What is the name of the barber who accompanies the priest in Don Quixote?

The barber who accompanies the priest in Don Quixote is Maese Nicolás. He is the village barber and one of Alonso Quixano’s familiar neighbors, making him a practical ally in attempts to manage Don Quixote’s growing obsession with chivalric romances.

Maese Nicolás works closely with Pero Pérez, the parish priest. Together with Don Quixote’s niece and housekeeper, they inspect his library and arrange for many of his books to be burned, believing the romances have driven him mad. They also participate in schemes intended to bring him home safely after his adventures.

Readers sometimes confuse Maese Nicolás with Maese Pedro, the puppet-showman who appears later in the novel. Maese Pedro is actually Ginés de Pasamonte in disguise, while Nicolás remains the barber from Don Quixote’s home village. “Maese” is an honorific meaning roughly “master,” traditionally used for skilled tradespeople.