Abrelatos

Abrelatos is a term in Spanish that literally means “one who opens stories.” It is formed from abrir (to open) and relatos (stories) and is used primarily in literary and cultural contexts to describe a storyteller or narrator who introduces a narrative, sets up the premise, or frames a collection of tales. The emphasis of the word is on the act of opening a storytelling sequence rather than on the content of the stories themselves.

In usage, abrelatos can refer to a host, master of ceremonies, editor, or author who opens a text or performance with a prologue, vignette, or introductory voice. It is often employed in a poetic or informal sense rather than as a formal title, highlighting the function of guiding an audience into a narrative world. The concept aligns with roles found in oral tradition and in literary criticism, where the narrator or preface helps shape tone, expectations, and context for the ensuing stories.

There is regional variation in how frequently and where the term appears, and in some cases it can be interpreted as a label for a character or even a brand in contemporary media. Because abrelatos is not tied to a single canonical work or standardized scholarly usage, references to it are typically contextual and dependent on the surrounding text.

See also: Storyteller, Narrator, Prologue, Oral tradition.