Gaucho
Gaucho (
gaúcho in
Portuguese) is a term commonly used to describe residents of the
South American
pampas,
chacos or
Patagonian
grasslands, found in parts of
Argentina,
Uruguay,
Paraguay, southern
Chile and southern
Brazil (principally the state of
Rio Grande do Sul).
The word
gaucho could be described as a loose equivalent to the
North American "
cowboy". Like the North American word
cowboy,
Venezuelan or
Colombian
llanero, or the Mexican
vaquero, the term often connotes the
19th century more than the present day; then gauchos made up the majority of the rural Argentine population, herding cattle and practicing agriculture as their main economic activities.
There are several conflicting theories of the origin of the term. It may derive from the
Quechua huachu (orphan, vagabond) or from the
Arabic chaucho (a type of whip used in herding animals). Other hypotheses abound. The first recorded uses of the term date from around the time of
Argentine independence in 1816.
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Dramatization of a fight between gauchos |
Gauchos were generally nomadic and lived on the
pampas, the plain that extends north from
Patagonia, bounded on the west by the
Andes and extending as far north as the Brazilian state of
Rio Grande do Sul. Most gauchos were either
criollo (South Americans of
Spanish ancestry) or
mestizo (of mixed Spanish and
Native American blood), but the term applies equally to people of other
European,
African, or mixed ancestry (see bottom of next paragraph).
The gaucho plays an important symbolic role in the nationalisms of this region, especially that of Argentina and Uruguay. The epic poem
Martín Fierro by
José Hernández used the gaucho as a symbol of Argentine national tradition, in contradiction to Europeanizing tendencies and as a symbol against corruption. Martín Fierro, hero of the poem, is drafted into the Argentine military for a border war, deserts, and becomes an outlaw and fugitive. The image of the free gaucho is often contrasted to the slaves who worked the northern Brazilian lands. Further literary descriptions can be found in
Ricardo Güiraldes'
Don Segundo Sombra and
Los gauchos judíos, by
Alberto Gerchunoff, on the adaptation of
Jewish immigrants to rural life in Argentina.
Like the North American cowboy, gauchos are generally reputed to be strong, honest, silent types, but proud, and capable of violence when provoked. There is, perhaps, more of an air of melancholy about the classic gaucho than the classic cowboy.
Also like the cowboy, the gauchos were great horsemen. Typically, a gaucho's
horse constituted most of what he owned in the world. During the wars of the 19th century in the
Southern Cone, the
cavalries on all sides were composed almost entirely of gauchos.
The gaucho diet was composed almost entirely of beef while on the range, supplemented by
yerba mate, an herbal tea-like drink rich in nutrients. Argentine cooking draws influence from the simple but delicious recipes used in gaucho meals.
Gauchos dressed quite distinctly from North American cowboys, and used
boleadoras (three leather bound rocks tied together with approximately three feet long leather straps) in addition to the familiar "North American" lariat tor riata. The typical gaucho outfit would include a
poncho (which doubled as saddle blanket and also as sleeping gear), a
facón (large knife), a
rebenque (whip), and loose-fitting trousers called
bombachas, belted with a
tirador, or a
chiripá, a piece of cloth used in the fashionof a diaper. Several of these items were British imports into the area; for example,
bombachas were originally made in Turkey. In the wintertime, gauchos wore heavy wool ponchos to protect against the cold.
The style of dress associated with Gauchos has filtered into fashion in the
United States . In particular, many manufacturers produce "gaucho pants", similar in appearance to
capri pants but with flared legs. These pants are called
bombachas in the
pampas, and are dressed with boots and a belt called
guaiaca.
The
mascot and
sports teams of the
University of California, Santa Barbara also borrow the term "Gaucho".
Gaucho is also the common denomination of the current inhabitants of the Brazilian State of
Rio Grande do Sul. An example is the Brazilian soccer player
Ronaldinho, nicknamed by some as Ronaldinho Gaúcho, as he was born in that State. The term is also used to identify some groups of people who live in other states of the southern half of
Brazil, Uruguay and northern Argentina. For those people evoking this denomination usually has the purpose of expressing the pride one has for its origins as
immigrants to untouched lands and for the hard-working nature it represents.
Gauchito (a boy in the Argentine colors and a gaucho hat) was the
mascot for the
1978 FIFA World Cup..
*
Hacienda system*
Literatura Gauchesca*
Rebenque, the gaucho riding whip
*
Confederacion Gaucha Argentina*
Folklore del Norte Argentino (in Spanish)*
Movimento Tradionalista Gaúcho (in Portuguese)
