We invite the reader to know the legend they tell about The mount of the souls, an event that occurs on a night that is celebrated on the day of the dead. It is a story where love, innocence and struggle are glimpsed. It's interesting, don't stop reading it.
The Mount of Souls: Synthesis
El Monte de las Animas, belongs to one of the stories that make up the collection of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, known as Soria. Legend has it, what happened to a boy named Alonso, when he pretended to consent to his cousin, being a night that is celebrated on All Souls' Day. It was published on November 7, 1861, accompanied by sixteen additional legends, in the newspaper El Contemporáneo. It is interesting that you know the article The Nightingale and the Rose
Modular
The mount of the souls structure It is a section of this article where all the parts by which the legend is composed are clearly detailed.
The legend is made up of a short introduction, three parts and the synopsis.
[su_note]In the introduction, the narrator writer speaks when he heard a legend in Soria, but that he is afraid to express it. The fable is drawn in the third person, and has an editor and historian narrator. The writer recounts some events that he had previously told him about. [/ Su_note]
At the beginning of the work, it can be seen with transparency, when he exclaims at the beginning of the legend, the following:
«The night of the dead woke me up at I don't know what time the double of the bells. Its monotonous and eternal toll brought to mind this tradition that I recently heard in Soria. (...) I heard it in the same place where it happened, and I have written it, sometimes turning my head in fear, when I felt the windows of my balcony creak, shaken by the cold night air.»
The character Alonso recounts to his cousin Beatriz the events that happened in the time of the Templars in the Monte de las Ánimas. The transformation of the stage, the castle of the counts of Alcudiel. Helplessness of Beatrice
Synopsis
The narrator writer adds new phrases to the legend. The fact unfolds during the Middle Ages, the legend is narrated by the character Alonso, within his work. It can be elucidated that at the moment he recounts it, he is recalling events that the same character already knew.
They tell of some events in such a detailed way that they appear to be credible. So, the reason why a flash back is generated, which means that a legend that occurred before the times they are subsisting on comes to mind. He narrates his memory, which happens in twenty-four hours, from the first hours of the morning until the next dawn.
Argument
The main plot of the mount of souls It is the gift that Alonso's cousin loses in the Monte de las Ánimas and after insisting so much, she forces him to go get her blue ribbon, while she sleeps comfortably in the house. Below, we present more detailed reasons for the legend.
The legend takes place in the municipality of Soria, in the well-known Monte de las Ánimas, the day dedicated to honoring the deceased. The Counts of Borges and Alcudiel, accompanied by their children Beatriz and Alonso, and servants began the path to the hunt, mounted on their beautiful horses.
Alonso begins to tell the legend, that of the Monte de las Ánimas. The belief, that this mount that they called the souls, corresponded to the Templars, which means warriors and religious who belonged to the Order of the Poor Knights of Christ of the Temple of Solomon.
In the times that the Arabs were exiled from Soria, the King forced them to return to protect the city, a fact that dishonored the nobles of Castile, generating competition among themselves.
In this way, a contest began, until the king himself declared the battle over; the amount was left behind, and in the hermitage of the religious, the bodies of many were buried. The legend narrates that when the night of the dead arrives, the spirits of the deceased travel in the company of the animals of the mountain, so that no person likes to be in the place during that date.
When they are already gathered at home, the Counts next to the glare of the light, only the cousins were not attentive to the talk: Alonso and Beatriz, until the moment that Alonso interrupted the long silence, exclaiming to his cousin, who for reason that soon she would move away from him, he would love to give her a gift so that she will always remember him.
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[su_note]After so much begging, the girl accepts a jewel, without making any comment, while her cousin asked her to give him something of her belongings. Beatriz agreed and told her that in the Monte de las Ánimas, she lost her blue band, being what she wanted to give him. [/ Su_note]
The young Alonso felt strong and energetic to face any type of barbarian, however, he was afraid of visiting that gloomy place, and even more so on that date, so he panicked. But, because of the cunning of the girl who inspired him with a pleasant smile and went to the place, but with terror, to rescue the lost band in order to make his cousin Beatriz happy.
Hours passed, while Beatriz could not fall asleep, thinking that she heard her name being called in a nightmare. When she woke up she did not close her eyes again, which makes her pray very nervous and full of fear.
At dawn, she feels sorry for her attitude that she had at night, being very cowed, suddenly, she sees her blue band bathed in blood and destroyed placed on the nightstand. Beatriz, she was shocked, her eyes could not believe what they were seeing. After a few hours, her servants gave her tragic news: Alonso was torn by the wolves of the mountain, they found him dead.
Legend has it that after the event, a hunter had to spend the whole night in the mountain of the souls, and before his death, he managed to comment that he observed skeletons of the legendary Templars and nobles from Soria, who were buried in the chapel, just as he was able to observe how a beautiful and disheveled woman walked in a hurry with her feet stained with blood, was chased by some horses, and screamed, circling Alonso's tomb.
Environment
The legend of the Monte de las Ánimas, takes place in a space on the outskirts of the municipality of Soria and on the banks of the Duero River, located in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula.
Likewise, other particular elements are reflected in the legend, such as:
Monastery of San Juan de Duero, located in Soria.
The city of Soria highlights the Postigo clock as a reference. The Puerta del Postigo, it was one of the gates that made up the wall of Soria, still remained in the times of the writer.
The Convent of San Polo, located on the outskirts of the city of Soria, and currently only the chapel exists. Its creation is assigned to the order of the Templars.
San Juan de Duero. Romantic-style monastery, located in Soria, which belongs to the Order of Malta.
[su_note]The Monte de las Ánimas is located on the outskirts of Soria and on the banks of the Duero River. There was a congregation that sold the fruits of that place, to collect funds destined to offer masses to the souls of the deceased, which originates the name of the Mount.[/su_note]
The bridge that gives access to the city.
Mount Moncayo, located on the border between the city of Soria and the city of Zaragoza.
Characters
The characters from the mount of souls they are the ones that make possible the development of the whole story, without the existence of these, the legend would not have a beginning and much less an end.
In the story of Monte de las Ánimas, the following characters participate:
Alonso
He is the heir to the lands where the legend unfolds. He is a jovial and honest boy. He is in love with the beautiful Beatriz. He dies in the clutches of her wolves, for spoiling her by searching for her lost blue band.
Beatriz
She is the young cousin of Alonso, daughter of the Counts of Borges. She is accompanied by her beauty and youth, she has beautiful long dark hair, with thin lips and huge blue eyes.
Other characters
They also participate in the work: The Counts, domestic, hunters, Templars, religious and distinguished.
Themes
The legend of the Monte de las Ánimas, has as content some topics such as:
The existing connection that fits two themes at the same time. The writer Bécquer, collects the theme of universal folklore, when facing the Templars and against the distinguished lords of the city of Soria, and adds to the legend the significant element that women represent, when she betrays the man so that he achieves his intentions and so beat it. Both themes are linked in the work, they are the ones that can be glimpsed clearly, which are about struggle and love.
What is customary and art arises, with notable aspects, such as when the bells ring in the church, just at twelve o'clock at night to notify the people that it is All Souls' Day. Likewise, all kinds of strange sounds are highlighted in the work, such as the noise of the footsteps that were heard on the carpet in Beatriz's room, as well as the creaking of the wood; the blow on the window panes of the balcony; the water that dripped without stopping, the howling of the dogs, and the storms of the wind.
El monte de las ánimas summary related to the topic
To summarize the mount of souls main theme it is the revenge of all the dead present in that Mount as a cause of the ridicule provoked by the people of that locality.
On the other hand, it is also said that the mount of souls theme seeks to make people reflect on all the situations that can arise just by fulfilling the whims and narcissistic model of another human being.
Within the theme of the mount of souls, it is important to mention that it is based on the dates that go from October 31 to November 1, which is the night in which there are more possibilities of appearance of ghosts or souls.
The mount of souls becquer summary
Surely at some point before reading this story you have asked yourself What happens at the beginning of the story the mountain of souls? To know this answer, we invite you to continue reading about el monte de las ánimas legend summary and other data that we show you below.
The Mount of Souls by Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer summary
This story begins with Alonso hunting with his beautiful children, while he told them about the Templars that existed at some point in those mountains; they were religious warriors who died as a result of the murders caused by the soldiers of the King of Castile.
According to the famous legend the mount of souls summary the spirits of warriors and animals appear throughout the mountain, on All Saints' night; for this reason, no citizen approached that place on that day.
They all go to the house for dinner, once there Alonso's cousin visits him and they start talking by the fireplace. He tells her that she wants to give him a present; a beautiful jewel so that she does not forget about him and keeps him present in every place she goes.
continuation gustavo adolfo becquer the mount of souls summary
After this, Alonso asks his cousin for a belonging to always remember her; she accepts but mentions that the blue ribbon that she wants to give him from her was lost in the Monte de las Ánimas.
