muñeira – jig

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muñeira – jig

Post by is »

muñeira: pronounced Moo-NEEAY-rah. Sustantivu (noun). A 6/8-time dance popular in both Asturias and Galicia that has been loosely translated as a jig in English. The springy, irregular dance involves a group of about 3-4 couples.

Muñeiras are danced to the sounds of a bagpipe, drums or pandeireta [although a clarinette can do at 5am when the bagpipers are gone]. The dance is known for its kicking and leaping.

Etymologically, some have argued it is a miller’s dance, from the Galician word muiño (mill).

Usage examples:

Tuvieramos beil.lando muñeiras no Bar Centro despueis de la fartura. [We were dancing jigs in Bar Centro after stuffing ourselves with food]

La muñeira mas vieya seique ia la de Chantada. [The oldest jig could be the one from Chantada]

Here is a youtube clip of the muñeira d’Ibias (from County Ibias, SW Asturias) danced by the Filandon troupe:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZRaLcniaB4

For an ambient muñeira (including landscapes and shots of a sacred yewtree), watch this one from Tormaleo, also in County Ibias. The village in the clip is not in Ibias, however...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kutYHn5zyjQ

The reason that muñeiras have been compared to jigs has to do with their elaborate legwork. This clip features the Muñeira da Fonsagrada (Lugo province, Galicia, just across the Asturian border):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUsEb4rg ... re=related
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Post by Art »

Thanks for that post, Is. I hadn't counted the beats in a muñeira before. Because of the accents on the first and fourth beats, I had missed hearing all the intermediate beats. Wow, it is 6/8 (which is the same as many jig tempos) but boy is it fast!

I enjoyed the music... but did you see the hat one of the male dancers on the left was wearing?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZRaLcniaB4
While I like the look of the montera, that man's hat strikes me as a lot more practical for the easily sunburned!

There are two more like that here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kutYHn5zyjQ
I've not seen them before.

Watching the Galician video makes me wonder why, with such similar cultures, the Galicians and Asturians can't work together to maintain their culture. Too bad it's a rivalry instead of a coalition.

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Gracias por pegarlo, Is. No había contado los latidos del ritmo en una muñeira. A causa de los acentos en los primer y cuarto golpes, me había perdido oír todos los golpes intermedios. Vaya, tienes razón: es de 6/8 (lo cual es lo mismo que muchos tempos de gigas), pero es rapidísimo!

Me ha encantado la música ... pero ves el sombrero de uno de los bailarines a la izquierda?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZRaLcniaB4
Si bien me gusta el aspecto de la montera, ¡el sombrero de este hombre me parece mucho más práctico para los que el sol les quema fácilmente!

Hay dos más aquí:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kutYHn5zyjQ
No he visto algo así antes.

Viendo el video gallego me pregunto por qué, con sus culturas similares, los gallegos y asturianos no pueden trabajar juntos para mantener sus culturas. Qué lástima que es una rivalidad en lugar de una coalición.
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Post by is »

It's a little like the Breton hat, but with a wider brim. I think some dance groups in Galicia also wear them. In Asturias, I've usually seen women wear the round hats made of straw. Especially in August where people go 'a la yerba' (to harvest the grass for their cattle).

Reason I posted the word was that I made a fool out of myself in Puela last week dancing muneiras until 6am at Bar Centro (do you remember the bar at the intersection, opposite Cundo's where we played billiards with Veiga?).

I don't know where I learned to dance them, but when I went up to order another glass of wine (for hydration), Mofusu (member of this forum) introduced himself. Mediated by the wine and the 6/8 beat, I think I must not have been very coherent. The muneira was to blame...

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Alcuerdame de los 'chapeaux ronds' bretones, pero cona ala mas grande. Peimeque dalgunos grupos gal.legos l.levan esti sombreiru. N'Asturias rural viase muito a las muyeres conos sombreiros redondos feitos de pal.la trabayando la yerba n'agostu.

Por que punxera la pallabra muneira tien que ver cono filandon de La Puela (Pola de Allande) vei una selmana. Tuviera no Bar Centro hasta bien tarde (alcuerdaste del bar xunto'l cruce enfrente de Cundo au xugaramos a los bolos con Veiga?)

El casu ia que nun sei au deprendiera a beil.lar muneiras, pero de la que taba pidiendo outru vino blanco na barra resulta que Mofusu (miembru d'esti foru) presentarase. Cono vino ya'l ritmo 6/8 de la gaita, nun taba you mui coherente que digamos. La culpa foi de la muneira...
Last edited by is on Thu Dec 04, 2008 3:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Art »

Yes, I remember the place.

Ah, I'd be happy to be a fool, dancing to a muñeira! We've got to get you to la Escuela d'Asturianía! You've already got the spirit.

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Sí, recuerdo bien el lugar.

Ay, estaría encantado de hacer el tonto, bailando la muñeira! Tenemos que matricularte en la Escuela d'Asturianía! Ya tienes el espíritu.
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Post by mofusu »

Buenes collacios!

Doi fe de qu'Is pue poner clases de bail.le, polo menos de muñeira :lol:
Ta claro que no Bar Centro pue coincidir tol mundu. Como diz un paisanu que conozo:"El mundu ye un moqueru" y, depués añede "enllenu mocos" :lol:

Saludinos.

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Trans. Is

Hello friends!

I attest to the fact that Is can start a dancing-related business, at least for muneiras. lol. Clearly, Bar Centro is a place where you can bump into nearly anyone. As an older friend tells me: 'The world is a handkerchief' [literally, a place for snot]. And he adds: 'with a lot of little snots'.
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Post by Art »

Ha ha! That quote from Mofusu's friend and Is' translation really got me laughing. I've used "El mundo es un panuelo" ("It's a small world") but the Asturian version is much more explicit!

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¡Ja ja! Esa cita del amigo de Mofusu y la traducción de Is me hicieron reír. He usado "El mundo es un pañuelo", pero la versión en asturiano es mucho más explícito!
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