Asturian-American Migration Forum

Horru: pronounced OH-rroo. Sustantivu (noun) that describes the square-shaped wooden granary built on stilts used to dry and store grains and other farm produce in Asturias. The Asturian granary or raised silo is usually placed next to the barn. Current architectural models are thought to have originated in County Villaviciosa in the 14th century, according to anthropologist Armando Grana.

A panera is a later evolution of the Asturian granary with 6 or more stilts or pillars. The structural reason for the stilts is to protect the food (grains) from humidity and keep it out of reach of rodents. The pillars (Asturian: pegollu/piol.lu) can be of wood (chestnut and oak), limestone, sandstone or stacked slate.

In Galicia, the granary is often made of granite stone and has a rectangular shape. The principle is the same and is thought to date to the Late Bronze Age culture of northwestern Spain, perhaps even to the Neolithic period. Either way, the indigenous population had long developed the technology before Rome’s invasion of Asturias in 29 BC. The Romans supposedly improved on its engineering aspects.

The granaries of Turkey’s Black Sea (Karadeniz) region of Sinop, known as ‘ambar’ (plural: ambarlar), are structurally very similar to the Asturian design. Similar climatic conditions (heavy rainfall and high humidity) gave way to a similar solution in terms of carpentry work and outward appearance.

East of Sinop along the Black Sea (Samsun, Ordu, Trabzon, Rize, Artvin), the granaries of the Pontus are known as ‘serander’, from the Pontic Greek or Rom words kseros (to dry) and andiro (the hall). For the Laz people of the Kackar Mountains on the border with Georgia, they are known as ‘nayla’ or 'naila'.

Asturian word variants at horrio/horriu (West Asturias) and hurru (South-Central Asturias). Etymologically, it is derived from the Latin word ‘horreum’, the generic word for granary.

Galician: cabazo, cabaceiro/-a, paneira, canastra, piorno; Portuguese: espigueiro; Basque/Euskera: garaixe, garea, garaia; Turkish: ambar, serander, serandar; Laz or Lazuri (Eastern Turkey): nayla, nalia; Georgian: nalia; Russian: ambar; Swiss-German (canton of Wallis): Spycher; Latvian/Old East Prussian: kletis.

Usage examples:

Aparca la moto so l’horru. [Park the motorcycle under the granary.]
Au ta’l gatu? Meteuse no horru. [Where’s the cat? It got into the granary.]
Na Rasuca, Mari punxo les cebolles y les fabes a secar nel corredor del horru. [At the Rasuca, Mari put the onions and beans out to dry in the granary’s walkway.]
N’Asturies hai mas de 15.000 horros y paneres. [There are more than 15.000 traditional granaries in Asturias.]
Xubimos pa Is a ver l’horru ya la panera de Ca’l Ferreiro. [We drove up to Is to see the granary at Ca’l Ferreiro.]
La mi prima fexo una casina del horru que taba xunto la carretera. [My cousin turned the granary next to the road into a little house.]

A view of the panera at Ca'l Ferreiro (House of the Blacksmith) in Is (County Ayande or Allande).




YouTube clips:

Horros in Busto, County Valdes (L.luarca/Luarca):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9Q5WJEUdnA

Horros in the village of Sietes in County Villaviciosa:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4iXeFR7jOY

My family is from a village close to Luarca. Luarca is a beautiful place to visit.

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Trans. Is

La mia familia ia d'una aldea non l.lonxe de L.luarca, que ia un sitiu bien guapu pa visitar.

What village is your family originally from, Martina?

Valdes (or L.luarca/Luarca) is indeed a beautiful county and not really exploited for its scenic attractions. The town itself has lost none of the charm, with its fishing port and slate-roof houses intact.

I also like the mountain villages on the way up to Villayon from L.luarca. Here's a picture of a German friend who visited in 2006 and asked me to stop the car in the village of Belen. The rocky mountain chain behind him is called L'Estoupo:

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Cuala ia l'aldea de tua familia, Martina?

Ia verda que Valdes (ou L.luarca/Luarca) ia un sitiu guapu dafeitu ya cuido que nun ta esplotao pa to lo que tien d'atractivo. La mesma vil.la nun perdeu casi nada de sou encantu col puertin ya las casas de l.louxa.

A min prestame xubir pa las aldeas que tan camin de Villayon de la que sales cerca de los xulgaos en L.luarca. Eiqui vei una semeya d'un amigo aleman que me visitara en 2006. Pidiume baxar del coche de la que chegaramos a Belen. La sienra tres d'el chamase L'Estoupo.

My dad lives in Saliente, about 5km inland. I forgot the name of the carreterra that leads there, you pass a town called Setienes and they have un bar where we always stopped. In Saliente are about 6 families. I recognize Belen. My dad was a mail man and we drove every where, going to little villages in the mountains. I loved it, sometimes we had to leave the car and walk the rest by foot. One of my grandparents came from Granas. I would love to go back. I also have family in Ribadecima, Valladeperre? and in Gijon. I know I have more but can not remember where. One thing I did hate was the fact that I, so many times, got car sick especially when we took the Alsa to Oviedo or Gijon. Even though I grew up in Germany , Asturias is in my blood. Would love for my 5 kids to see it, they hardly remember and one never saw it. God willing one day we will make it. P.S. the picture of Belen. That is what we see when we go to Granas , I think this is how you spell it, and to think that most of this was handled by foot when my dad was young. Thanks for sharing the picture.

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Trans. Is

Miou pai ta en Saliente, a unos 5km xubiendo monte p'arriba. Esqueici el nom del carreiro que vei p'al.lo, pero pasase per un sitiu que chaman Setienes onde hai un bar au pararamos siempre. En Saliente hai seis familias ya na semeya reconozo el l.lugar de Belen.

El miou pai trabayaba de carteiru ya dibamos pa tolas aldeas pequenas na montana. A min prestabame muitu, dacuandu dibamos a pie si facia falta. Un de los mious buolos yera de Granas. Encantariame tornar. Tamien tengo familia en Ribadecima, Valladeperre? Ya en Xixon. Peime que tengo parientes n'outros l.lugares, pero agora nun m'alcuerdo.

Una cousa que nun me gustaba nin un res yeran los mareos nel coche. Sobremanera de la que dibamos pa Uvieu ou Xixon. Magar que me criara n'Alemania, a Asturias tengola na sangre. Prestariame que los mious 5 fios pudieran dir. Agora seique nin s'alcuerdan ya un nunca tuviera p'al.lo. Si Dious quier, un dia diran.

PD La semeya de Belen. Esi ia'l paisaxe de la que dibamos pa Granas, peime que s'escribe asina. Faime remembrar a miou pai ya cumo xubia a pia de la que yera mozu. Gracias por colgala.

Martina wrote:P.S. the picture of Belen. That is what we see when we go to Granas , I think this is how you spell it, and to think that most of this was handled by foot when my dad was young. Thanks for sharing the picture.

That's amazing. I posted the picture of L'Estoupo because it's one of my favorite places (a massive rocky chain like the spine of a Triceratops).

Your father's village is on the same road I like to take out of L.luarca up to Villayon (AS 36). There's a roadside fountain between Saliente and Menudeiro, perhaps you know it? Water there is great.

Once you drive past Belen and Sineriz, you will get to a small mountain pass where you can see the ocean, at about 800m altitude. You then get to Oneta, Granas and San Cristoubo before arriving in Villayon.

On your next trip, drive past Villayon and take it to Parl.leiru and from there onto Navelgas: more rugged country roads that seem to lead to nowhere, but are utterly transporting.

Hi there, I have not been on here for a long time so I had forgotten that you wrote more.
We used to take A 36 to Granas to visit my other reletives too,I have family in Paladeperre, been to funerals in Belen. and the husband of my aunt is from Navelgas and the wife of an uncle too , but we took A 19 to go there it is almost a straight shoot. I love the mountains with their pine trees. No I do not know this fountain but down by Saliente is one as well and yes the water is great. I think I was at a fiesta in San Cristobal. Never been to Villayon. Actually my father is coming from Asturias to visit us, I will show him this site. I have not been back there since 2003 , 6 tickets to Europe are not cheap especially during the summer time, though we homeschool the kids over in Europe would all be in school and could not spend much time with cousins. Well I also have family in Germany that I want to see. Plus using the train or ALSA to go from Germany to Spain also costs money. I always say maybe next year, but for now my dad is coming here. Hasta luego . Martina