Otero Pedrayo
Encyclopedia
Ramón Otero Pedrayo (Ourense
, Galicia, 1888 - Ourense, 1976) was a Galician
geographer
, writer and intellectual. He was a key member of the Galician cultural and political movement Xeración Nós.
and History
in Burgos
and Santander
(Spain), before he went back to his natal city of Ourense. In 1918 he becomes a member of the Galicianist
organisation Irmandades da Fala
. He was a member of the Spanish parliament during the time of the Spanish Second Republic representing the Partido Galeguista
(Galicianist Party).
He was the first professor
of Geography at the University of Santiago de Compostela
. Apart from being considered the person who first introduced modern Geography in Galicia, he also was an accomplished writer as he demonstrates in his numerous essays, novels, plays and poems. He was also renowned as a great orator with a charismatic voice http://www.culturagalega.org/mp3/especiais/discurso_pedrayo.mp3.
Some of his famous novels are Os camiños da vida and O mesón dos Ermos, where he provides a meticulous description of Galician rural life. In fact, his non-scientific works are often taken as historical sources, since they are quite accurate and rigorous in terms of localization, description and context. It must also be mentioned Arredor de si, a novel often considered to be a veiled autobiography
.
Among his vast scientific production the encyclopaedia Historia de Galiza (first published in 1962) stands out as a colossal project. Yet, in his many works he depicts with precision the history, geography, folklore and anthropology of Galicia. He is the first geographer to define Galicia as an Atlantic country
, that is, of Atlantic and not Mediterranean culture. And together with archaeologist Florentino López Cuevillas he is one of the first researchers embarking in a systematic scientific study of Galicia's Celtic past.
There is a foundation named after him, which preserves and promotes his works http://www.arrakis.es/~trasalba/default.htm.
(in Galician
(in Spanish
Ourense
Ourense is a city in northwestern Spain, the capital of the province of the same name in Galicia. Its population of 108,674 accounts for 30% of the population of the province and makes it the third largest city of Galicia.-Population:...
, Galicia, 1888 - Ourense, 1976) was a Galician
Galician people
The Galicians are an ethnic group, a nationality whose historical homeland is Galicia in north-western Spain. Most Galicians are bilingual, speaking both their historic language, Galician, and Castilian Spanish.-Political and administrative divisions:...
geographer
Geographer
A geographer is a scholar whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society.Although geographers are historically known as people who make maps, map making is actually the field of study of cartography, a subset of geography...
, writer and intellectual. He was a key member of the Galician cultural and political movement Xeración Nós.
Biography
Otero Pedrayo taught GeographyGeography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
and History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
in Burgos
Burgos
Burgos is a city of northern Spain, historic capital of Castile. It is situated at the edge of the central plateau, with about 178,966 inhabitants in the city proper and another 20,000 in its suburbs. It is the capital of the province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and León...
and Santander
Santander, Cantabria
The port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community and historical region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain. Located east of Gijón and west of Bilbao, the city has a population of 183,446 .-History:...
(Spain), before he went back to his natal city of Ourense. In 1918 he becomes a member of the Galicianist
Galicianism (Galicia)
Galicianism is a political ideology of nationalist character whose objective is the defence of Galicia and its culture by the means of the establishment and strengthening of its own institutions.-Origins:...
organisation Irmandades da Fala
Irmandades da Fala
The Irmandades da Fala was a Galician nationalist organization active between 1916 and 1936.It was the first political organization of Galicia that only used the Galician language.-Origin:...
. He was a member of the Spanish parliament during the time of the Spanish Second Republic representing the Partido Galeguista
Partido Galeguista (1931)
The Partido Galeguista was a Galician nationalist party founded in December 1931. It achieved notoriety during the time of the Spanish Second Republic...
(Galicianist Party).
He was the first professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Geography at the University of Santiago de Compostela
University of Santiago de Compostela
The Royal University of Santiago de Compostela - USC is a public university located in the city of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain. A second campus is located in Lugo, Galicia....
. Apart from being considered the person who first introduced modern Geography in Galicia, he also was an accomplished writer as he demonstrates in his numerous essays, novels, plays and poems. He was also renowned as a great orator with a charismatic voice http://www.culturagalega.org/mp3/especiais/discurso_pedrayo.mp3.
Some of his famous novels are Os camiños da vida and O mesón dos Ermos, where he provides a meticulous description of Galician rural life. In fact, his non-scientific works are often taken as historical sources, since they are quite accurate and rigorous in terms of localization, description and context. It must also be mentioned Arredor de si, a novel often considered to be a veiled autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
.
