Herculano, Alexandre 1810-1877 creator text utu 2006 monographic pt 1 online resource : multiple file formats "Lendas e Narrativas (Tomo I)" by Alexandre Herculano is a collection of historical tales and narratives written in the mid-19th century. This work serves as a significant exploration of Portuguese history and literary development, reflecting on both the cultural context of its time and the nascent romantic literature emerging in Portugal. The opening of this collection unfolds with a preface that discusses Herculano's intent behind the stories included. He writes about the challenges and triumphs of establishing a rich narrative tradition in Portugal, lamenting the earlier inadequacies of storytelling while recognizing their role as foundational milestones in Portuguese literature. Following the preface, the first tale, "O Alcaide de Santarém," introduces a dramatic setting during the period of Saracen rule in Spain, where tensions and intrigues among different characters, including an ambitious prince named Abdallah and a mysterious prophet, drive the narrative. Themes of fate, ambition, and the weight of historical legacy are vividly established, laying the groundwork for a deeper examination of human aspirations and the complexities of power throughout this foundational text. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Release date is 2006-01-01 Produced by João Miguel Neves and PG Distributed Proofreaders from images and OCR'd files of the National Digital Library project from the National Library of Portugal Original publication data not identified Portuguese literature -- 19th century PQ Original publication data not identified https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/9654 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/9654 UtSlPG 260607 20260610133234.0 9654