The Thirsty Llano Estacado: The Manuel Maés Ballad Corpus

Abstract:This article examines the indita of Manuel Maés, a Nuevomexicano ballad about the death of a cibolero, or buffalo hunter, in the Llano Estacado in the late nineteenth century. It analyzes the ballad through the lens of environmental humanities in Spanish, Hispanic, and US Latinx studies, particularly with regard to water scarcity and the tradition of "goodlife writing," as conceived by Priscilla Ybarra. Through its emphasis on water landmarks and tragic lament of life lost, the ballad demonstrates the centrality of water in crafting a cultural sense of place in the Southern Plains. The article includes as an appendix the Manuel Maés Ballad Corpus, a compendium of seven different versions collected from the late nineteenth century to the early twenty-first century. The original Spanish appears alongside English translations and transcriptions of four unique melodies, in addition to links to musical recordings of the different versions.