The Basque Heroine Libe and the Nationalist Press (1895–1936)

Abstract

AbstractThe founder of Basque nationalism, Sabino Arana, wrote Libe. Melodrama dramático (a dramatic melodrama) in 1902. Arana placed the heroine ‘Libe’ in a medieval battle. She was created to convey what the role of Basque women should be in defending their Homeland. Arana died shortly after the script was published in 1903. His successors attempted to disseminate the play and publicise the character and meaning of Libe in the press and the theatre. This article analyses how Libe was presented in the nationalist press and the impact of the successive adaptations and performances of the play . It covers the treatment of female heroism in the nationalist press based on the theoretical framework provided in the research by Teresa del Valle, Mercedes Ugalde, Miren Llona and Nerea Aresti, all of whom have conducted in‐depth studies on the gender discourse of Basque nationalism. The article goes on to consider the scripts of the two plays featuring the Basque heroine Libe, together with the archives of the Basque nationalist press from the onset of the movement in 1895 until the outbreak of the Spanish civil war in 1936.