In recent days we have been explaining in depth the life, style and works of one of the most important authors of the Spanish Romanticism literary movement, Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer. Today we will focus on the "Legends" of him, but if you want to consult the other aspects of this famous author that we have mentioned, you only have to click on the links that we provide below:
Biography of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer
Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer rhymes
Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer Rhymes (II)
Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer style
ORIGIN AND SOURCES OF THE LEGENDS
The «Leyendas» by Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer were published between 1861 and 1863, therefore, they were created before the «Rhymes».
The roots from which the legends come have a double origin: popular and literary, and became the antecedent of the prose of the modernist stage. If we specify a little more, the origin of the legends of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer would be marked by the narrative romances, the traditional tale, the legendary romances of Rivas and Zorrilla, the German ballads and the fantasy narratives of Hoffman and Poe.
But if we had to name an author par excellence who influenced Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer's «Legends» it was undoubtedly Chateaubriand, from whom he was inspired in terms of how to value traditions for his legend«History of the temples of Spain».
Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer is the first author who dared to write prose poetry, a genre that was later used by such famous authors as Luis Cernuda, Blas de Otero, Rubén Darío and Juan Ramón Jiménez, among others.
CLASSIFICATION AND TOPICS
-Spanish legends of a religious atmosphere: include "The golden anklet", "The Christ of the Skull" and "The rose of the passion".
-Eastern Legends: "The Red-Handed Leader", "The Creation".
-Fantastic and symbolic legends: «The green eyes», «The moonbeam» and «The white deer». These three works are considered true masterpieces of Spanish literature as they exquisitely mix mystery, sensuality and thrill. The woman takes on a very important role in them and, at the same time, they link with many of the famous Rhymes by the same author. Exactly the same thing happens with the desired beauty and the visionary personality.
-Mystery legends: «El Monte de las Ánimas», «Maese Pérez el organista», «El Miserere». As supernatural fantasies that they are, they are considered one of the most original works of Spanish literature since they are capable of merging the mysterious atmosphere with unearthly terror in the same set.
-Costumbrist stories: although they are not legends, they contain fantastic elements, which is why they are part of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer's «Legends». The most famous are: "The dressing of emeralds", "The sale of theCats" and "The Stone Woman".
