Women and Violence in Basque Ballads: a Women’s Literature Tradition

Abstract

The aim of this article is to elucidate whether it exists and has been concealed a female tradition that relates to violence in Basque oral literature. Five ballads are analyzed: Andre Emili, Frantziako Anderea, Urrutiako Anderea, Neska ontziratua and Atharratze Jauregian. These ballads will be examinated both formally and conceptually, evaluating the subject and actants of the ballads, their structure, violence, the role of the family and the image of love. The interaction and organization between forms and ideas have been investigated, trying to understand how the connections between a reality that has been known by us for a long time and the one that is still understood are adapted.