La Gaita de Fuelle

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La Gaita De Fuelle o Cornamusa Aragonesa

Los Autores

Pedro Mir Tierz tiene 36 anos, es licenciadoo en Ciencias Quimicas, lee ingles, habla y lee frances con bastante fluidez y trabaja de profesor en Sevilla. Residio en Francia casi dos anos en la decada de los setenta, descubriendo con much asombro las llamadas musicas celticas, que fueron para el, el despertar hacia la busqueda de su propia identidad.

Martin Blecua Vitales tiene 33 anos, es propietario de una tienda de comestibles. Reside en Sarinena (Huesca), lugar donde nacio, y desde los 10 anos, forma parte del grupo de danzantes de alli. Fue preparado como gaitero por el antiquo mayoral (jefe de los danzantes) Antonia Susin Palacios, fallecido hace unos anos. lleva pues 23 anos en el folklore, de los que 14 son como gaitero. No tiene conocimientos de musica y es sin lugar a dudas el gaitero de musica tradicional mas completo de Aragon.

Los dos, somos originarios de Sarinena (Huesca), el ultimo pueblo de Aragon que mantuvo viva la gaita aragonesa. Desde nuestra infancia hemos escuchado siempre el instrumento, recordamos perfectamente al gaitero Vicente Capitan Inglan (muerto en 1967). Conocemos al gaitero Juan Mir Susin, que fue su continuador y con el que nos unen lazos de amistad y parentesco. Eramos pues, a todas luces los mas idoneos para recuperar el instrumento, que dejo de sonar durante un periodo de 5 anos.

Siempre contamos con la colaboracion entusiasta del Grupo de Dance y de todo el pueblo en general.

Hoy tras 14 anos de trabajos e investigaciones, nos vemos en la obligacion de escribir algo, que todavia es desconocido para la inmensa mayoria de los aragoneses. Sobre esto, hay muy poco esctrito, y lo poco que hay, son nociones generales.

Pasaremos ahora a contar brevemente, ell proceso de recuperacion del instrumento, dando asi a este trabajo un orden cronologico similar al que tuvo lugar en nuestras actuaciones.

Recuperacion del Instrumento

Es obvio que cuando se habla de recuperacion de un instrumento quiere decir que hubo un tiempo en que desaparecio, asii ocurrio con la gaita de fuelle aragonesa, otro tiempo muy frecuente en toda la provincia de Huesca y que

desde los anos 60 queda reducida unicamente a un pueblo, el nuestro; nosotros conocemos a dos gaiteros, Capitan y Juan Mir, quien sucede al anterior tras su muerte. Juan Mir toca hasta 1975.

Deja de tocar por motivos personales y familiares, llevandose consigo su vieja gaita. Al jefe de los danzantes, no le queda mas remedio que formar un nuevo gaitero: Martin Blecua, quien tocara con gaita gallega al no poderse obtener las aragonesas en las tiendas. Nadie sabe quien o cuando se construyeron, llegando muchos a ignorar hasta que existe este instrumento en nuestra region.

Desde 1976 comenzamos a pensar la manera de sustituir la gaita gallega por una aragonesa, que fuera copia de la de Juan Mir, siendo imposible encontrar gente dispuesta a hacerlo, nadie quiere intentarlo. Por fin, en 1980, un pastor de Sangarren (Huesca) llamado Clemente Brun, realiza una copia “a mano” de la gaita vieja, marcando por fin la recuperacion del instrumento. Esa gaita fue montada en el odre y presentada en publico en Zaragoza en el mes de Mayo de 1980.

Como en aquella epoca nadie nos habia instruido en la afinacion de los bordones, los bordones sonaban absolutamente desafinados.

Desde 1974, Pedro Mir seguia la pista de una gaita aragonesa que segun le habia contado Anchel Conte, era propiedad del ayuntamiento de Ainsa (Huesca) y que habia sido cedida a unos vascos para su estudio, los cuales la habian llevado a Francia para que un artesano les hiciese copias.

En Agosto de 1980, Pedro Mir conoce a este artesano en Tarbes (Francia), se trata de Marcel Gastellu Etchegorry.

Marcel Gastellu habia heco 6 copias de la gaita de Bestue (Huesca), nos conto que habia pertenecido a Juan Cazcarra (muerto en 1963) y que Juan Antonia Urbeltz y sus equipo de San Sebastian eran los que tenian la gaita.

Marcel Gastellu marca tambien la recuperacion de la gaita aragonesa, y sera al cedernos gratuitamente 4 copias, asesorandonos con conocimientos y bibliografia, el Recuperador de la gaita en Aragon y nuestro “guia”. Todo se lo debemos a el, y desde estas paginas asi lo declaramos.

