Letras Galegas 2019

Os xaníns Unha variante do trasno é o xanin. No Bierzo cóntanse varias lendas de xaníns, personaxes que parecen trasnos e habitan no monte, , especialmente nas ladeiras boscosas do Carballal de Folgoso da Ribera. Os “Xainíns tiñan como lugar de repouso as ladeiras do Carballal, monte cheo de castiñeiros e rebolos e alí entregábanse a vida de folga, moi concorde co carácter galbaneiro e tranquilo da súa raza, e a axexar durante as súas eternas camiñatas a presenza de calquera hóspede de fóra. En moitas ocasións aplicábanse a importunar e a facer trasnadas ás persoas que paseaban polos seus dominios. Tamén se di que&nbsp;que tiñan&nbsp;poderes máxicos.&nbsp;Seica polas longas e frías noites invernais tamén chegaban ás casas da xente do lugar,&nbsp;dende que&nbsp;se ían á cama despois dos fiandóns.. Gustáballes baixar&nbsp;ata&nbsp;o barrio de Santa Uxía&nbsp;quentarse no braseiro e comer&nbsp;as patacas asadas que os veciños deixaran despois de marchar para a cama.

Legend The shamans A variant of the trasno is xanin. In the Bierzo, there are several legends of genres, characters that look like goblins and inhabit the mountain, especially on the wooded slopes of the Carballal de Folgoso da Ribera. The "Xinsins" had as a place of rest the slopes of the Carballal, a mountain full of chestnut trees and reeds, and there was given the life of a strike, very consistent with the gallant and calm character of their race, and to stare during the eternal camiñatas the presence of any guest from outside. On many occasions, they applied to harass and to make trasnadas to the people who walked by their dominions. It is also said that they had magical powers. Even during the long and cold winter nights they also came to the houses of the locals, since they went to bed after the stables. They liked to descend to the district of Santa Uxía to warm themselves up in the barbecue and to eat the roasted potatoes that the neighbors left after leaving for the bed.

The Fountain of the Idol The Idol Fountain is a Roman monument in Braga, in the North of Portugal. When Braga was still called Bracara Augusta, the Idol Fountain was a sanctuary dedicated to the god Tongoenabiago, associated with the waterways. It is believed to have been built in the 1s century after Christ. and ordered to be constructed by Celicus Fronto. The fountain is a large granite surface.

Near an inscription is a figure dressed in a toga. On the water fountain is another sculptured figure, a bust with a classic profile. There are indications that this shrine may have belonged to part of a temple. However, it is a monument full of mystery, because it reveals the worship of an indigenous god by the Romans, known for their religious tolerance.

The magosto is a traditional celebration of El Bierzo, that also exists in some regions of northern Spain, such as Galicia, Cantabria, Asturias, León, Zamora... From the Paleolithic humans were fed on chestnuts and acorns. With the expansion of the cultivation of chestnut trees by the Romans, their fruit has become the basis for the feeding of the population, such as fresh fruit, dried or ground to make flour. In the Bierzo we have very many chestnuts especially in Las Médulas, ancient gold mining exploited by the Romans. The Magosto is a celebration related to the collection of chestnuts harvest similar to the vintage festivals related to the grape harvest, also typical of El Bierzo. It is carried out mainly in October, November and December. The feast consists of making a bonfire and, once there are embers, a metal cylinder with holes on its base is placed on them, called a drum or, in some areas, a brick. In this container, the chestnuts are extended to which previously they have been cut to one end so that they do not jump or explode. Once roasted, peel and eat. Ainhoa Serrano . 2º Bacharelato. Iesve. Ponferrada.

La leggenda del Gallo di Barcelo. La leggenda racconta di un pellegrino&nbsp;galiziano&nbsp;che, mentre ritornava a&nbsp;Santiago de Compostela, fu arrestato e condannato a morte nella città di Barcelos con l'accusa di aver rubato dell'argento ad un proprietario terriero del posto.&nbsp;Il condannato, che si proclamava innocente, andò dal giudice&nbsp;per&nbsp;chiedere la grazia.&nbsp;Quest'ultimo&nbsp;era&nbsp;intento a consumare un gallo arrosto per pranzo: il condannato affermò di essere certo della propria innocenza così come era certo che il gallo&nbsp;avrebbe cantato e ciò avrebbe provato&nbsp;la sua innocenza, ma il giudice ovviamente non gli credette. Tuttavia, proprio mentre il pellegrino stava per essere impiccato, il gallo si alzò ed iniziò a cantare.&nbsp;Il giudice si precipitò sul luogo del patibolo e il pellegrino fu salvo.In seguito il pellegrino galiziano avrebbe fatto ritorno a Barcelos e&nbsp;avrebbe intagliato il&nbsp;Cruzeiro do Senhor do Galo, ovvero il "crocifisso del signore del gallo", crocifisso conservato nel museo archeologico locale. by Chiara - Carcare

Good Friday in Savona The procession of the Good Friday in Savona is a celebration of the cristian tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages . At this event, which is celebrated every two years, there are a lot of tourists and inhabitants of the city. It consists in a parade with some religious statues. Many years ago, the procession moved through the small narrow alleys, while now takes place in the large and important streets of Savona. This event is organized by the six confraternities of Savona and it is one of the most important religious rites and&nbsp;traditions in Liguria. by Vanessa Gaggero - Carcare https://youtu.be/1-LGDvOqVhY

Veglie in Piedmont At the end of the summer. after the harvest of corn, people used to gather together to free the cobs of the leaves . Later the cobs would be hanged to dry. The meetings could be in the yard in the open air or inside the stables. The elderly used to tell stories to the children who enjoyed the meetings because they could stay together and play. Girls usually used the 'hair' of the cobs for their dolls. by Irene - Carcare

PEZINHO DA NOSSA SENHORA Nos dias do início do povoamento nos princípios do século XV, várias pessoas passavam junto de um curso de água denominado Ribeira das Sete, quando avistaram a Virgem Nossa Senhora a pairar sobre a água, dizendo: "Estai atentos. Aqui próximo, no mar, há-de aparecer uma imagem minha". Ao dizer isto, Nossa Senhora colocou um pé na rocha basáltica de um dos lados da ribeira, desaparecendo em seguida e deixando a pegada marcada. Quando o acontecimento foi divulgado pela localidade e seus arredores, as populações ficaram alvoraçadas. Muitas, apesar de cépticas, iam espreitar o mar para ver se avistavam alguma coisa. Ficaram então muito admiradas quando, passados alguns dias, deu à costa um caixote feito em madeira. Tinha vindo levado pelo mar, ficando depositado num poço de maré. Ao ser aberto, foi encontrada uma imagem, como havia sido predito: a de Nossa Senhora da Ajuda, esculpida em pedra. by: Diogo e Gonçalo-Braga Portugal <a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenda_do_Pezinho_de_Nossa_Senhora">https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenda_do_Pezinho_</a> <a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenda_do_Pezinho_de_Nossa_Senhora">de_Nossa_Senhora</a>

LENDA CARUCEDO E AS MÉDULAS. En tempos da todopoderosa Roma, os guerreiros Celtas, mandados por&nbsp;Medulio, estaban a someter ás Lexións Romanas, mandadas por&nbsp;Carisio a humillantes derrotas. Medulio, tiña unha bela filla, chamada&nbsp;Boremia, da que se namoro&nbsp;Carisio. Cansados de desastres, Roma, envío un gran exército para que derrotasen aos Celtas. Durante a batalla, un raio mata a&nbsp;Medulio e o sangue dos Celtas mortos, infiltraron na montaña converténdose en ouro e dando lugar ás&nbsp;Medulas. Os Romanos, gañaran a Batalla, pero perderon a guerra, ao escravizar o seu Imperio na extracción do Ouro das&nbsp;Medulas.&nbsp;Finalizada a batalla,&nbsp;Carisio subiu ás Montañas do Bierzo, a buscar á súa amada&nbsp;Boremia, enganándoa coa promesa de que asinara a paz co seu pai. Cando chego ao pobo, comprobou que os seus guerreiros eran escravos, o pobo arrasado e a árbore sacra do Tezo cortado.

Boremia, empezou a chorar e chorar, ata que os seus&nbsp;lagrimas fixeron un río, que se converteu en lago e arrastrárona ata o fondo. Hoxe día na Noite de San Juan, hai quen di, ver no Lago de&nbsp;Carucedo á&nbsp;Ondina&nbsp;Caricea, cantando cancións Celtas.

Castagnata In Autumn almost everywhere there are 'Castagnate' Chestnuts&nbsp;are cooked in special and big pan with holes put on the fire and they are called "caldarroste".&nbsp;In Bormida there are "Baci di Bormida", which are chestnuts in melted chocolate. You can meet people at the corner of the streets also in big town who cook and sell bassers-by 'caldarroste' wrapped in brown paper. by Samuele - Carcare

FESTA DOS MAIOS DE VILAFRANCA DO BIERZO&nbsp;

Masche work at&nbsp;dusk or at night, when the life of the community stops and the country roads are desert and dark. They are usually touchy&nbsp;and vengeful but there are also examples of benevolent and healing masche, expert in herbs and&nbsp;natural remedies. In the past,&nbsp;in all&nbsp;Piedmont&nbsp;, it was believed people had to follow a code of behaviour not to fall victim of the malefic powers of the masca. The most popular was surely the habit not to leave hanging clothes to dry after sunset, because at night masche would surely cast on them some sorcery. In Piedmont, at the time of the Inquisition, a lot of&nbsp;masche were burnt as witches. Even in our days, in the Piedmontese countryside and&nbsp;mountainous areas people avoide&nbsp;giving the hand to an elderly woman when she is alone&nbsp;fearing she can be a dying masca waiting&nbsp;for passing over her own powers. Bruna - Carcare

SANREMO IN FLOWER Sanremo in Flower is a parade of wagons in bloom, made by a dozen of town communities of the province of Imperia; it takes place in Sanremo, generally on&nbsp;the second Sunday of March. The final prizes are: • Three thousand euros for the best wagon; • Two thousand euros for the second wagon; • One thousand euros for the third wagon. The last edition, named Goddess Flora's Party, took place in&nbsp;January 1904,&nbsp;but today it is known as the&nbsp;“ Way in bloom”. Tourists for Liguria, Piedmont, Val d’Aosta, Lombardy, Tuscany Umbria and even from the French Riviera come there to take part in&nbsp;the event. The wagons are adorned and decorated with floral sculptures through the city streets of Sanremo; they are now very famous and the manifestation is taken every year. I didn’t know about this event and now I’m curious to see it, especially for the flowery wagons. &nbsp;&nbsp;by Irene Schiavi and&nbsp; &nbsp;Vanessa Gaggero

Lenda do Galo de Barcelos Há muito tempo atrás aconteceu um crime em Barcelos que preocupou os barcelenses por não saberem quem o cometera. Um galego que estava a percorrer o Caminho Português até Santiago de Compostela e nunca foi visto por aqueles lados, tornou-se o suspeito número um. Demasiada coincidencia o crime acontecer quando ele lá passara. Foi imediatamente acusado e condenado à forca. No dia do julgamento o peregrino pediu a presença de um juiz e disse lhe “ É tão certo eu estar inocente, como certo é esse galo cantar quando me enforcarem. E apontou para um galo assado pronto a ser comido. No entanto quando o galego estava a ser enforcado, o galo voltou à vida, cantando alto bem à frente do juiz. Este, que não acreditava no que acabara de acontecer, correu até à forca e percebeu-se que, graças a um nó mal dado, o peregrino sobreviveu. &nbsp; Marta Cardoso, Nº16, 11ºTD

"The Two Marías" This is the name by which these two sisters are known and became popular characters of the city. They used to take their walks in an hour of completion that was at two in the afternoon exactly and this gave name to their nickname. It was an hour when the majority of students went out and the two of them called them out for their unique make-up and their eccentric way of dressing while they flirted with the university students. Today they have a sculpture located in the Alameda Park in Santiago de Compostela. By (GL) Teresa

The legend of Bergeggi island Around 485 Northen Africa was dominated by the Vandals whose king Unnerico persecuted the Chtristians. Two Saint bishops Vindemmiale and Eugene were about to be killed when an Angel came and ordered them to flee to the rock in front of Gerba island; God would then show his will. The two men fled away and when on the rock they saw a blinding light and a voice ordered to go. The rock moved and reached the Ligurian Sea near the coast of Savona. The two lived in the little island until Vindemmiale decided to leave and convert the people in Corsica. Eugene remained on the rock with a faithful friend, the first man he had baptized. When the bishop died , a church was built in his name on the island. Later the bishop of Savona, Bernardo, had a monastery built also devoted to the saint,on the island which was given to Lèrins Abbey’s Monks. When the monastery went to the bishopry of Noli, St. Eugene’s body was buried in Noli.

It is said that on the 16th of July during the night Saint Eugene’s ghost goes back to the island with his friend.&nbsp;

The Legend of the Ghost Pilgrim A priest felt a great love for a nun belonging to the convent of San Pelayo, located in San Paio de Antealtares. In order to be able to be alone with her, the priest walked every night a narrow secret passage located under Plaza de Quintana. Fruit of love, he proposed to the nun to meet at midnight of the next day in the Plaza de Quintana to elope together, and thus start a new life.

The priest went to the appointment dressed in the tunic of the pilgrims in order not to raise suspicion. Unfortunately, his beloved nun never appeared. Since then, it is said that the priest goes night after night to the square to wait for his nun... By (GL) Jose

O SAMAÍN&nbsp; O Samaín é unha festividade&nbsp;celta&nbsp;que marca o remate da tempada de&nbsp;colleita&nbsp;e o comezo do inverno ou "metade escura" do ano. Atópase a medio camiño entre o&nbsp;equinocio&nbsp;de outono e o&nbsp;solsticio&nbsp;de inverno. Historicamente, foi amplamente celebrado en&nbsp;Irlanda,&nbsp;Escocia&nbsp;e a&nbsp;Illa de Man. En Castela e León hoxe festéxano os astures de Astorga. En épocas prerromanas festexábano por todo o alto as tribus da capital Asturias Cismontana y Trasmontana. No Bierzo&nbsp;a xente nova adoita&nbsp;festexar o día 31 de outubro&nbsp;o Halloween, unha festividade importada de América&nbsp;que ten as súas raíces na festa celta do Samaín, de cando foron os irlandeses a Norteamérica.&nbsp; En&nbsp;Galicia, é unha celebración que se está a recuperar e promocionar dende a&nbsp;década de 1990, que está baseada na tradición do Día dos Defuntos, na de tallar caveiras en melóns e cabazas e de vestir como espíritos ou pantasmas.

O MAGOSTO&nbsp; O magosto é unha festa tradicional berciana que tamén hai&nbsp;nalgunhas rexións do norte de España, como Galicia, Cantabria, Asturias, León, Zamora… Dende o paleolítico os seres humanos alimentáronse de castañas e landras. Coa expansión do cultivo de castañeiros polos romanos, o seu froito converteuse na base da alimentación da poboación, como froito fresco, seco ou moído para facer fariña. No Bierzo&nbsp;temos moitísimos castaños especialmente nas Médulas, antiga explotación mineira de ouro&nbsp;explotada polos romanos. O Magosto é unha celebración relacionada coa recolección da colleita de castañas similar ás festas da vendima relacionadas coa recolección da uva, tamén típica do Bierzo. Realízase principalmente en outubro, novembro e decembro.

A festa consiste en realizar unha fogueira e, unha vez hai brasas, colócase sobre elas un cilindro metálico con buracos na súa base, chamado tambor ou, nalgunhas zonas, tixolo. Neste recipiente, esténdense as castañas ás que previamente se lles realizou un corte nun extremo para que non salten ou exploten. Unha vez asadas pélanse e cómense.

The dead’s remembrance In the countryside in Italy the beginning of the year was on the 11th of November ,Saint Martin,&nbsp;the same day when the Celtic year started with the Samain which represented the meeting between the underworld and the real world. Today this feast is celebrated under the name of Halloween. Some food was left on the tables, on windows or at the corner of the house for the dead. On the 2nd of November nobody went out to let the dead go freely in procession along the roads and a candle was kept lit to help the dead find the way. by Marta - Carcare

The bewitched cats of Ellera In Ellera there is a cave which has always been inhabited&nbsp;by witches . These&nbsp;are beautiful women, with long hair and pointed ears;&nbsp;they have a good relationship with the inhabitants of the place. They show the way if you are lost, they heal the sick children, they turn&nbsp;milk sour for making cheese and if a storm is approaching they blow&nbsp;&nbsp;wind&nbsp;&nbsp;away. When Napoleon's&nbsp;soldiers invaded the dominions they caught some of them dancing naked in a field. The drunk French soldiers raped them . The witched turned into big wild cats with a woman face. When the French soldiers were sent away, the cats became women again but some were pregnant and they gave birth to basilisks who are said to still live at the bottom of the cave. by Michela - Carcare

THE SEVEN SISTERS PEREGRINES LOST IN THE BIERZO This story is one of the best known and typical of the Bercian oral tradition. Before continuing with the narrative, it is necessary to describe our region as "the land of Mary Most Holy", in reference to an ancestral tradition. The Seven Virgins that became the seven women who made the Jacobean Route could be: the Guiana (or Güina), the Escallos, the Holm Oak, the Virgin of the Rock, the Virgin of the Val de la Cabrera, the Fombasallá, the Las Angustias, La Nieves de Valdeprado, La Cebrero ... THE LEGEND: Our ancestors tell us that, in an immemorial moment, seven beautiful maidens came to fulfill the Jacobean devotion and were at the top of Foncebadón. In this exact place, the oldest was at an appropriate point with the younger sister (who sadly regretted the injuries that occurred in the foot). It was then that the "guide" (no doubt the first-born) gave permission to her sisters to entertain themselves for a while,while she

healed the patient in the most delicate and loving way possible. The five sisters disappeared quickly, enchanted by the beauty of the Bierzo landscape. The older sister, after helping the girl, tried to find her sisters. Faced with the impossibility of finding them, he sought an enclave from which to contemplate the entire Berciano paradise. His surprise was enormous: all his sisters shone in different places: the Peña de Congosto, Fombasallá, next to the Templar Castle, in the Cabrera, in Anllares, in Cacabelos, in the Val de Fornela, ... He decided then not to move from the peak of Aquiana and, after a short period of time, the inhabitants of the area built a hermitage in his honor. Finally, it is absolutely necessary to affirm that the emergence and maintenance of the great pilgrimages comes from the cult of our Mother Mary Most Holy. Ainhoa Serrano IES Virgen de la Encina

A lenda do monte Medulio “O día do Medulio con sangue quente e roxa mercámo-lo dereito á libre honrada chouza.” Os romanos preséntanse no noroeste da península (a actual Galicia e o Bierzo) no ano 26 a.c dirixidos polo emperador César Augusto. A súa intención era á de dobregar aos indíxenas da Gallaecia. Aínda que os romanos tiñan moito potencial, tiveron moitas baixas. Os romanos puxeron prezo á cabeza dos caudillos indíxenas, e estes deixaban o poder aos seu fillos e ían ante o emperador a cobrar a recompensa. Ante esta situación, os romanos deciden facer un foso ao redor do Monte Medulio, onde os celtas tiñan os seus castros (fortificación propia dos pobos indíxenas da zona; os celtas) para sitialo e matalos de fame. Despois de outros enfrontamentos, os romanos comezan a ter unha clara vantaxe. Nese momento, os celtas levan acabo asasinatos e suicidios entre eles para evitar volver a ser escravos. De aí xorde o lema propio deste pobo: “Antes morto que ser escravo”.&nbsp;

The legend of Mount Medulio "The day of the Medulio with hot and purple blood let's buy it right to the honest free chouza. " The Romans came to the northwest of the Peninsula Ibérica (in Galicia and in the Bierzo) in the year 26 a.c led by Emperor César Augusto. His intention was to double the natives of Gallaecia. Although the Romans had a lot of potential, they had many casualties. The Romans put price at the head of indigenous warlords, and these left the power of their children and went before the emperor to charge the reward. Before this situation, the Romans decide to make a moat around Monte Medulio, where the Celts had their castros (fortification of the indigenous people of the area, the Celts) to seat it and kill them hungry. After other confrontations, the Romans begin to have a clear advantage. At that time, the Celts have killed murder and suicide among them to avoid becoming slaves again. Hence the motto of this people arises: "Dead before being slave."

FESTA DOS MAIOS DE VILAFRANCA DO BIERZO&nbsp; Esta festa constitúe unha exaltación da primavera, representada a través das especies vexetais, que se fan ver como un ritual mediante o cal se pide aos espíritos vexetais que favorezan a fertilidade do pobo. Trátase de maios viventes e consiste en que os mozos e nenos cóbrense con ramas de " canaveiras" por todo o corpo,&nbsp;percorren as rúas con&nbsp;gran dificultade coa colaboración dalgún maior. Previamente ao comezo dos festexos adórnanse os balcóns e corredores de Rúa&nbsp;da auga, onde se celebran algúns dos actos máis significativos. Estes ábrense a véspera co recitado de poesías nos balcóns da devandita rúa, subindo o lector a unha escada de man e entregando un pequeno ramo de flores á persoa á que vai dirixida a poesía. Nesta rúa tamén ser realizan algunas representacións de corte satírico.&nbsp;Á mañá seguinte e o día propio da festa, diríxense os mozos ao campo para cortar as ramas das canaveiras e proceder a vestir ao Maio, é dicir, ao rapaces que se adorna con&nbsp;plantas.

Cada zona da vila, ten o seu propio Maio, saen todos ás doce do mediodía, percorrendo as rúas con cánticos e solicitando un donativo, ben sexadiñeiroou castañas e noces.&nbsp;O refrán da canción é o seguinte: "Marzo airoso Abril chuviñ oso, sacan o Maio florido e fermoso"... "Tire castañas señora María, tire castañas quas ten nacociña..." Dependendo da xenerosidade do doante aplícase unha estrofa ou outra:&nbsp;"esta casa é de cristal onde vive un xeneral" "esta casa é de laxa onde vive unha roñosa". Sucesivamente os maios déitanse no chan e levántanse para evocar o morrer do inverno e o renacer da primavera. Finalmente concéntranse todos os maios na Praza Maior e posteriormente celébrase unha comida popular para todos os interesados.

AS SETE IRMÁS PEREGRINAS PERDIDAS NO&nbsp;BIERZO

In this site we find the legends of the oldest Portuguese witches. <a href="http://www.lendarium.org/new_category/9/">http://www.lendarium.org/new_category/9/</a>

Candelora It has become a&nbsp;Christian feast but in ancient time it was the feast of the Light. In the countryside they used to bless candles. The family head crossed the wrists of the family members and also the house doors, the stable doors and the vineyard. These rites were usually performed at night because the Church didn’t approve of them. They recall the Celtic feast of Imbolc during which houses were purified lighting candles. Nowadays it is celebrated on 2nd February to commemorate the introduction of Jesus to the Temple. Candles, symbol of Jesus ‘ Light of people’ , are blesses. There is a popular saying ‘ per la santa candelora o se nevica o se plora dell’inverno siamo fora…’’at Holy Candelora , no matter if it snows or rains:&nbsp;we are out of winter..’&nbsp; by Giovanni - Carcare

Chestnut festivals in Valbormida On the second Sunday of November there is the&nbsp;&nbsp;“tecci” festival&nbsp;devoted to the beating of dried chestnuts, a product of "slow food" called "Castagne essiccate nei tecci di Calizzano e&nbsp;&nbsp;Murialdo&nbsp;". Drying huts or 'tecci'are small stone buildings made of one room. Inside there is a timber frame, two-three metres high over the floor. On this frame the chestnuts are spread and below a fire is lit so that heat and smoke dry the nuts. Alessio - Carcare

A MATANZA DO PORCO A matanza do porco&nbsp;é o conxunto de procedementos que se realizan para o sacrificio do&nbsp;porco, o faenado da canal e a posterior elaboración dos&nbsp;embutidos&nbsp;e outras pezas para conservar a&nbsp;carne&nbsp;obtida. Non se aplica ó sacrificio industrial, senón só á matanza realizada no domicilio do propietario e exclusivamente para o consumo familiar. Habitualmente en novembro o decembro. Representa a principal fonte de abastecemento de carne da familia rural para todo o ano, ademáis de constituír, xunto co&nbsp;Entroido, unha das formas máis representativas da&nbsp;cultura popular&nbsp;berciana&nbsp;e tamén galega. Dalgún xeito o mes de&nbsp;San Martiño, novembro,&nbsp;&nbsp;marca o inicio dos frios de inverno e dá o punto de saída á tradición de matar o porco que se cebou ou alimnentou&nbsp;coidadosamente durante todo o ano. De aí o refrán : "A todo porco lle chega ou seu San Martiño”. Tradicionais son tamén, chegado San Martiño, os magostos, como xa comentei anteriormente.

THE SLAUGHTER OF THE PIG The slaughter of the pig is the set of procedures that are carried out for the sacrifice of the pig, the faenado of the channel and the later elaboration of the sausages and other pieces to conserve the meat obtained. It does not apply to industrial slaughter, but only to slaughter carried out at the home of the owner and exclusively for family consumption. Usually in November, December. It represents the main source of supply of meat from the rural family throughout the year, as well as forming, along with Carnival, one of the most representative forms of the popular culture Berciana and also Galicia. Somehow the month of San Martiño, November, marks the beginning of the winter cold and gives the starting point to the tradition of killing the pig that was fattened or nourished carefully throughout the year. Traditional are also, arrived San Martiño, the magostos, as I said before. Ainhoa Serrano. Ponferrada.&nbsp;

TRIORA'S WITCHES The story of this village started between 1587 and 1589 from a very macabre fact. In that time poverty and lack of raw materials were great problems for the small city. After a short investigation by&nbsp;Girolamo del Pozzo, a priest, the origins of the calamities were found in some local women. Accused of witchcraft, cannibalism towards children and being the cause of the pestilence in progress, thirty women were arrested, imprisoned in their own houses, transformed into prisons (the most famous is the house of Meggio, called “Ca’ de baggiure”). Then, they moved to a prison in Genoa. In Triora, of the famous witches, only the places remain. They became famous because they are considered their meeting points&nbsp;for example the fountain of Campomavùe. Alice Olivieri - Carcare

O FIANDÓN O&nbsp;fiandón&nbsp;(ou fía, fiada, fiadeiro) é unha reunión que se realiza polas noites no Bierzo, unha vez rematada a cea, na que se contan contos, cántase, báilase e realízanse certos xogos populares ao tempo que se traballa nalgún labor manual (xeralmente téxtil).&nbsp;Tal reunión adoitábase facer ao redor do lar, cos participantes sentados en escanos ou bancadas. O fiandón séguese a practicar no oeste das provincia de León e Asturias e na montaña oriental galega. O 8 de xuño de 2010, as Cortes de Castela e León declararon ao Filandón como Ben de Interese Cultural.

THE FIANDON The fiandón is a meeting that takes place at night in El Bierzo, once the dinner is over, in which stories are told, where the people sing, and certain popular games are performed while working in some manual work (usually textile). Such a meeting used to take place around the lighthouse, with the participants seated in seats or benches. The fiandon is still practiced in the western province of León and Asturias and in the eastern Galician mountain. On June 8, 2010, the Cortes of Castilla y León declared the Fiandón Cultural Heritage. Ainhoa Serrano 2º Bach. IESVE. Ponferrada.

AS SETE IRMÁS PEREGRINAS PERDIDAS NO&nbsp;BIERZO É este relato un dos máis coñecidos e típicos na tradición oral berciana. Antes de proceder á narración, é preciso cualificar á nosa rexión como “terra de María Santísima”, en referencia a unha tradición ancestral. As Sete Virxes en que se converteron as sete mulleres que facían a Ruta Xacobea poiden ser: a da Guiana (ou a Güina), a dos Escallos, a da Aciñeira, a Virxe da Pena, a Virxe do Val de Cabrera, a de Fombasallá, a dás Angustias, a dás Neves de Valdeprado, a do Cebrero… A LENDA: Contan os nosos antepasados que, nun tempo inmemorial, sete fermosas doncelas viñan cumprindo coa devoción xacobea e achábanse no alto de Foncebadón. Neste exacto lugar, a máis maior quedou nun punto adecuado coa irmá menor (que se queixaba lastimosamente dunhas feridas que no pé producíranselle). Foi entón cando a “guía” da comitiva

(certamente a primoxénita)deu permiso ás súas irmás para que se entretivesen un bo intre, mentres ela curaba á doente do modo máis delicado e amoroso posible. As cinco irmás rapidamente desapareceron, encandeadas pola beleza da paisaxe do Bierzo. A irmá maior, tras socorrer á menor, tentou en balde achar aos seus anteriores acompañantes. Ante a imposibilidade de atopalas, buscou un enclave desde onde contemplar todo o paraíso berciano. A súa sorpresa foi maiúscula: todas as súas irmás peregrinantes brilaban coma luceiros en diferentes localizacións (na paraxe dos Escallos situábase a camiñante máis pequena e as outras permanecían distribuídas pola xeografía da nosa Comarca: a Pena de Congosto, Fombasallá, á beira do Castelo Templario de Ponferrada, en Chamas de Cabrera, en Anllares ou Valdeprado, en Cacabelos, no Val de Fornela,….Ela sinceramente decidiu non moverse do Pico da Aquiana e, ao cabo dun curto período de tempo, os habitantes da zona construíronlle unha ermida. Ainhoa Serrano

THE LEGEND OF THE OLD WOMAN OF VICO DEI LIBRAI The legend tells that the ghost of an old woman gets around in the historic centre of Genoa. She wears old clothes, she gets around the narrow alleys of the city and she usually asks information in a strange dialect about Vico Dei Librai to the people that she meets. She says that she got lost and she doesn’t find the way to return home. A lot of people say that she asked them this information but, during the conversation, she disappeared into nothingness. In Genoa there are a lot of alleys and it’s very easy to get lost like the old woman; but the strange thing is that Vico Dei Librai, the destination of the old woman, doesn’t exist since the Second World War, when Germans bombed the city. So when you stroll in the historic centre of Genoa, pay attention! You can meet a ghost… Matilde Barbero - Carcare

THE LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TREE In the district of St. Fruttuoso&nbsp;there is a road between tall buildings: the road of the Golden Tree. This name comes from a legend narrating that in the district of St. Fruttuoso there were many woods, gardens and orchards. It was a district inhabited by farmers, that lived in small cottages in the green. The greatest part of those cultivated grounds belonged to a gentleman of the place, known as a lazy person. He loved to live in&nbsp;luxury, he visited only the richest people in the city and&nbsp;played&nbsp;dice. But gambling had never brought anything good: the gentleman quickly lost everything of his possessions getting into debt with a lot of people. He was convinced to be able to win the game and to return&nbsp;as rich as before. The last time he tossed dice he bet one of his trees&nbsp;as a reward. He won the game and had all his money back.

He was happy, but he wasn’t the same any longer: he had been turned&nbsp;into a humbler man. In fact, he understood that that tree represented the courage to take his responsibility.That tree became his mascot and took him out of&nbsp;gambling. In the 80s an old tree was cut down in the street of the Golden Tree and according to the legend it was the tree of the gentleman. Many people believed in this legend so a new tree was planted. The tree is symbol of good luck. Michela Cimino - Carcare

Citânia de Briteiros The Citânia de Briteiros is an archaeological site of the Castro culture located in the Portuguese civil parish of Briteiros São Salvador e Briteiros Santa Leocádia in the municipality of Guimarães; important for its size, "urban" form and developed architecture, it is one of the more excavated sites in northwestern Iberian Peninsula. Although primarily known as the remains of an Iron Age proto-urban hill fort (or oppidum), the excavations at the site have revealed evidence of sequential settlement, extending from the Bronze to Middle Ages. Lenda Os Xaníns Lidia (Ponferrada)

Meiga chuchona In Galicia, the legend tells that there are witches, witches who suck the kids blood and steal the child's fat, causing health deterioration on the most young, even causing the kid´s death. They can take different physical forms such as flies, bumblebees, owls. To avoid the witch appearance you have to put a indian chestnut, a garlic clove, a piece of&nbsp;“San Xoán” grass and keep watching your child all night. If you catch the witch you have to hit her with a branch of laurel and say “San Silvestre, meiga fora”. By (GL) Marcos

The lake of the&nbsp;“Masche” There is a&nbsp;little lake&nbsp;in Murialdo and the elderly people tell&nbsp;that in the past the “masche” , mysterious creatures half witches and half fairies, swam there; they are&nbsp;a very popular figure in folk stories. The Piedmontese term “masca” is probably of&nbsp;Longobardic origin with the meaning of "supernatural spirit", "dead person's soul" or also "witch".&nbsp;A 'masca' is a woman with supernatural powers, which are handed down from generation to generation. Old, wrinkled and often hunchbacked or lame, they live at the borders of the community, isolated in some log cabin or farm but they attend religious celebrations and they participate to social life. They can turn into other creatures ( cats, dogs, goats, hens and blowflies) and in attractive young girls, capable to attract young boys; nevertheless, the masca is not immortal: before dying, she has to pass her powers to another girl touching her.&nbsp;Masche can also influence the climate, causing storms, besides being able to influence&nbsp;crops and&nbsp;damage the livestock.

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