chalgueiru/ayalgueru – treasure hunter – buscador de tes
Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 4:46 pm
chalgueiru: pronounced tchal-GHEY-roo, sustantivu (noun). In Central Asturian, ayalgueru, pronounced ah-yahl-GHEY-roo. Plural form: chalgueiros/ayalgueros.
The word denotes a person who raids archaeological sites, especially Iron Age hillforts or ‘castros’, in medieval times and up to the 20th century. It is derived from chalga/ayalga (pronounced TCHAL-gah/Ah-YAHL-ga), a treasure enjoying near-magical status that is known only from hearsay and often located in a hidden spot in the wilderness.
‘Chalgas’ or ‘ayalgues’ are often associated with tales about ‘mouros’ or ‘mouras’, or their mythological equivalents of incantatory figures. The treasure troves, also found at Roman-period mines, could be gold jewelry, nuggets, coins, swords, Celtic torques or pottery. Chalgueiros often based their hunt for riches on field guides known as ‘gacetas’ (gazettes) or ‘l.liendas’ (myths).
Synonyms at fortune-hunter, explorer, gambler, raider, trespasser, wanderer, marauder, forager, scavenger, pillager, ravager, plunderer.
Usage examples:
‘Na me prestaria mas que ser un chalgueiru ya escarabicar no tou corazon.’ (I’d like nothing else than to be a treasure hunter and to dig around your heart; courtesy of singer-songwriter Pedru Pereira, from Xedre/Gedrez, Cangas del Narcea.)
‘En Cabaneixu de Tremao hai un tesouro xunto al castro que vei tiempu escarabicaran los chalgueiros.’ (In Cabaneixu de Tremao there is a treasure near the hill-fort that was dug up a long time ago by chalgueiros)
‘Esi rapacin ye mui revolvin, anda siempre pel monte escarabicando como un ayalgueru. (That kid is unstoppable. He’s always digging things up like a treasure hunter.)
The word denotes a person who raids archaeological sites, especially Iron Age hillforts or ‘castros’, in medieval times and up to the 20th century. It is derived from chalga/ayalga (pronounced TCHAL-gah/Ah-YAHL-ga), a treasure enjoying near-magical status that is known only from hearsay and often located in a hidden spot in the wilderness.
‘Chalgas’ or ‘ayalgues’ are often associated with tales about ‘mouros’ or ‘mouras’, or their mythological equivalents of incantatory figures. The treasure troves, also found at Roman-period mines, could be gold jewelry, nuggets, coins, swords, Celtic torques or pottery. Chalgueiros often based their hunt for riches on field guides known as ‘gacetas’ (gazettes) or ‘l.liendas’ (myths).
Synonyms at fortune-hunter, explorer, gambler, raider, trespasser, wanderer, marauder, forager, scavenger, pillager, ravager, plunderer.
Usage examples:
‘Na me prestaria mas que ser un chalgueiru ya escarabicar no tou corazon.’ (I’d like nothing else than to be a treasure hunter and to dig around your heart; courtesy of singer-songwriter Pedru Pereira, from Xedre/Gedrez, Cangas del Narcea.)
‘En Cabaneixu de Tremao hai un tesouro xunto al castro que vei tiempu escarabicaran los chalgueiros.’ (In Cabaneixu de Tremao there is a treasure near the hill-fort that was dug up a long time ago by chalgueiros)
‘Esi rapacin ye mui revolvin, anda siempre pel monte escarabicando como un ayalgueru. (That kid is unstoppable. He’s always digging things up like a treasure hunter.)
