Verraco

With the Spanish word Verraco or the Portuguese word Berrão ( = " boar " ) various animal sculptures made ​​of granite blocks are called, are found in the former settlements of the Celtic tribes of Vettones, ie taking the west of Spain, in the northeast of Portugal.

Dissemination

Most of these a total of about 400 figures or figure residues are located in the Spanish provinces of Salamanca, Ávila, Zamora, Cáceres, and Segovia. Also in the Portuguese provinces of Beira Interior Norte and Trás -os- Montes exist some copies, so that the distribution is largely identical to the north of the ancient Roman province of Lusitania. From ancient sources, we know that there various Celtic tribes of Vettones had their settlement area before the arrival of the Romans and so the Verracos are often associated with this tribe.

Sculptures

Most of the strong over the course of about 2500 years abraded by wind and weather figures can not be clearly assigned group of animals - but some are clearly characterized by their tusks as boar, other similar highly bulls; still others are so severely eroded that they are jokingly referred to by the locals as burro ( "ass" ) or mula ( " mule "). Mostly they are isolated; only the four with some certainty as bulls identfizierbaren Toros de Guisando or the two figures of Villatoro ( province of Ávila ) form - probably compiled in later times - groups.

Importance

Many researchers bring the animal figures with the widespread in some areas of southern Europe bull cult in connection therewith; others see it even as a precursor of bullfighting. Because many copies but clearly marked as boar, this is not ultimately hardly verifiable.

Pictures

Ciudad Rodrigo, Province of Salamanca

Ledesma, Province of Salamanca

Toro, Zamora Province

Villardiegua, province of Zamora

Murça, Portugal