Rats and mice in Spanish short narratives of the 18th and 19th centuries ; Ratas y ratones en la narrativa breve española de los siglos XVIII y XIX

Rats and mice have excited human fantasy and curiosity throughout history, leading many fanciful stories and beliefs. In relation to its literary manifestations, the Spanish fables of the 18th and 19th centuries, and other short fictional stories and texts published in the press, are a prodigal source and also, a channel of vital importance for the literary and fabulistic transmission. Although the didactic and satirical intention of these compositions cannot be ignored, this work delves into other meanings aligned with the objectives of Animal Studies, an interdisciplinary academic discipline linked by its interest in nature with ecocriticism: the relationship of these narratives with the ethological habits of mice and their historical interaction and coexistence with the human being. At the same time, we present an overview of the dissemination of the most relevant Graeco-Latin, oral and Oriental fables in these centuries for the construction of the cultural image of these rodents: their perception as gluttonous creatures, devourers of cheese and other food; its inveterate enmity with cats; its participation in war and political councils; its help of larger animals thanks to his powerful teeth and, finally, the infatuation of rodents in narrative fiction. The survival of these stories and ancient knowledge about other non-human species demonstrates the richness of a genre that is an essential link for the creation of a literary and cultural history of animals, the ultimate purpose to which this work is devoted. ; Ratas y ratones han excitado la fantasía y la curiosidad humanas a lo largo de la historia, protagonizando multitud de relatos y creencias fantasiosas. En lo relativo a sus manifestaciones literarias, un venero pródigo lo constituyen las fábulas españolas de los siglos XVIII y XIX, y otros cuentos y textos fictivos breves publicados en la prensa de la época, un cauce de importancia crucial para la transmisión literaria y fabulística. Aunque no se puede pasar por alto la intencionalidad didáctica y ...