Galicians (Galician: galegos [ɡaˈleɣʊs] or pobo galego; Spanish: gallegos [ɡaˈʎeɣos]) are a group of people who mainly live in Galicia, a region in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Over time, many Galicians moved to other parts of Spain, Europe, and the Americas. They have unique traditions, culture, language, music, dance, sports, art, food, and stories. The Galician language, which is a Romance language that came from the Latin language used in ancient Roman Gallaecia, is their native language and an important part of their culture. This language has a shared origin with Portuguese and is about 85% understandable to speakers of Portuguese. It also has similarities with other Iberian Romance languages, such as Asturian and Spanish. Galicians are closely related to the Portuguese people. In Galicia, two Romance languages are widely spoken and officially recognized: Galician and Spanish.
Etymology
The name "Galicians" (galegos) comes from the Latin word "Gallaeci" or "Callaeci," which was based on the name of a Celtic tribe known to the Greeks as Καλλαϊκoί (Kallaikoí). This tribe lived in the area that is now Galicia and northern Portugal. They were defeated by a Roman general named Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus in the 2nd century BCE and later conquered by Augustus. The Romans later used the name "Gallaeci" to describe all people in the northwest region who shared the same culture and language, from the Douro River valley in the south to the Cantabrian Sea in the north and west, and to the Navia River. This area included tribes such as the Celtici, the Artabri, the Lemavi, and the Albiones.
The oldest known writing that mentions the Gallaeci, which reads "people of the Gallaeci" (Ἔθνο[υς] Καλλαικῶ[ν]), was discovered in 1981 at the Sebasteion of Aphrodisias in Turkey. This was part of a monument celebrating the victories of Roman Emperor Augustus, who listed the Gallaeci among 15 other nations he conquered.
The meaning of the name "Gallaeci" has been studied since the 7th century by scholars like Isidore of Seville, who suggested it came from the Greek word for "milk" (γάλα, gála) because the Galicians had fair skin, similar to the Gauls. However, modern scholars such as J.J. Moralejo and Carlos Búa propose that the name "Callaeci" might come from the Proto-Indo-European word kl̥(H)‑n‑, meaning "hill," combined with a local suffix -aik-, which could mean "the highlanders." Others suggest it might come from the Proto-Celtic word kallī, meaning "forest," and thus refer to "the forest people."
A more recent idea by linguist Francesco Benozzo links the root "gall-" or "kall-" in Celtic languages to words meaning "stone" or "rock," such as "gall" in Old Irish or "gal" in Middle Welsh. Benozzo believes this connects the name "Callaeci" to "the people of the stone," referring to ancient stone structures found in Galicia and Portugal. However, experts in Celtic languages do not support the idea that "gall" means "stone" or "rock." Instead, they suggest it might relate to the Proto-Indo-European root *kal-, meaning "hardness," as seen in words like Latin "callum" (hard substance). Scholars like E. Rivas and Juan J. Moralejo also connect the name "Gallaecia" or "Callaecia" to the Latin word "callus," meaning "hard or thick substance."
Languages
Galician is a Romance language that belongs to the Western Ibero-Romance branch. It developed from Latin and is an official language in Galicia. It is also spoken in nearby areas of Asturias and Castile and León.
Medieval Galician, also called Galician-Portuguese, developed in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula from Vulgar Latin. It became the written and spoken language of medieval Galicia and Portugal. This language had a strong literary tradition starting in the late 12th century and gradually replaced Latin in official and personal documents in Galicia, Portugal, and nearby regions.
In the 15th century, Galician-Portuguese split into two languages: Galician and Portuguese. Galician became a regional spoken language influenced by Castilian Spanish, while Portuguese grew into an international language. Even though they are different now, Galician and Portuguese remain closely related, especially northern Portuguese dialects and Galician. The Royal Galician Academy, the official authority for the Galician language, states that modern Galician is an independent Ibero-Romance language closely connected to Portuguese, particularly its northern dialects.
