Ástures history and culture
Astures
castrenses:
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Astures, were occupying a considerable part
of L.lïón's province, most of Asturies, from the river Sella to the Rañadoiro
peaks for the West, in the east of Sella the cantabros and for the West the
albiones, (tribe who was possessing an proper princeps, considering her as
well as out of the group of the Galician ones, or with certain independence). Economic life: to take natural fruits is one
the most ancient forms of economic life, and the natives of Asturies, as well
as other peoples of the North, they were basing his existence on it. During
two or three parts of the year were using as fundamental food the acorn,
which they were drying first, crushing it later, the grinding, and with the
flour they were doing a bread that was remaining during long time. But next
to what they were producing the fruits of the nature it is necessary to rely
on the agriculture, that in those latitudes it had a character very different
from the one that could have in the south or among the vacceos. We suppose that the lands to sow in epoch
pre-rroman would be of small extension and that they would extract of them
something of barley, which would be consumed in the beer largely, some very
primitive species of wheat and of linen. With this the incursions of the
natives of Familiar structure: inside the mother regime
make clear very well some references to the procedure of mother right that
there contain Strabón himself and other authors who studied the question of
the matriarchy. The geographer Amasia, says, that among the cántabros the man
was endowing the woman, the daughters were inheriting and were those who were
giving woman to his brothers. The system that Strabon presents seems, one of
more excessively matriarchal that they can be known, where not only the
inheritance and the constitution of the family are ruled line-mother, but
also the woman is the owner, unlike other peoples(villages) call you
matriarchal, us that the residence matrilocal supposes prevalence of the
family of the woman, more than authority than this one itself, that is to
say, the authority of the mother uncle in the familiar organization, which
appears in the shape of vestiges us patriarchal peoples of the antiquity. In
the Cantabrian region it noticed Schulten that there is someone that another
tablet of Roman epoch with these characteristics, being in Asturies and
L.lïón where more they abound. The paternal authority is not irreconcilable
with all these juridical procedure, especially treating itself about moral
problems. Such an authority, in what concerns the cantabros, is testified by
Strabón, according to which, in the war that they were conquered for August,
a father ordered his son to give death to his mother, brothers and sisters,
before being enslaved by But there is something that in if the
same chance is more significant for the one that studies the paternal
inheritance: the custom of the "covada", in which the man, when his
wife gives to light, fulfills a series of rules, since he is to go to bed
with his newborn child, highlighting his relations and rights. The affirmation of which all the highlanders of the North were
marrying as the Greeks, turns out to be enigmatic. Schulten supports that it
would mean he was marrying an alone woman. Population of astures: according to Plinio it was of 240.000 it is to say 10 inhabitants for square kilometre. |
Settlements of the Astures:
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It
is possible to know like they were the cabins of these highlanders, so much
for the remains in the hopscotches, as for Strabón's texts. The cabins of the
natives of Asturies have diversity of plants and structures. These change
according to the area in which they place, the most mountainous zones abound
in circular type (Asturies, Bierzo, L.lión's mountain...), whereas in the
most flat zones, they predominate over the rectangular forms (Zones of the
plateau l.lïonesa). The abundance stones not of great size must be in
relation with the use of containers of wood, in which the milk would be
cooked, they would get into the fire up to warming up and once warm, they
wash in the liquid, since nowadays it happens in some zones of high mountain.
Strabón mentions such containers like of common use among the Celts, and the
stones it affirms that them the inhabitants were using the zone of the |
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De manzorgo a mandrecha: Estela Piedrona de Rumiera (Ayer); Estela de Duesos (Caravia); Estela de Cuaña (Cuaña). |
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Manzorga: Cabañes del castru de Cuaña; Mandrecha: Cabañes del castru de Mohías.
