Imaginary beings and motifs of oral literature in mitos, leyendas y cuentos peruanos by José María Arguedas and Francisco Izquierdo Ríos

Abstract

This work studies oral literature in Mitos, leyendas y cuentos peruanos (1947), an important compilation made by José María Arguedas and Francisco Izquierdo Ríos. The book is made up of stories from the coast, the mountains and the jungle, and it is a benchmark ofbasic knowledge for the oral memory of the peoples of Peru. By reading a selection of them, the main themes and motifs of oral literature will be examined, and the mythical and magical dimension of the characters and imaginary beings of the Andean and Amazonian universe will be studied. The research highlights the predominant theme in the stories, as well as the role of its protagonists in the represented world. From our point of view, the compilation by Arguedas and Izquierdo Ríos, which is an invaluable source for the study and the investigation of the folk narrative, is a veritable encyclopedia of oral literature and shows the enormous literary and cultural wealth of Peru.