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GONGORA'S "A GALICIA"

In 1609 Góngora wrote a poem titled "A Galicia" in which he describes Galicia in a rather negative tone. (He visited Pontevedra in June 1609). It commences with "¡Oh montañas de Galicia, cuya (por decir verdad) espesura es suciedad, cuya maleza es malicia!" (In: Antología poética, edición de Antonio Carreira, pp. 306-8). 

Another poem, also titled "A Galicia" - not to be contributed to Góngora -, is a sonnet which commences with "Pálido sol en cielo encapotado" (In: Poesías, prólogo de Anita Arroyo, pp. 223-4). Here a poet plays with the Galician language to ridicule the "Kingdom of Galicia" through foreign influences: culiseos, filisteos, Cairo, Guinea, pigmeos, mijo, búcaros. 

        A Galicia

     Pálido sol en cielo encapotado,

mozas rollizas de anchos culiseos,(1)

tetas de vacas, piernas de correos,(2)

suelo menos barrido que regado;

     campo todo de tojos matizado,

berzas gigantes, nabos filisteos,(3)

gallos del Cairo, búcaros pigmeos,(4)

traje tosco y estilo mal limado;

     cuestas que llegan a la ardiente esfera,

pan de Guinea, techos sahumados,

candelas de resina con tericia;(5)

     papas de mijo(6) en concas de madera,

cuevas profundas, ásperos collados,

es lo que llaman reino de Galicia.

(1)  "Culiseo" is a Galician neologism constructed with "culo" and "iseo" (which derives from "coliseo").

(2)    Another reference to the Galician language. 

(3)    He refers to the mytholical giant Goliat.

(4)    Vase imported from Portugal ("púcaro") filled with water. "Búcaro" appears in Góngora's "En persona de un portugués, a una dama que le había dado un búcaro." (1620) 

The unknown poet describes the "búcaros" as African dwarfes. A búcaro is narrow on top, wide on its bottom. The word is used regularly by poets of the time.

These days the Galicians are often called the "Troglodites". The "serenos" in the big cities were Galicians (trustworthy). Even in the 1970s they were still present in e.g. Madrid.

(5)  "Tericia" refers to "ictericia" (icterus, jaundice). This desease had to be cured by candle light.

(6)  "Mijo"  ("mi hijo") comes from Mexico.  "Conca" derives from "concha".

Books consulted:

Góngora, Luis de. Poesías. Prólogo de Anita Arroyo. México DF: Editorial Porrúa, 1978.

Góngora, Luis de. Antología poética. Edición de Antonio Carreira. Barcelona: Crítica, 2009.