The story of Maria Enganxa shows how relevant fairy tales still are to Mallorcan culture: she is a mythical creature with hooked fingernails that lives in wells or cisterns. Anyone who gets too close to the surface of the water is drawn into the subterranean realm from which there is no return. The story taught children in Mallorca to be careful in such situations. ‘This character still lives on in our imagination today,’ says Caterina Valriu, writer, professor of philology and linguistics and storyteller from Inca.
‘Reading and libraries have shaped me and my path,’ says Valriu. Her professional career began with a degree in philology at the University of the Balearic Islands, which she completed in 1983. Two years later, she wrote a thesis based on oral tradition about the old style of carnival on the island. Since 1990, Valriu has worked as a professor at the University of the Balearic Islands, specialising in folklore, traditional folk literature - especially short stories - and children's and young adult literature.
‘I want to strengthen the culture and identity of Mallorca and help people to read more,’ says Valriu, explaining what drives her. The linguist, who completed her doctorate in 1992 with a thesis on the influence of fairy tales on contemporary Catalan children's literature, is also a writer. Valriu has published adaptations of legends and folk tales - mainly for children, but also for adults - as well as her own fairy tales. Her first story, ‘Galceran and the Ladybirds’, was published in 2006. In total, her bibliography comprises around 20 titles plus around 100 press articles and lectures at conferences.
‘When I write stories, I always try to open a door and invite people in.’ She has been pursuing the same goal since 1987 under the nickname ‘Catalina Contacontes’ as a lively storyteller for children, adults and senior citizens. Valriu is one of the few of her kind and enriches her live storytelling, which is already something special, with acting elements. She is always accompanied by a suitcase full of props. ‘I've now held around 4,000 sessions,’ says Valriu. ‘I simply love doing it!’
The permanent medium of Valriu's stories, whether written or spoken, is the Catalan language. ‘It is a minority language with a great cultural tradition and an extraordinary wealth of language.’ As a member of the Department of Catalan Philology at the University of the Balearic Islands, Valriu is part of the ‘highest advisory body for all matters relating to the Catalan language on the Balearic Islands’, as she puts it. According to the Spanish Constitution and the Statute of Autonomy of the Balearic Islands, Catalan has the same status and authorisation as Castilian High Spanish.
One of Valriu's heroes in this context is Ramon Llull: the author, philosopher and theologian from the 13th century and one of the Mallorcan historical idols par excellence. He was the first writer in history to compose works in Catalan. A total of 265 books bear his name. Experts also consider Llull to be one of the pioneers of a European and universalist will that sees reason and dialogue as the only way to achieve truth and peace. The La Real monastery in Palma, where the scholar went to study and write his first books between the ages of 33 and 42, is one of Caterina Valriu's favourite places.
Valriu's study makes a similarly intellectual impression. It looks like a library. One shelf is entirely dedicated to folklore: fairy tales, stories and legends from different parts of the world - including Catalan-speaking countries. A catalogue in which Caterina Valriu has her share.
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