In the year 777, Muslim leaders from Barcelona and Zaragoza sought help from Charlemagne, as the Emir of Cordoba sought to subjugate them. The King provided refuge to them and other Hispanic territorial leaders, under the condition that they would join the Carolingian Empire—a pact they did not honor. This marked the beginning of the future kingdoms that developed over the next four centuries.
Situated in the Mediterranean, the center of trade in those times, Catalonia’s development was significant, granting it greater initial prominence. In this context, they engaged in constant negotiations between the Muslim and Carolingian worlds during their disputes, giving rise to Catalan seny.
It is worth noting that Catalonia did not join the Carolingian Empire; instead, they engaged in deceptive negotiations. In Catalan, this is expressed as “fer la puta i la ramoneta,” meaning playing both sides. This is the origin of seny: listening to one party, listening to another, and making the appropriate decision—not prudence or discretion, as is mistakenly attributed.
Two Franciscan monks, Ramon Llull (1276) and Francesc de Eiximenis (1409), are the primary compilers of seny: battles are won with skill and wisdom rather than amassing troops. When a castle is besieged, it is prudent to know how and when to leave, not to remain still. God gave us two ears and one mouth to listen twice as much as we speak; in other words, one must surround oneself with people more capable, take risks proportionate to the circumstances, and establish authority through acquired prestige.
According to Josep Pla, the Catalan, after enduring and listening for so long, explodes and becomes unreasonable—a state known as rauxa. In this state, one is incapable of listening, disregards the catastrophic consequences of their actions, fails to surround themselves with capable individuals, etc. For the sake of seny, I refrain from providing examples from the last 110 years.
Josep Ma Romances
