La Historia, las tradiciones y la literatura: Centralidad de la mitología en Historia moderna de El Salvador (1914) y en “La loba” (1904) de Francisco Gavidia

Abstract

This essay presents a close reading of two prominent texts of the Salvadoran literary tradition, Historia moderna de El Salvador and “La loba” both by Francisco Gavidia. Through a detailed literary and historical analysis of the texts, the author highlights the strategic use and adaptation of indigenous myth within the discourse of forming the Salvadoran nation. Furthermore, she argues that in the case of El Salvador, history is meticulously intertwined with literature and literary techniques. Gavidia, in his role as a literary or historian figure, manipulates indigenous myth to construct a noble heritage and thus provides a strong foundation for the newly formed nation.