Although Galician has official recognition, its use is challenged by the growing influence of Spanish. This is due to media and the use of Spanish in education, which has led to a decline in Galician’s use.
Galicia has a rich tradition of songs, stories, and sayings, which have helped spread and develop the Galician language. These traditions are similar to those in Portugal.
Galician surnames, like those in many European cultures, can be grouped into patronymic (based on the father’s name), occupational (related to a job or role), toponymic (based on a place name), or cognominal (derived from a nickname). Patronymic surnames, which often include suffixes like -ez or -iz, became common during the Low Middle Ages. Examples include Alberte (from Albert), Afonso (from Alfons), Anes (from Iohannes), and Bermúdez (from Bernard).
Many Galician surnames became popular in Spain and later spread to the Americas because of the Spanish Empire’s expansion.
The largest group of surnames comes from place names, such as Bretaña (from Brittany), España (from Spain), or Galician regions like Bergantiños or Sanlés. Some surnames include the word "de," such as Dacosta ("of the slope") or Dopazo ("of the palace"). Others, like Acosta or Acuña, developed from these names over time.
Some toponymic surnames were used by noble families in Galicia. These families later served in the Spanish Empire, spreading their names globally. Examples include Andrade, Soutomaior, and Ulloa.
Occupational surnames describe a person’s job or role, such as Ferreiro ("Smith"), Carpinteiro ("Carpenter"), or Crego ("Priest"). Other surnames, like Cabaleiro ("Knight") or Escudeiro ("Esquire"), relate to noble titles or legal positions.
Some surnames come from nicknames, which can describe physical traits, personality, trees, animals, or actions. Examples include Ruso ("grey-eyed"), Dourado ("blonde"), Bonome ("goodman"), Carballo ("oak"), and Romeu ("pilgrim to Rome").
Over time, many Galician surnames changed to match Spanish forms, especially after the 15th century when the Spanish monarchy controlled Galicia. For example, the Galician surname Orxás became Orjales, and the city Ourense became Orense. These changes sometimes caused confusion, such as when the Galician phrase "Niño da Aguia" ("Eagle’s Nest") was translated as "Niño de la Guía" ("Guide’s Child") in Spanish.
History
The oldest human presence in Galicia dates back to the Palaeolithic era, when the region was covered by a thick oak forest. The oldest human remains discovered, at Chan do Lindeiro, belong to a woman who lived about 9,300 years ago. She died in a landslide, possibly while leading a group of three aurochs. A genetic study of her remains showed she was a mix of two groups: Western Hunter-Gatherers and Magdalenian people. This mixing of groups has also been found in France.
Around 6,500 years ago, a new group arrived from the Mediterranean region. They brought farming and animal raising with them. Half of the forest was cleared to make space for farmland and pastures, and by about 5,000 years ago, most of the forest had been replaced. This group also changed the landscape by building permanent structures, such as large stone monuments called menhirs, burial mounds, and stone circles. During the Neolithic period, Galicia was a center of the Atlantic European Megalithic Culture, connecting the Mediterranean and southern Spain with the rest of Atlantic Europe.
About 4,500 years ago, another group, the Bell Beaker people, arrived. They came from the Pontic steppe and introduced copper tools and weapons, as well as new crops and animal breeds. Some scholars believe they were the first to bring Indo-European languages to Western Europe. They lived in open villages protected by fences or ditches. Local archaeologists say this group changed the way people lived, moving from shared communities to more individual lifestyles, as shown by their burial practices. This period also saw the creation of petroglyphs, or rock carvings, with designs similar to those found in the British Isles, Scandinavia, and northern Italy. These carvings include symbols like cup and ring marks, labyrinths, Bronze Age weapons, deer, warriors, riders, and ships.
During the Late Bronze Age and until 800–600 BCE, Galicia had more contact with southern Spain and regions like Armorica and the Atlantic Isles. This was likely because of the region’s rich supplies of gold and tin, which were used to make high-quality bronze. People began to bury or hide valuable items, often near water. Also, large ring-shaped structures, similar to henges, were built across Galicia during this time.
