The Romería Vikinga: Catoira, Galicia

The Romería Vikinga: Catoira, Galicia
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By m.p. - Aug 1, 2007 - 7:40 PM

Logo - Concello de Catoira

This fiesta takes place at the start of August in the Galician town of Catoira

One of the most important celebrations in the small town of Catoira, on the western coast of Galicia and the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, is the Romería Vikinga, a festival which was declared of National Tourist Interest in 1998, and International Interest in 2002.

The Romería is a commemoration of the many Viking invasions which took place on this part of the coast of Pontevedra between the 9th and 11th centuries in the Vikings’ attempts to conquer Galicia.
Catoira’s strategic location at the mouth of the River Ulla, and a point of entry to the regional capital, Santiago de Compostela, made it a prime target for attack.

The celebration dates back to 1960, and now takes place on the third Sunday of August, when the local people stage their own interpretation of a Viking raid. Villagers dressed as Viking warriors arrive on the coast on board a replica Viking longship. Their aim is to capture the Torres del Oeste (The Towers of the West), the remains of the only two of the seven defensive towers built to repel the invaders which still exist today.

It’s preceded by other celebrations in the days leading up to the event, with performances on the day itself from folk groups in the streets, a mediaeval street market, and a feast of mussels and red wine from noon onwards. The wine is meant to symbolise the blood shed in the Viking invasions.

Then, around an hour later, comes the invasion, when the longship, or drakkar, sails up with the Viking warriors on board, and the head of a dragon carved on its prow. A crowd of more than 25,000 watches on as the warriors, complete with horned helmets and brandishing swords, try to take Catoira, while the Christians - other villagers armed with farming tools – are on the shores of the Ulla to repel them.

The mock battle ends with the taking of the Torres del Oeste, and both invaders and defenders completely soaked from the jugs of red wine which have been hanging around their necks during the fight.
Both sides then join in the feast of seafood, washed down with liberal quantities of the local red wine.

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