Mujer y tradicion oral nicaraguense

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to study the depictions of women through certain genres of oral tradition, specifically as found in myth, legend and song (corrido), and covering the pre-Columbian period through colonial Nicaragua. I propose to characterize and explain the elements that shed light on the development of womanhood during that specific era. Additionally, this work will explore the way in which the conqueror, the chronicler, and the friar manipulated the oral genre until it conformed to their own vision of the world. In Nicaragua, there is a body or oral tradition ripe for study that portrays the function and role of women. Studies that address the theme of women in Nicaraguan oral tradition are scarce, and those that do exist may provide only a social registry. The need for a literary-feminist study is imperative. Without claiming to fill that void in its entirety, this dissertation will examine more closely the depiction of women in myth, legend, and song. As part of this analysis, I will explain the manner in which the conqueror configured the original traditional oral genres. For example, the myth "La diosa del volcan Masaya" was changed to "La vieja del volcan", and the legend "La Mocuana" was changed to "El relato mitologico de la Mocuana". Finally, I will analyze the patriarchal version the historians reported regarding Rafaela Herrera's courage in defending her country in contrast with the song (corrido), which in fact recognized her valor. In order to proceed, I will initially address the pre-Columbian period to describe the state of the Indian and their sacred stories before the arrival of the Spaniards. I will then move on the chronicler Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo's arrival on Nicaraguan soil. Lastly, during the colonial period, we will learn about the era of English attacks on the Fort of the Immaculate Conception on the San Juan River. In recounting the historical background, I will refer to various texts written or compiled by Nicaraguan historians such as Jaime Incer Barquero, Antonio Esgueva, Eduardo Arellano, Tomas Ayon, Jose D. Gomez, and Carmen Collado whose works mark the milestones of the Nicaraguan historical process.