Maragato
Maragato refers both to the modern inhabitants of the region of Maragatería in the Province of León, Spain, as well as historically and specifically to the isolated merchants and muleteers from that area. Historically the maragatos faced social discrimination.[1]
Etymology
Several theories exist for the origins of the term maragato. Francisco Javier Rodríguez Pérez suggests that it comes from the Latin mericator (merchant).[2] Laureano Rubio suggests it is a contraction of the phrase "del mar a los gatos", referring to them transporting salted fish from Galicia (the sea, "el mar") to Madrid (the cats, "los gatos", a nickname that stems from a medieval myth).[3] The 17th century friar Pedro de Alba y Astorga suggested it originated from maurisco meaning "brave warrior".[4]
Origins
The exact origins of the maragatos as a distinct group are unknown. The 18th century friar Martín Sarmiento collected many of the stories of the potential origins of the maragatos in his Discurso crítico sobre el origen de los maragatos.[5]
See also
References
- ^ Álvarez, Jorge (31 October 2019). "Agotes, the mysterious cursed race of the Basque-Navarrese Pyrenees". La Brújula Verde. Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
- ^ Rodríguez Pérez, Francisco Javier. "La covada en el país de maragatos" [The couvade in the land of the Maragatos] (PDF) (in Spanish). p. 1.
- ^ Rubio Pérez, Laureano M. (2003). Los maragatos : origen, mitos y realidades [The Maragatos: origin, myths and realities] (in Spanish). ISBN 84-607-7629-8. OCLC 433062723.
- ^ Santiago Bolaños, María Fernanda (1995). Boisán de Somoza: crónica sentimental [Boisán de Somoza: sentimental chronicle] (in Spanish). p. 6. ISBN 978-84-605-3504-1.
- ^ Antonio, Valladares de Sotomayor (1787). Discurso crítico sobre el origen de los maragatos de Fray Martín Sarmiento (1768) [Critical discourse on the origin of the Maragatos by Friar Martín Sarmiento (1768)] (in Spanish). Vol. 5. Semanario Erudito. pp. 185–187.