This period, known as the Atlantic Bronze Age, was centered in modern-day Brittany. Scholars like John T. Koch and Sir Barry Cunliffe suggested that this culture helped spread Celtic languages, which evolved from earlier Indo-European languages. Other scholars, like Patrick Sims-Williams, proposed an alternative idea that Celtic languages spread from the Alps during the Bronze Age. A recent study found evidence of a large mixing of people from Britain and France during the Late Bronze Age, which may explain how Celtic languages spread to Britain.
The transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age (around 1000–600 BCE) saw the hoarding of many unused bronze axes in Galicia, Brittany, and southern Britain. During this time, some communities started building hill-forts in protected areas. These hill-forts, such as Chandebrito in Nigrán, Penas do Castelo in A Pobra do Brollón, and O Cociñadoiro in Arteixo, were sometimes used as metal factories. These settlements were built around 2,900–2,700 years ago and were likely used to control metal resources and trade.
Hill-forts were usually surrounded by walls, ditches, and towers, and had multiple living areas. Gates were strongly fortified. Inside, homes were first made with temporary materials but later built with stone walls, sometimes with two floors. In the south, homes and public spaces were decorated with carved stones and warrior statues. Stone heads, resembling severed heads, were placed near the gates of some forts. Public spaces included saunas, possibly used for rituals, and valuable items like bronze cauldrons, decorated axes, and gold torcs were found in large numbers.
This culture is now called the Castro Culture. One unusual feature is the lack of known burial sites, though a few urns with ashes have been found at important locations, possibly as protective symbols.
Starting around the second half of the second millennium BCE, Galicia had occasional contact with Mediterranean sailors. These contacts became more frequent after the 6th century BCE, especially after the voyage of Himilco. Items from southern Spain, like six-petal rosettes, became popular in southern Galicia. In return, the Punics obtained tin and gold from Galicia, which may have inspired the myth of the Cassiterides islands. Avienus’ Ora Maritima mentions that the Galicians used hide boats for navigation, a claim also supported by Pliny the Elder.
The first recorded contact with Rome happened during the Second Punic War, when Galicians, Astures, Lusitanians, Cantabrians, and Celtiberians joined Hannibal’s army in Italy. According to Silus Italicus’ Punica III:
"Opulent Galicia sent her youth, skilled in divination through animal entrails, bird flight, and lightning; they sometimes sang wild songs in their native tongue, other times made the ground tremble with rhythmic footwork while joyfully clashing their caetra. This leisure and play were sacred delights for men, while women performed the labor: sowing seeds and plowing the land. Everything not requiring hard war was left to women, and Galicia’s women bore the burden of an unsettled husband."
Geography and demographics
The autonomous community, a concept created by the Spanish constitution of 1978, is called "Comunidade Autónoma Galega" in Galician and "Comunidad Autónoma Gallega" in Spanish. In English, it is known as the Galician Autonomous Community. It includes four Spanish provinces: A Coruña, Lugo, Ourense, and Pontevedra.
The official organization in Galicia that collects and reports statistics is the Instituto Galego de Estatística (IGE). According to the IGE, Galicia's total population in 2008 was 2,783,100. This included 1,138,474 people in A Coruña, 355,406 in Lugo, 336,002 in Ourense, and 953,218 in Pontevedra. The most important cities in this region, which are the administrative centers of the provinces, are Vigo (in Pontevedra), Pontevedra, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Ferrol (in A Coruña), Lugo (in Lugo), and Ourense (in Ourense).
The official languages are Galician and Spanish. Spanish is required by the Spanish constitution and is spoken by nearly everyone. Galician, which had decreased in use for many years because of Spanish influence and past restrictions, is now increasing again due to supportive government policies and public interest. Today, about 82% of Galicia's population can speak Galician, and about 61% use it as their first language.