Among his vast scientific production the encyclopaedia Historia de Galiza (first published in 1962) stands out as a colossal project. Yet, in his many works he depicts with precision the history, geography, folklore and anthropology of Galicia. He is the first geographer to define Galicia as an Atlantic country
Atlantic Europe
Atlantic Europe is a geographical and anthropological term for the western portion of Europe which borders the Atlantic Ocean. The term may refer to the idea of Atlantic Europe as a cultural unit and/or as an biogeographical region....
, that is, of Atlantic and not Mediterranean culture. And together with archaeologist Florentino López Cuevillas he is one of the first researchers embarking in a systematic scientific study of Galicia's Celtic past.
There is a foundation named after him, which preserves and promotes his works http://www.arrakis.es/~trasalba/default.htm.
(in GalicianGalician languageGalician is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain, where it is co-official with Castilian Spanish, as well as in border zones of the neighbouring territories of Asturias and Castile and León.Modern Galician and...
)
- Pantelas, home libre (short stories) (1925)
- O purgatorio de don Ramiro (short stories) (1926)
- Síntesis xeográfica de Galicia (geography) (1926)
- Escrito na néboa (short stories) (1927)
- Os camiños da vida (novel in three books) (1928)
- A lagarada (theatre play) (1928)
- Arredor de si (novel) (1930)
- Contos do camiño e da rúa (short stories) (1932)
- Fra Vernero (novel) (1934)
- Teatro de máscaras (theatre play) (1934)
- Devalar (novel) (1935)
- O mesón dos ermos (short stories) (1936)
- O desengano do prioiro (theatre play) (1952)
- Entre a vendima e a castiñeira (short stories) (1957)
- Bocarribeira. Poemas pra ler e queimar (poetry) (1958)
- Rosalía (theatre dialogues) (1959)
- O señorito da Reboraina (novel) (1960)
- Historia de Galiza (historical/geographical encyclopaedia, 1962)
- Síntesis histórica do século XVIII en Galicia (history) (1969)
- O fidalgo e a noite (theatre dialogues) (1970)
- Noite compostelá (theatre dialogues) (1973)
- O Maroutallo (short stories) (1974)
- Os rios galegos (geography) (1976)
(in SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
)
- Guia de Galicia (geography) (1926)
- Paisajes y problemas geográficos de Galicia (geography) (1928)
- Historia de la cultura gallega (history/anthropology) (1939)
- Las palmas del convento (novel) (1941).
- Vida del Doctor Don Marcelo Macías y García (novel) (1943)
- Adolescencia (novel) (1944).
- La vocación de Adrián Silva (novel) (1949).
- Las ciudades gallegas (geography) (1955)
- Geografía de España: presencia y potencia del suelo y del pueblo español (geography) (1955)
- Galicia: una cultura de Occidente (geography) (1975)
External links
- Fundación Otero Pedrayo
- Profile at the Biblioteca da Cultura Galega (in Galician)
- Otero Pedrayo giving a speech
See also
- Atlantic EuropeAtlantic EuropeAtlantic Europe is a geographical and anthropological term for the western portion of Europe which borders the Atlantic Ocean. The term may refer to the idea of Atlantic Europe as a cultural unit and/or as an biogeographical region....
- Partido Galeguista (1931)Partido Galeguista (1931)The Partido Galeguista was a Galician nationalist party founded in December 1931. It achieved notoriety during the time of the Spanish Second Republic...
- Galician Statute of Autonomy (1936)Galician Statute of Autonomy (1936)The Galician Statute of Autonomy was a statute of autonomy for Galicia. It was voted in referendum and presented to the Spanish Parliament. Yet, it could never be implemented because of the Spanish Civil War and subsequent Francoist dictatorship...
- Galicianism (Galicia)Galicianism (Galicia)Galicianism is a political ideology of nationalist character whose objective is the defence of Galicia and its culture by the means of the establishment and strengthening of its own institutions.-Origins:...
- Xeración Nós
- University of Santiago de CompostelaUniversity of Santiago de CompostelaThe Royal University of Santiago de Compostela - USC is a public university located in the city of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain. A second campus is located in Lugo, Galicia....
- Celts in Galicia (Castro culture)Castro cultureCastro culture is the archaeological term for naming the Celtic archaeological culture of the northwestern regions of the Iberian Peninsula from the end of the Bronze Age until it was subsumed in local Roman culture...