The Bear and His Sons: Masculinity in Spanish and Mexican Folktales

James M. Taggart

Published by University of Texas Press 1997

The Bear and His Sons

Masculinity in Spanish and Mexican Folktales

James M. Taggart

https://doi.org/10.7560/781443

Overview
Contents

About this book

All the world over, people tell stories to express their deepest feelings about such things as what makes a "real" man or woman; what true love, courage, or any other virtue is; what the proper relationships are between people. Often groups of people widely separated by space or time will tell the same basic story, but with differences in the details that reveal much about a particular group's worldview.

This book looks at differences in the telling of several common Hispanic folktales. James Taggart contrasts how two men—a Spaniard and an Aztec-speaking Mexican—tell such tales as "The Bear's Son." He explores how their stories present different ways of being a man in their respective cultures.

Taggart's analysis contributes to a revision of Freud's theory of gender, which was heavily grounded in biological determinism. Taggart focuses instead on how fathers reproduce different forms of masculinity in their sons. In particular, he shows how fathers who care for their infant sons teach them a relational masculinity based on a connected view of human relationships. Thus, The Bear and His Sons will be important reading not only in anthropology and folklore, but also in the growing field of men's studies.

Author / Editor information

James M. Taggart is Lewis Audenreid Professor of History and Archaeology at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Reviews

This is a bold and brilliant example of controlled cultural comparison... a major contribution.

— Alan Dundes, Professor of Anthropology and Folklore, University of California, Berkeley

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
CONTENTS Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Preface Publicly Available Download PDF	ix
1. Introduction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
2. "The Bear's Son" in Spain Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	23
3. "The Bear's Son" in Mexico Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	46
4. Tricksters in Spain Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	71
5. Tricksters in Mexico Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	96
6. "Blood Brothers" Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	119
7. "The Two Travelers" Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	144
8. Florencio's "Blancaflor" Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	173
9. Nacho's "Blancaflor" Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	196
10. "Orpheus" Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	223
11. Conclusions Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	242
Appendix: "The Bear's Son" in Spanish and Nahuat Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	248
Notes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	297
References Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	323
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	335

Language: English
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Audience: College/higher education;
Pages
- Main content: 356

eBook

Published: January 27, 2014
ISBN: 9780292761803