Volveremos posteriormente all tema de la vieja gaita de Buestue, ya que fue y es todavia hoy, objeto de teorias sin base real.

Luego ya en 1982, poseemos 5 ejemplares funcionando correctamente, hemos aprendido la nocion de afinar los bordones e incluso somos capaces de fabricarnos las canas para el instrumento.

Se necesita para la revitalizacion definitive del instrumento, que desplace las gaitas gallegas de Aragon, y que en la medida de lo posible, vuelva a tener la difusion que tenia a principio de siglo. Faltaba claro esta, alguien que fuese

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capaz de construirla en Aragon.

Felizmente, nuestros amigos Mario Gros y Jose Luis Sarrablo del Grupo de Musica Tradicional Biella Nuey, residentes en Zaragonsa, fueron capaces de montar un taller, que en 1986, fabrican una copia de la gaita de Bestue. Desde entonces, muchas cosas han cambiado.

Habia una gran necesidad de gaitas aragonesas por parte de los grupos folk y por parte de los pueblos que querian sustituir la gaita gallega. Para todos ellos les hacia falta una gaita con una escala musical “normalizada”, y Biella Nuey hizo el trabajo, conscientes de que era prioritario el disponer de la mayor cantidad de gaitas posible, para posteriormente con mas tranquilidad acometer el estudio de escalas musicales de los clarines. Hasta la fecha, Biella Nuey lleva construidos mas de 12 ejemplares de gaita del modelo de Bestue (Huesca).

Description del Instrumento y sus Canas

Para la perfecta comprension de lo que aqui viene, les recomendamos vean el dibujo anejo y la tabla de equivalencias.

Tras un profundo analisis, de las viejas gaitas aragonesas encontradas hasta ahora, podemos deducir que existe un modelo unico, del que se hicieron varias versiones, conservando todas una unidad dentro de su variedad (todavia no se han encontrado dos que sean igual les).

La gaita de fuelle aragonesa, consta de:

A) Un odre para reserva de aire (llamado bot, botico, boto, botarron, bocoy etc), siempre de piel de cabra e impermeabilizado con pe para evitar la pérdida de aire a traves de los poros de la piel curitda. Al cuello y patas delanteras del animal, se ataran los “cepos”. La capacidad del odre es de unos 25 litros de aire.

B) Los cepos, que son piezas de madera que van atadas directamente al cuello y patas, su mision es la de acoplar los distintos tubos: el soplador, el clarin (protegiendo a la vez la pita o cana doble del roce con la piel del boto) y los bordones (protegiendo igualmente las canas de estos).

C) Un soplador o tubo para llenar el boto de aire, provisto de una lengueta de cuero, que actua de valvula neumatica, con un hierro que impide su apertura total. A veces esta constituido por un hueso vaciado, pero casi siempre es de madera, forrado de laton, bronce o incluso directamente el tubo de bronce (para que no se deteriore con el uso).

D) Tres tubos sonoros: clarin, bordon y bordoneta, con funcion melodica aquell y pedal estos. El clarin y la bordoneta se disponen en paralelo, en un cepo comun llamado pieza de los clarines. La forma de llevar el bordon es

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Gaita de Fuelle O Cornamusa Aragonesa

pieza de los clarines
bordoneta
    clarín
          regulador del bordón
                   bordón
                                       boto
                                                 cepo
                                                    soplador

clarín bordoneta bordón

Dibujo sacado de Charles Alexandre (ver bibliografía) basado en la gaita de Bestue (Huesca)

generalmente debajo del brazo, correspondiendo a la anatomia del animal y del gaitero.

E) Pita o cana doble-lengueta para el clarin y canas simples para el bordon y la bordoneta. En Bestue (Huesca), se nos has asegurado que Juan Cazcarra llevaba “incheta” o cana doble en la bordoneta, siendo la excepcion al resto de los hallazgos. Hay bordonetas que presentan una perforacion conica y otras en cambio que son pequenos bordones con perforacion cilindrica.

F) Tela estampada y de vivos colores que forra el boto, que al ser un cuerpo de animal (cabrito), da una apariencia de vestido de nina, ya que termina en unos volantes. Algo similar ocurre con la gaita de Sencelles (Mallorca).

G) Piel de serpiente que recubre los tubos sonoros (que nosotros sepamos es la unica gaita del mundo con estas caracteristicas).

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GAITA GALLEGA	GAITA ARAGONESA	SAC DE GEMECS	ESPAÑOL	CHABRETA LIMOUSINA	FRANCES	SCOTTISH HIGHLAND BAGPIPE
FOL	BOTO, BOT	SAC	ODRE, PIEL	PEU	SAC.-POCHE	BAG
	RONQUILLA	BUNES BORDON	PITI BORDON PETIT BOURDON	BOURDON	DRONE
		CAMES ASPRES	BORDON	CONELHA	BOURDON	DRONE
		BORDON TENOR	CARAMILLO	PE AUBOE	CHALUMEAU	CHANTER
			GRALL			PORTE VENT BLOW PIPE
			CLARIN MEDIANETA	BUFADORE TUBO DE INSUFLACION	BUFAREU	STOCK
			SOPLADOR	L’EMPENHA	SOUCHE	STOCK
			SOPLETE	L’EMPENHA	SOUCHE	ANCHE DOUBLE DOUBLE REED
					ANCHE DOUBLE	DOUBLE REED
					ANCHE SIMPLE	SINGLE REED

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Descripcion pormenorizada

El botico
Se despelleja el animal por la pata trasera derecha y se saca la piel entera por alli, sin necesidad de hacer mas costuras. Despues se curte, se vuelve del reves (con el pelo por dentro) y con este material, se fabrican pellejos, botas de vino etc.

Normalmente el pelo va esquilado, quedando de una largura de 1/2 cm para que alli se agarre mejor la pez, cuya mision es evitar las fungas a traves de los poros, del aire o del vino, segun su uso, quedando asi impermeable.

Todas las gaitas viejas aragonesas llevan el boto impermeahlizado con pez. Nosotros, siguiendo la tradicion, montamos en 1980 la gaita hecha a mano en un boto con pez, y comprobamos:

que la piel adquiere una rigidez excesiva
cuando la pez se seca y la gaita esta desinflada, se pega por dentro y para despegarla hay que echar agua caliente dentro o poner el boto largo rato al sol.
es muy engorrosa la puesta a punto del instrumento.

En la recuperacion del instrumento, hemos sustituido la pez por unas lanolinas que provienen de Escocia, que ademas de tapar los poros, dan una gran flexibilidad a la piel, estando siempre el boto y la gaita listos para tocar.

Los bordones
Estan compuestos de dos piezas, una de ellas va dentro de la otra y su alargamiento o acortamiento modifica la nota continua hasta la afinacion deseada, dentro de los limites de la nota dada por la cana.

Presentan aros de estano para proteger las zonas de deslizamiento y tambien como funcion ornamental, aunque esta ultima, en Aragon es muy sobria. Igualmente, en amplias zonas de Europa se encuentra el mismo fenomeno:

“Los pastores del Alto Isabana, valles de Barrabes, Bohi y Bosia en algunos casos hendian los dibujos (en la talla de la madera) mas que de ordinario para rellenarlos de estano, metiendo el objeto dentro de un trozo de piel o nai·pe arrollado y echando el metal derretido. Esta tecnica de estanado ornamental, ademas de en la Ribagorza y el Pallars, tambien aparece en el Pais Vasco y Portugal, asi como en la Bretana armoricana y en otras comarcas francesas de los Alpes">(1)

Todos los bordones presentan caja de resonancia; uno de ellos presenta bajo la piel de serpiente un hermoso trabajo pastoril de tallada a cuchillo y decoracion de hexafolias, lineas de puntos etc.

Las bordonetas
La mayoría de ellas son de un tipo determinado, dos piezas con un interior conico, muy dificiles de ajustar y deslizar una dentro de otra debido a la conicidad. Salvo una de ellas, todas las demas presentan caña simple.

Las bordonetas que son como bordones pequenos por su forma a interior suelen contener la otra pieza de una largura tal que la bordoneta casi tiene la largura del clarin.

Los clarines
La mayoría de los encontrados son de muy buena construcion, hechos con torno y largura muy similar. Al ser la parte principal de la gaita y ser faciles de deteriorar (se rajan con bastante facilidad), algunos gaiteros los reforzaban por fuera con aros de alambre, que al ser cubiertos con piel de serpiente, dan una apariencia y tacto muy extrano. Son de interior conico y varian de uno a otro en el numero de oidos o agujeros de resonancia. Siempre llevan pita o caña de doble lengueta.

Maderas usadas
La mayor parte de las gaitas encontradas son de boj, madera que tiene unas propiedades de dureza, brillo, duracion etc. que hace que sea la favorita de los pastores.

El boj solia tenerse hacia unos tonos rojizos, para lo cual se enterraba durante un cierto tiempo en estiercol.

La tela de flores
Sobre la tela de flores que recubre el botico, se han contado muchas historias, tales como que al gaitero de Bestue, Juan Cazcarra se le murio una hija, y que el lleno de dolor, tomo el vestido de ella y vistio la gaita. Lastima que esta bonita historia llena de ternura no sea verdad. Sus descendientes asi lo ratifican.

