ABSTRACT
The Portuguese were singing ballads in the middle of the sixteenth century; however, nothing was published in Portugal. This lack of ancient documentation renders the modern Portuguese tradition even more significant. The systematic collection of ballads was begun by Almeida Garrett in 1824. Since he was the first to publicize the fact that ballads from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance were still being sung by common people in Iberia, he is the “father” of all subsequent fieldwork undertaken in Portugal, Spain, and in the other Pan-Hispanic traditions as well. Since old people usually are very religious, a display of piety and asking for the rhymed prayers that they had learned from their mothers and grandmothers often helped to induce the most reticent ones to collaborate with the author's team. The methods of fieldwork had to be constantly adapted to local conditions. Whenever possible, the team began by seeking the help of relatives and friends.
