Unfortunately, the Seminario Menéndez Pidal’s projects in the eighties and early ninties did not manage to encompass either the old or the modern tradition in their entirety. In fact, many romances documented only in old tradition as well as many, many others from all areas of the modern oral tradition have yet to be added to the General Index of the Romancero (IGR). If the current project is to offer to all a balanced and accurate view of the entire Pan-Hispanic Ballad tradition, these deficiencies must be overcome. To begin with, each and every ballad known to exist or to have existed in the modern tradition should be identified and adequately represented in the textual database housed on this site. But I can not achieve this goal without the collaboration of my colleagues, each of whom knows better than I what is perhaps still sung or until recently was sung in the traditions and geographic areas of which s/he has first-hand knowledge.
If on querying the textual database you find that it does not include a traditional song in ballad meter that you know to exist or to have existed, I ask that you send me one version (or more, if desired), the title most commonly used or that you consider most appropriate (in whichever language you prefer), and, if possible, an indication of its areas of diffusion, the assonances in which it is sung, other titles by which it is known and any other information you consider relevant. It makes no difference if at a later point the title needs to be modified; title has no direct bearing on how queries to the database are undertaken. The only restriction is that there can not be two or more ballads with exactly the same title and assonance. Other than that, I have only two suggestions: it is preferrable not to have to resort to the assonance to diferentiate between two identical titles and searching is easier if unnecessary articles are avoided.
For my part, I will make every effort to upload texts submitted to me within a week (duly identified and attributed to their contributors, and assigned a permanent, unique IGR number with which they will thereafter be identified).
The Bibliography is woefully incomplete for studies published over the last 7-8 years. Submission forms are available on the main page of the bibliographic archive. I entreat all who visit the site to use the forms to submit new citations for any relevant publication of which they are aware that is not currently in the archive. Only if those who use the site collaborate by sending in new references can I hope to bring the database of bibliography on the Pan-Hispanic Romancero up to date.
Email: petersen@uw.edu