A Brief Introduction to the Jácara Genre

A jácara is a specialized form of romance, an octosyllabic ballad that relates the violent exploits of common criminals. These are usually pimps, prostitutes, thieves, or all-around thugs or killers for hire. Most modern readers will associate the ballads with Francisco de Quevedo, whose jácaras are placed in the “festive” section of his repertoire, but the genre did not start with him and its popularity continued long after his death. The tradition of songs about outlaws and criminals stretches far back in time, while a specific focus on the hampa [criminal underworld] and germanía [thieves’ cant] begins with Rodrigo de Reinosa in the early sixteenth century. Almost nothing is known about the life of this poet, but his prolific output of pliegos sueltos has given modern scholars much to study. He has especially been noted as a “pioneer” of incorporating dialect in poetic and theatrical works, with germanía among his varied innovations. Reinosa's pliego suelto featuring two pimps is the prototype for the jácaras that follow and is titled “Comienza un razonamiento por coplas en que se contrahace la germanía y fieros de los rufianes y las mujeres del partido: de un rufián llamado Cortaviento: y ella Catalina Torres Altas” [“Here begins a discussion in couplets in which is imitated the criminal jargon and furious threats of pimps and common strumpets: of a pimp called Cortaviento (‘Windslasher’) and a woman called Catalina Torres Altas [‘Catherine Hightower’”]. Reinosa used couplets as a vehicle for his subject matter, but different poets employed different verse forms during the hundred years leading up to Quevedo's highly influential jácaras. By the beginning of the seventeenth century, romances became the preferred form and had carved out a sub-genre within the broad romancero tradition. In 1609 Juan Hidalgo called his collection Romances de germanía [Thieves’ cant ballads], a label that marked the form's dominance. Yet this would be replaced by the term “jácara” among future authors and editors. The compilation also enshrined germanía as one of the jácara's main attractions and defining characteristics. The narratives in the ballads inevitably feature criminal violence.