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1: Estela d'Argadenes (Piloña), dau que ye un frámentu y el so asemeyamientu cola de Caravia, creyese que yera de tipu discoidal. 2: Estela antropomórfica de Molleda (Corvera) 3: Ara dedicada a la divinidá 'Evedotonius Barciaecus' en Naraval (Tinéu). 4: Ara votiva 'Nimmedus Aseddiagus' n'Uxo (Mieres), probablemente rellacionada col términu celta Nemeton. |
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1: Molín xiratoriu tipu castreñu. 2: Estela funeraria de Camonéu (Onís) . 3: Representación d'un trisquel y un caballu mui paecíu al de l'estela, l'orru ye de Bermiego del sieglu XVI. |
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Ornamentation and customs of the Asturies:
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Strabón indicates the use of black clothes as
generalized for the whole North, which were used to cover on having slept on
the beds that they were arranging in the soil with herb, straw or leaves. The
women were dressing with fabrics decorated with vegetable substances and very
colouring. With regard to the hairdo, the men were taking his long and
floating hair, and to attack with a strong band. Seneca says that the
Corsican ones use the same band for the hair and the same type of tyres. The
footwear would be similar to the "rustic shoes" that still today
they use in the North and center. Some texts rebel the deep enough knowledge
of the toxic and medicinal properties of the plants: they speak about a
medicinal plant similar to the parsley or to the celery, with that they were
doing an active poison. Floro affirms that the Cantabros were doing a poison
of yew, poison that they were using in case of defeat. They were extracting
the patients to the ways in order that the people were observing them, like
that yes someone endured the same disease it might treat them, the above
mentioned custom is an proper sign of the former Assyrians. With regard to certain activities of the
spirit, it can be considered an assurance that the highlanders had an epic
developed enough poem. Strabón tells that the Cantabros
were enlivening in the cross singings of the victory, which makes think about
compositions transmitted by oral tradition, declared in solemn occasions by a
bards' species. |
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Enriba Manzorga: Torques de Llangréu (Muséu Valencia de Don Juan, Madrid). Enriba Centru: Diadema de Moñes (Piloña, Asturies); parte d'enriba (Museo Arquo. Nacional), parte d'abaxo (Muséu de Saint Germain-en-Laye, París). Enriba mandrecha y baxu manzorga: Torques del depósitu de Cangues d'Onís (Muséu Arquo. Nacional). Abaxo centru: Viria de Fonpedrín (Quirós). Abaxo mandrecha: Torques de Tinéu. |
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1: Brazalete de Lebuçao (Vila Real, Portugal), nel s'observa la rica decoración del tipu castreñu. 2: Colgante-amuletu procedente d'Asturies (Muséu de Valencia de Don Juan, Madrid). |
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1: Fíbula procedente de Llión 2: Pieza zoomorfica de bronce Cellagú (Uviéu) 3:Fíbula zoomorfa de Cellagú (Uviéu) |
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1: Fíbula de caballín Campa Torres (Xixón) 2: Remate d'una fíbula de turrexina d'influxu celtibéricu Cellagú (Uviéu), amás llocalizáronse tamién nel Picu'l Castru de Carvia, na Campa Torres y Tinéu. |
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1,2: Botones de tipu triskel atopaos en Santa María del Páramu (Llión), con paralelos en botones con triskeles de Sitzerath (Alemaña). |
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Armament of them Astures:
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The dart was a very important weapon among
the Cantabros, and surely out among the Astures. They were using small and
different shields of major size, but always of rounded forms, the dagger and
the sword cuts of antennas, the facalta also is,
this one for influence of other peninsular peoples, lances of rapier, slings
and torches of double edge. They were practising the guerrilla warfare with
great trickery and value. In the narrow valleys and steep hillsides they were
operating magnificently astride, technology that the Romans would not be late
in using. Famous they were his horses in the antiquity, as well as some troop
of cavalry of the same zone. They were using ships of sewed leather, as
curiosity that the César, of hiscampaign of Britannia had learned to make
ships of these, which keels and notebooks performed wood and the remaining
thing woven with wicker and cutlery of leather and then they did them in
Hispania, fighting against Afranio and Petreyo. Similar ships had the
Lusitanians and saxons, as well as Armenian. Of currency they were using
chunks of cut silver, similar system César registers as in certain parts of
Britannia, where also they were cutting golden chunks. Strabon mentioning the
Dalmats, he(she) thinks that these have jointly with
other Barbarian peoples(villages) the ignorance the currency. It is necessary
to bear in mind that there are no too many studies in the zones where Astures
were settling themselves.
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Espada pistiliforme del ríu Esla, (L.líon) (Muséu Arquo. de Barcelona). |
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1: punta dardu, tien 2: Puñal d'antenes de Penácaros (Bual), esti tipu de puñales apaecen en Centroeuropa na primera Edá del Fierro (Hallstatt D). |
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Curiosities:
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El dart was a very important weapon among the cantabros, and surely
out among the astures. They were using small and different shields of major
size, but always of rounded forms, the dagger and the sword cuts of antennas,
the facalta also is, this one for influence of other
peninsular peoples, lances of rapier, slings and torches of double edge. They
were practising the guerrilla warfare with great trickery and value. In the
narrow valleys and steep hillsides they were operating magnificently astride,
technology that the Romans would not be late in using. Famous they were his
horses in the antiquity, as well as some troop of cavalry of the same zone. They were using ships of sewed leather, as curiosity that the César, of hiscampaign of Britannia had learned to make ships of these, which keels and notebooks performed wood and the remaining thing woven with wicker and cutlery of leather and then they did them in Hispania, fighting against Afranio and Petreyo. Similar ships had the Lusitanians and saxons, as well as Armenian. Of currency they were using chunks of cut silver, similar system César registers as in certain parts of Britannia, where also they were cutting golden chunks. Strabon mentioning the Dalmats, he(she) thinks that these have jointly with other Barbarian peoples(villages) the ignorance the currency. It is necessary to bear in mind that there are no too many studies in the zones where Astures were settling themselves. |
Ástures: mercenaries of Rome:
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In Adriano's Wall, border raised
by the Romans to divide and to avoid the invasion in the zones of roman
influence on the part of the Pictos, (ancient tribes of The second, Ala II Asturum, whose camp was
called "CILURNUM", name that was corresponding to the Cilúrnigos
(of cilur, that in the Celtic language means cauldron), tribe of the Astures
that as it is known were living the zone of Campa Torres, (in Xixón). Testified first in
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Romans among Astures:
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Once finished the wars Cantabras and Astures,
remain in the northwest three legions of them seven that took part in the
conflict, and these are: the VIth Victrix, the X Gemina and the Macedonian
IVth. The Macedonian IVth seated in Pisoraca (Herrera de Pisuerga, |
Bretones among Astures:
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"Ad sedem Britonorum
ecclesias que sut intro Britones una cum monasterio Maximi et que in Asturiis
sunt" " To the headquarters of the Bretons
there fit to him the churches that are in the territories populated by the
Bretons, unitedly with Máximo's monastery and all different those who are
between among Astures ". In short it seems that throughout VIth
century A.D. a group of Bretons or Britishers instalaria on the oriental
coasts of The toponymy gathers also his presence in the center and east of Asturies; some examples: El Bretón (Corvera), Bretones (Piloña), Playa de Bretones (Vidiagu, Llanes). |
Relations of the Astures with the Germanic peoples:
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The Suevos submitted the Pesicos in the year
569, though the Luggones were not submitted by them, if they would make it
the visigodos, which would submit them under the reign of Wamba (672 - 680).
