and factional inferences.

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Author Biography

Gabriel Ensenyat Pujol, University of Illes Balears

Doctor en Història per la Universitat de les Illes Balears (1990) i catedràtic del Departament de Filologia Catalana i Lingüística General de la mateixa universitat. La seua línia de recerca se centra en la història cultural i literària, centrada bàsicament en l’àmbit mallorquí i en la figura de Ramon Llull. És autor d’una biografia sobre Jaume I.

References

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Published

2026-10-07

How to Cite

Journal on culture, politics and society, D. and Ensenyat Pujol, G. (2026) “James I: from glorious commemoration to a certain (induced) oblivion in the balearics”, Debats. Journal on culture, power and society, 140, pp. 54–67. doi: 10.28939/iam.debats-140.3.

Issue

Vol. 140 (2026): El món de Jaume I i el nostre

Section

SPECIAL ISSUE

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