The Spanish Folk Tradition as a Reflection of National Multicultural Identity

   The purpose of the study is to explore the distinctiveness of the Spanish folk tradition and its role in shaping Spain’s national consciousness.

   Spanish folklore, as a result of the interaction of various ethnic groups, not only reflects Spain’s unique multicultural identity but also preserves its national unity. Despite the significant role Spanish folklore has played in the cultural unification of the country, interest in its folk heritage has been uneven and often aligned with the methodologies of other European
traditions rather than continuity within the national school. The study of Spanish folklore began in the Middle Ages, emphasizing both the originality of Iberian folk forms and their adherence to the broader Mediterranean mythological tradition. Renaissance proverb collections, the literary influence of the Golden Age, and 19^th-century essays mark the key stages in the development of Spanish folkloristics. In the 20^th century, the works of J. Caro Baroja and G. Díaz Plaja represent the pinnacle of a scholarly approach to studying Spain’s cultural-historical imagery. These works highlight the unique characteristics of Galicia, Andalusia, Castile, Asturias, and other regions, analyzing their mythological worldviews. Folklore texts and festive traditions reflect historical and socio-geographical factors that have shaped the popular worldview. Since the medieval chronicles the Spanish corpus of folklore narratives has developed as a resource reflecting national identity, unified by historical and cultural experience. Among the study’s findings is the conclusion that the Spanish language, in which folklore narratives from various Spanish regions have long been expressed, became a key factor in forming a unified Spanish folkloric worldview, also influencing Latin American traditions. Despite modern tendencies toward regionalism, folk creativity remains a unifying element of multicultural Spain. The study employs historical-cultural and comparative-anthropological approaches. Methods of historical structuralism and comparative mythology are used to identify the cultural dominants of Spain’s regions.

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