Images of the fox: the «mocker mocked» in tales of Andean literature

Salazar Mejía N. · Boletin de Literatura Oral (2025) · DOI: 10.17561/blo.v15.8615

Resumen

In the folk tales of the Andean world, the fox is a character characterized by its ability, cunning and deceit. However, this condition is usually inverted and transferred to other characters who are usually victims of the fox, which is why the fox appears as a «mocker mocked» in several narratives of the Andean oral tradition. This article studies the motifs related to the mockery of this character in a corpus of narratives of the Andean universe, in whose plot the adventures of the fox are rivaled by other fabulous characters who deceive him in each episode. Organized through a series of amusing scenes, where humor is combined with the lesson the fox receives, the stories demonstrate the rich vitality of the narrative art in the Andean world. Based on an index of motifs, the work concludes that the different nuances, variations and narrative elements that are recorded in the versions studied show the special dynamics of the folk tale and the literary tale in Andean literature.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal