Gallaecia Our Motherland: Gallery

About

Gallaecia Motherland is a historical research project to unveil the culture and history of northern Portugal and Spain, yore united.

What's Gallaecia?

Gallaecia (comprising modern Galicia, Asturias and Northern Portugal) has had human settlers since prehistoric times, dating back to the 30th century BC. The Greeks (so told by Strabo) knew the settlers resided on the north of the river Douro by the name of Kallaikoi, maybe because of the name of the Celtic Goddess Cailleach. Later the name Kallaikoi was translated into Latin as Gallaeci, Callaeci or Gallaicoi.

According to Old Irish mythology, the Gaels came from Scythia (more or less identified with the south of Ukraine, center of Romania or Polish Galitzia, nowadays). From there, they went to Egypt. Once their mission was fulfilled in Egypt, and after a brief return to Scythia, they went to the Iberian Peninsula, which they conquered by force of arms beginning with Gallaecia, and followed by Asturias and Biscay. In the tower of Breogan (now called the Tower of Hercules) they described Ireland, which they took after a battle against the Tuatha Dé Danann.

Prior to the Roman conquest of Gallaecia, the main name the tribe received was Gallaicoi, a local name (gentilice) based on the word root gall-, which means Celt or Gaul. This term was applied to all the Celtic-speaking tribes, beginning with the classical Transalpine Gauls. The Polish Galitzia or the reference from Herodotus to the region called Gallaica, next to the Black Sea, indicates that the same term, rendered variously, was used for all the Eastern populations of Celts.

About 410 and the 6th century, the suebians, a germanic tribe , arrived to Gallaecia and formally declared the suebi kingdom of Gallaecia, with Braga (Bracara) as its capital. The suebi were under roman reign and lived the roman ways, so very little is known of the roots of their peoples and culture. This independent kingdom founded what would become the known Portugal of today.

Why this project?

Gallaecia Motherland is a product of my curiosity about my own roots, when there were no answers to my questions. Going back in my family tree, heritage and evaluating certain characteristics of my own personality, interests and perceptions on what I discovered and experienced back home, I knew deep in my inner self, there was more than what I acknowledged. There were many pieces of the puzzle which were missing and I felt I had to start my own journey to knowledge. Gallaecia Motherland is therefore, all the little pieces I've been collecting to rebuild the truth about myself and the place where I was born. Felt it was right to share all my findings and consequently give an opportunity to all of you to explore and fall in love with the Gallaecia I've been slowly discovering. This project is not founded in a nationalistic divisional political context, so therefore, I won't accept comments that imply personal political perceptions, independently of what is wrong or right. The page is culture-oriented and aims to target both gæls and outlanders. Let's bring back to our history books, to our families, cultural knowledge that yore was erased and improperly interpreted.

Love

Liliana Svavars, the admnistrator.

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