FABULAE IN CERTAMINE

AS ACADEMIAS E OS LUGARES DA FÁBULA MITOLÓGICA

Abstract

Mythological fables, epitomized by Luis de Góngora's Fábula de Polifemo y Galatea, were omnipresent in Spanish literary life, especially during the 17th century, and even became the subject of major controversies during that period. In contrast, those produced in Portugal have been relegated over the centuries to a lesser status compared to their Spanish counterparts, primarily due to the lack of recognition by literary historiography. This neglect is largely due to the scarcity of printed examples, most of which are only found in the 18th-century anthology Fênix Renascida. Our paper aims to bring to light, through textual and bibliographical evidence, a rich production of mythological fables in poetic contests held in Portuguese academies, particularly during the latter half of the 17th century, thereby highlighting the context and circumstances in which these poems were composed.