Culture
In the 19th century, a group of Romantic and Nationalist writers and scholars, including Eduardo Pondal and Manuel Murguía, led a Celtic revival in Galicia. This revival was based on stories from ancient Roman and Greek authors like Pomponius Mela, Pliny the Elder, Strabo, and Ptolemy, who described the Celtic peoples who lived in Galicia. It also used linguistic and onomastic evidence, as well as similarities between Galicia’s culture, geography, and those of Celtic regions like Ireland, Brittany, and Britain. These similarities included legends, traditions, decorative arts, music, and the green hilly landscape of Galicia. This landscape also features Iron Age hill-forts, Neolithic megaliths, and Bronze Age cup and ring marks, which are often seen as "Celtic" by people who visit Galicia.
As a Celtic region of Spain, Galicia has a tartan called Galicia National.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this revival influenced Galician society. In 1916, a poem titled Os Pinos by Eduardo Pondal was chosen as the lyrics for the new Galician hymn. One part of the poem reads: "Galicians, be strong / ready to great deeds / align your breast / for a glorious end / sons of the noble Celts / strong and traveler / fight for the fate / of the homeland of Breogán." The Celtic past became an important part of how Galicians saw themselves. As a result, many cultural associations and sports clubs were named after the Celts, such as Celta de Vigo, Céltiga FC, and CB Breogán.
From the 1970s onward, Celtic music and cultural festivals became popular in Galicia. The most notable festival is the Festival Internacional do Mundo Celta de Ortigueira. At the same time, Galician folk bands and performers began participating in Celtic festivals elsewhere, such as the Interceltic Festival of Lorient. Galicia sent its first delegation to this festival in 1976.
Galician folklore is similar to that of other parts of western Europe, especially northern Portugal, Asturias, and Cantabria. Some well-known myths include stories about ancient gods, the belief in reincarnation as an animal, the power of the evil eye, and the holiness of crossroads and fountains. The first written record of Galician beliefs in a Christian context comes from Martin of Braga, who criticized the worship of Roman gods, lamias, nymphs, and dianas, as well as practices like lighting candles at trees, springs, and crossroads.
In addition to Catholic celebrations, Galicia has other annual events with pagan or mixed origins.
Traditional Galician clothing, as it is known today, developed mainly in the second half of the 18th century. However, some key elements, like the monteira (an embroidered felt hat), breeches, and jackets, appeared in 16th-century artwork. Men’s clothing typically includes the monteira, sometimes a pano (headcloth), a camisa (shirt), chaleco (vest), chaqueta (jacket), faixa (sash), calzón (breeches), cirolas (underwear), polainas (gaiters), and zocas or zocos (clogs or boots). Women’s clothing includes a cofia or pano (headcloth), a dengue (short cape) or corpiño (bodice), camisa (shirt), refaixo (petticoat), saia (skirt), mantelo (apron), and faltriqueira (pouch or bag).
The most famous instrument in traditional Galician music is the gaita (bagpipe). It has a conical double-reed chanter and one to four drones. The bag is usually inflated through a blowpipe, but in the gaita de barquín, it is inflated with a bellows. In the past, the gaita was often played with a tamboril (snare drum) and bombo or caixa (bass drum). Since the middle of the 20th century, gaita groups and bands have become very popular. Common pieces include the muiñeira (a fast dance in 8 time, similar to Irish jigs), the alborada (played during early mornings of holidays), and the marcha (marches for processions and retinues). Notable compositions include the 19th-century Muiñeira de Chantada and the traditional Aires de Pontevedra (an alborada) and Marcha do Antigo Reino de Galicia (March of the Old Kingdom of Galicia).
Another important instrument is the pandeireta (tambourine), often played with other drums like the pandeiro and castanets. It accompanied songs and celebrations during saráns (evenings), foliadas, or fiadas.
Other musical genres include de alalá, which is often sung a cappella, and cancións de cego (blindman’s songs), performed with a violin or zanfoña (harp).