A sample of the Gothic interference is the church of Holy founded Cristina de
L.lena Gothic hair in 643. Though it indicates that before Guadalete's
battle the Goths already were in Asturies, possibly out only superficially
and in concrete places, since before the Romans were doing and later they
would do the Arabic. Soon there appears behind the Arabic incursion the
figure of a commander, such a Pelayo, but was it his Gothic origin or maybe
Cantabro Vadiniense?. From my point of view it would
be a question of a Vadiniense, provided that not understand that a group of
fierce native were choosing as commander a Goth with was in war for
centuries, and another argument; the adoption of the degree princeps, since
the Goths would use a more typical degree as, Dux, Rex. On the other hand we
have Pelayo's figure as a convinced Christian, not habitual at all thing between(among) the native ones that the ascetics were
tried to convert to the christianity, but that exists of really in this fact?
Since it might not be rather an information put
later to exalt the Christian crusade and mitificar this fact, as step with
the transformation of the birth of the river Deva in Cuadonga's cave, or the
reconquest that in these dates rather would be an attachment to the freedom
of the northern peoples. Returning under the pretext of Princeps, the above
mentioned degree only could be granted by the native peoples. According to
the chronicles, the tribes Astures, being these independent, get together in
the concillium gentius called (that is a type of association pre-roman that
was still in force), and it is where Pelayo is named as Princeps. And I say
how it is possible that related tribes to his ancient traditions name to a
Gothic noble, with which they were killing themselves even does it do
little?. And though they had contact with the Goths and they will have
appease you, the matriarchy (in force in this epoch), would not it imply that
Pelayo would have a mother or grandmother of anyone of them native tribes?, they are questions that stay without reputting. As
information; the system gives Roman name to everything, the Romans would call
it "Rex" if it is a question of a hereditary cargo,
"Princeps" if it is an elective cargo among equal, etc. We know
that Pelayo was chosen in zone Vanidiense but Cantabros from the zone they
must have suffered a process of astur influence or it would be the zone
populated by Astures, since the fountains indicate clearly that Pelayo was
named princeps of the Astures. The |
The Astures and his relations with
the islands.
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Tells a legend that a few Irish Celts
established near Navia for VIIIth century A.D. (more or less), and that all
his descendants are red-haired, but this is not any more than a legend, will
something exist of reality in the above mentioned legend?.
Also the attention is called entity the existence the Scotch Albiones of a
Navarus Fl., that is to say a river Navarus, curiously in the West of
Asturies the Albiones were, just in the shore of the Navia-albión. The study of the goldwork castreña shows the
existence of almost identical elements among Asturies and Eire, a torque,
that of Cangues d'Onis, identically to another Derry's torque ( The iconography Vadiniense. The horse, which
gallops from a tree to other one, in pos of a deer, carrying the soul of a
deceased, is a typical Celtic topic of ultratomb. The corresponding myth is
described in the first branch of the Welsh "Mabinogion".. Still today it is realized in certain
villages in determine you days, parties in those who get tied up the tubes of
a source of the same form since it does in some villages Irish. The
similarity is curious in rites relate you to the water. The constructive form of the metal cauldrons
already from the VIIIth century and the VIth B.C. (not only in the clinches
of the cauldrons but also it exists parallel in the hooks of meat) relate to The social organization of the Astures of the
national ones make alike with them of them islands, this way for example, are
equivalent or Irishes are alike very much the derbfine. Though it might dicir
that the tribal structure of the Astures looks like enough that of other
peoples of the Atlantic European front. Also we know that the relations and
helps it is something typical among peoples of the peninsula with other
peoples of the Galia, or between peoples of the peninsula, Cesar mentions the
Cantabros helping the Aquitanos. In the siege of Numantia, the possible
arrival was afraid of cántabros. Another example is the toponym in San
Balandrán's beach, which refers to an Irish legend. As
curiosity in the book " The Rose Secretes
", written for W.B.Yeats, poet and Irish folklorist, in a paragraph the
contraband is mentioned among |