Within Alonso's thoughts was not going to Monte that day, however, after his cousin insisted so much, he decided to accept and accompany her. During that night at home, Beatriz had a hard time falling asleep, since she heard voices, she began to pray until she finally fell asleep.
The next day, when he wakes up, he sees on the nightstand the blue ribbon that he was looking for so much but it was covered in blood. Immediately the servant of the house goes to the woman's room to give her the news that her cousin Alonso had died devoured by the wolves of Monte.
But Beatriz was also dead. After all these episodes, one day a hunter who stayed one night in the Monte de las Ánimas and died; he said that he had seen how the spirits left that place and that he also observed a woman with her feet completely covered in blood, near Alonso's grave.
Relationship with other works
The punishment forever of the proud woman is the most frequent theme in art and literature. Giovanni Boccaccio, referred to the same theme in the story entitled Historia de Nastagio o degli Onesti, being the main character harassed by a horseman.
Botticelli captured his painting works in various paintings, based on the history of Boccaccio.
Likewise, a link can be created with musical works, namely: The Galician architect Rodríguez Losada made his debut in an opera referring to the work.
In 2008, the Spanish minstrel metal band Saurom prepared a musical theme based on the legend of Monte de las Ánimas.
In the XNUMXs group Gabinete Caligari, the mountain is mentioned in their song entitled "Camino a Soria", with some phrases such as: "When you see the mountain of the souls, don't look at it, get over it, and keep walking" or "Bécquer was not an idiot."
About the Author
His real name apparently was Gustavo Adolfo Claudio Domínguez Bastida. The surname Bécquer, was the maternal surname of his father, who had Flemish origin from the XNUMXth century, and who used the same artistically, because he was a famous Sevillian painter.
Bécquer was born in the city of Seville on February 17, 1836. He inherited the gifts of drawing from his father, but his father's death did not allow him to continue with the art of painting.
From an early age, when he was ten years old, he was motivated by literature and poetry, in the company of a class friend. He captured his first literary works, of the drama genre, which is entitled: ““The Conjured” and a comedy; "The desert bujarrón"
[su_note]That same summer time he learned to swim in the Guadalquivir, as well as to manipulate the sword. At the age of 18, he traveled to Madrid, in search of literary fame, he got some jobs as a French translator, until he managed to establish himself as an editor in a new newspaper known as "El Contemporáneo". [/ Su_note]
Curiosities
Before becoming a literary great, in 1.854 he went to Madrid to work as a journalist and was also in charge of adapting all the plays of foreign origin.
In the year 1.858 he became seriously ill without knowing the apparent cause (tuberculosis or syphilis) and spent 9 months hospitalized in bed. His brother Valeriano was the one who took care of him and supported him throughout this process, to finally publish his first legend "El caudillo de las Manos Rojas".
At that time he also met Julia Espín who is believed to be the cause of many of the rhymes, however, others think that it is Elisa Guillén.
The best and most productive moment of the well-known Adolfo Bécquer occurred in the first half of the 1.860s, which is why a large part of all his legends were written at this time, taking advantage of the high level of productivity he had.
In 1.861 he married a young daughter of a doctor called Casta Esteban, whom he married and although it was not the best marriage, they had 3 children and appeared to be a good family.
Also, he began his rhyming manuscript and worked on the creation of journalistic chronicles. Later in the year 1.866 he is chosen as the official censor of novels and therefore he was able to dedicate himself more thoroughly to his own writings.
With all the events of the year 1.868 and the revolution, he loses his job and his wife decides to leave him. As a consequence of this, he moved to Toledo where his brother was and finally to the capital of Spain.
Once in this place, he is in charge of directing the magazine »The Illustration of Madrid». Everything was going well until Valeriano's death in the year 1.870 in September caused him a great depression and he died three months later.
Legacy
The author Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer is known along with Rosalía de Castro as one of the greatest representatives of post-romantic literature, it means poetry with a more natural approach with rhetorical expressions but less ornate than in the case of romanticism.
Also, it served as a great influence on artists such as Rubén Darío, Antonio Machado, Juan Ramón Jiménez, among many more.
The work El Monte de las Ánimas alone has represented an important part of literature and also leaves a particular legacy. This is due to the fact that it appears in musical themes and in the operas of the artists Rodríguez Losada, the minstrel metal band »Saurom» and in the group Gabinete Caligari, very famous in the 80s.
An important fact is that there is currently an entire tourist route to visit in Soria and that it is completely inspired by the legend of the author Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer.