Galician mythology

Remains of the mythical Castle of Saint George, on Mount Pindo, the "Celtic Mount Olympus"

Galician mythology is the set of myths and stories that are part of the culture of the Galician people. They are a series of narrative stories or cultural expressions of sacred origin and later secularized and treated stories of the culture. Sometimes they relate to a specific era or to a series of beliefs of an imaginary nature.

Background

Dating to pre-Roman times, these stories, once of a religious or spiritual nature, are based on traditions and legends created to explain the universe, the origin of the world, natural phenomena, and anything else for which there was no simple explanation. Not all stories have an explanatory purpose. However, many of them are related to a natural force or a deity, and many are simply stories and legends that have been passed down orally from generation to generation.

The remains of Queen Lupa buried at Castle of Saint George, on Mount Pindo, the "Celtic Mount Olympus" are an example of this.

Galician mythical beings

Breogán with the Tower of Hercules

Some Galician mythical beings are:

Individuals belonging to "mythical races"

• Giants
• Olláparo
• Dwarves
• Carcamáns
• Xente cativa
• Codíns
• Mermaids (Xacia)
• Mouros
• Moura
• Xerpas
• Rabenos
• Encantos
• Tesouro
• Lamia
• Les Lavandières
• Trasgu
• Diaños
• Tardo

Entities that personify some quality or human condition

• Pedro Chosco (The Galician version of Wee Willie Winkie)
• Death
• Holy Company (Galician: A Estadea)

Mythological people

• Queen Lupa
• Ana Manama
• Blanchefleur (Galician: Brancaflor)
• María Castaña
• Orcavella
• Pepa a Loba

Humans with supernatural powers

• Baluros
• Bandoleiros
• Corredores
• Werewolves
• Witches
• Meiga chuchona
• Nuberu
• Sabias
• Vedoiros

Demons, angels, and saints

• Breogán
• Hercules
• Noah
• Teucer

Magical plants and creatures

• Scorpions
• Cobras
• weasels
• Crickets
• Wolves
• Lizards
• Beetles
• Basilisks
• Coco
• Dragons
• Unicorns
• Oak trees
• sea thrift
• bay laurel

Gallery

• 
  German representation of a werewolf, from 1722
• 
  Witch burning
• 
  Representation of the Holy Company in Pontevedra
• 
  Olláparo sculpture, on the Barraña beach promenade, Boiro
• 
  Midnight Washerwomen, painting by the Breton painter Yan' Dargent.
• 
  Baptism of Queen Lupa by Saint James. Fonte do Carmen, Padrón.
• 
  Graffiti of a witch in Ordes
• 
  An interpretation of a Nuberu
• 
  Statue of Teucer in Pontevedra
• 
  Coco through the streets of Redondela at the Festival of Coco in Redondela

See also

• Hermitage of Our Lady of Lanzadagl
• Thunderstone
• Irish mythology
• Asturian mythology
• Tarasque

Bibliography

• Cuba, Xoán Ramiro [in Galician]; Reigosa, Antonio [in Galician]; Miranda, Xosé [in Galician] (1999). Pequena mitoloxía de Galicia. Illustrated by Lázaro Enríquez. Edicións Xerais de Galicia. ISBN 84-8302-363-6.
• Cuba, Xoán Ramiro [in Galician]; Reigosa, Antonio [in Galician]; Miranda, Xosé [in Galician] (2001). Dicionario dos seres míticos galegos. Edicións Xerais de Galici. ISBN 978-84-8302-705-9.
• Reigosa, Antonio [in Galician] (2000). Guía de campo da Galicia Encantada. Dos seres míticos e dos lugares que habitan. Illustrated by Noemí López. Xerais. ISBN 978-84-9121-646-9.
• Reigosa, Antonio [in Galician]; Brochs, Neira (2020). Cen historias máxicas pola Mariña encantada. Viveiro: Libros LAR. ISBN 978-84-9493-086-7.
• Reigosa, Antonio [in Galician] (2020). Contrahistorias de Galicia. Edicións Embora. ISBN 978-84-1782-427-3.

External links

• Galicia encantada