Sobre la pastorela: a propósito de una canción navideña española en las Islas Marianas

Abstract

The study about a Spanish Christmas Carol, preserved in Marianas, archipelago placed in North Pacific which were under Spanish administration till 1898, lead us to stablish a relationship between this text and a type of popular theatral composition, the pastorela, which had an important cultivation in Mexico and in some other areas of the two Americas. This kind of plays were introduced and spreaded by Spanish missionaries who used it as an instrument of evangelization. Except for the feature 'carol sung by shepherds' this pastorela has very little to do with the pastorela of provenzal origin and learned character from which derives the castilian serranillas. This one is the most common meaning in literary studies. The presence of this Christmas Carol in the Marianas and other similar texts in the Philippines as well as the custom of singing and performing these carols at Cristmas time reveals that yet in the furthest areas of Spanish influence had signs of this Spanish tradition which was spreaded and enriched with new elements in America. It becomes clear that all of this expressions make part of the same literary tradition.