Tradición vasca y feminismo en «La dama de Amboto», de Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda

In the following work we carry out a literary analysis of the Basque legend «La dama de Amboto», by Cuban Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda, written during the summers of 1858 and 1859 during her visit to this Spanish region. In this way, we examine historical and literary aspects to understand the feminist thought that transpires in her short story, for example, in its dialogue with the fervent readings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s works that the author will do throughout her literary career, and the presence of several Basque and classical folk myths that survive in her text. From our point of view, the short story shows an imbricated construction of the fantastic as a vehicle of her feminist discourse that matches the matriarchal tradition of Mari, a goddess who would inhabit the mountains according to Basque mythology.