Amadis de Gaul: Gaul is the Latin name for France but Amadis de Gaul is a Spanish tale of chivalry, written by Garci Rodriguez de Montalvo in 1508, almost a century before Don Quixote was published.

Balsam of Fierabras: Prince Fierabras is a character from "Twelve Peers," an old Spanish epic. From the Saracens, a tribe of fierce Muslim warriors, Fierabras gets the recipe for this all-healing balm.

Benedictine monks: An order of monks established by St. Benedict, a writer who died in 547.

Biscainer: A person from the region bordering the Bay of Biscay, a gulf defined by the coasts of western France and Northern Spain.

Chivalry: the system, spirit, or customs of medieval knighthood.

Holy Brotherhood: The Holy Brotherhood was formed in the 1470s as an alliance between the towns and the monarchy, against the nobility. They began as armed guards and emerged as a nationalized police force under Don Fernando and Isabella.

King Arthur: Founder of the Knights of the Round Table. Arthur is the illegitimate son of King Uther Pendragon. He becomes king by pulling the sword Excalibur from its fixed position, with the blade locked inside of a stone. King Arthur is deceived by his right-hand man, Lancelot; betrayed by his wife, Guinevere; and murdered by his son, Mordred.

Knight-errant: a knight traveling in search of adventures in which to exhibit military skill, prowess and generosity.

Leon: This was the first region of Spain that the Spanish re-conquered. Under King Don Fernando, Leon grew in territorial size and untied with Castile to form one unified Spanish kingdom.

Mambrino's Helmet: This is derived from two old chivalric tales: Orlando Furioso, by Ariosto; and the more famous Roland in Love, by Boiardo. Mambrino is much like King Midas of Greek mythology. He is pagan, proud, and arrogant‹and he wears a helmet constructed of solid gold. While wearing the helmet, Mambrino cannot be harmed, and so Quixote is eager to find this treasure.

Moors: Arabs from Northern Africa who captured Spain in the 700s. They were expelled from Spain in 1492.

Winnowing: a process of separating the chaff (waste) from grain by fanning the stalks in the air.

• Biography of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
• About Don Quixote Book I
• Character List
• Major Themes
• Glossary of Terms
• Short Summary
• Full Summary and Analysis
• Summary and Analysis of Book I, Chapters 1-6
• Summary and Analysis of Book I, Chapters 7-10
• Summary and Analysis of Book I, Chapters 11-15
• Summary and Analysis of Book I, Chapters 16-22
• Summary and Analysis of Book I, Chapters 23-26
• Summary and Analysis of Book I, Chapters 27-29
• Summary and Analysis of Book I, Chapters 30-32
• Summary and Analysis of Book I, Chapters 33-35
• Summary and Analysis of Book I, Chapters 36-41
• Summary and Analysis of Book I, Chapters 42-46
• Summary and Analysis of Book I, Chapters 47-52
• Related Links on Don Quixote Book I
• About the Medieval Romance
• Author of ClassicNote and Sources
• Purchase Don Quixote Book I and Other Works
• Test Yourself! Quiz 1
• Test Yourself! Quiz 2
• Essays on Don Quixote Book I
• E-Text
• Message Board on Don Quixote Book I