Igualmente, tenemos fotografias de gaiteros antiguos con estas telas de flores. Seguramente, por no mostrar la desnudez de la piel es costumbre en muchos paises del mundo el vestir la gaita.

La piell de serpiente
Pertenece este instrumento a una epoca en la que el hombre, con un claro sentido magico de la vida, usaba partes de los cuerpos de los animales para construir los instrumentos de musica. La serpiente, totem de mucho pueblos primitivos, refuerza todavia mas el caracter ritual del instrumento y del que lo tocaba.

Ademas de la gaita, existe en Aragon una flauta de tres agujeros llamada “chiflo” (en aragones chiflar es silbar), que tambien va forrada de piel de serpiente.

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Los pastores aragoneses hacen bastones tallados con navaja y el motivo casi generalizado es la serpiente, cayados terminados en una cabeza de serpiente son tambien abundantes (2).

Los antiguos gaiteros de nuestro pueblo, siempre han dicho y creido firmemente, que si in se forraban los tubos de la gaita con piel de serpiente, esta no sonaba bien. No hace falta decir que eso no es cierto.

Hay varias opiniones que tratan de explicar el uso de la piel de serpiente:

a) Para que no se les ocurra tocar la gaita a las mujeres, conocido el asco que sienten por los reptiles. Hay en el fondo una cierta misoginia ancestral, pero no hay que olvidar que la gaita sonaba mayoritariamente en el Dance o lo que es lo mismo, en las danzas rituales de palos y espades que son exclusivamente masculinas.

b) Uso de la piel de serpiente como “capa termica” que evitaria que el instrumento se desafinase. No podemos creer que seamós los unicos del mundo en haber encontrado esta solucion.

c) Uso de la piel de serpiente para evitar fugas de aire que se producian al agrietarse las piezas de madera. Teoria muy logica, util y nada despreciable, puede ser exacta.

d) Nosotros nos inclinamos a pensar en un caracter magico de la serpiente, que podria quedar reflejado en la mudanza de espadas “la culebreta” (la pequeña serpiente) del Dance de Graus (Huesca), donde los “volantes” en zig-zag serpentean a lo largo de la fila de danzantes, imitando claramente los movimientos de la serpiente.

Hay abundancia como as de esperar de alusiones a la serpiente y la brujería, conservandose en el alma del pueblo en forma de supersticion. Nuestro antiguo gaitero Vicente Capitan, cuando fue grabado en magnetofon en 1950, al oirse se echo a correr asustado.

Situacion Actual Del Instrumento

Hoy nos encontramos con unos 6 grupos folk en toda la region, todos ellos llevan gaita aragonesa. En cuanto a los pueblos con grupos de folklore, de ser nuestro pueblo el unico en tener gaita hemos pasado a ser ya 5 pueblos importantes.

Se ha pasado de untaller de construccion en Zaragoza, a tener otro en Sarinena, donde Martin Blecua lleva construidas tres gaitas y pronto Jose Luis Sarrablo pondra en funcionamiento otro taller en Boltana (Huesca).

Mario Gros tiene en Zaragoza un exceso de trabajo, que le impide abarcar

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Clarines de Castejon de Monegros (Huesca), paertenecieron al gaitero Senen Pueyo (muerto en 1954).

Clarines de La Almolda (Zaragoza), pertenecieron al gaitero Cristobal Falceto (muerto en 1953).

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Two axes of iron (figs. 4-6) were found in one of the huts at Vulci, and a socketed axe in a pit near by.

Fig. 4.-Iron axe. Length, 15.5 cm.

Fig. 5.-Iron axe. Length, 17.cm.

Fig. 6.-Iron axe. Length, 21 cm.

Photograph 58. — Column of the “chi” in Holy Cross Church, Segovia.

The so-called Column of the “chi” is found in the church of the Holy Cross, one of the two churches named in the jurisdiction of the Convent of San Juan de Duero.

The column, which has a shape easily recognizable by its circular base and capital and its central smooth quadrangular body, is adorned on two of them with incised designs: on one face a “chi” with two bars which intersect at right angles, and on one of the lateral sides a cross with a bit truncated arms in the style called “batavian” in the international art museums.

The stone has a length of about 1.20 m.

These carved designs are the same as those represented in many rock art painted figures in the territory of Burgos, La Rioja and Soria, generally in the same form: the “chi” or rosette and the “batavian” cross. The importance of this column lies in the artistic and symbolic verification that it provides, proving that these Christian signs were in use among the ancient Christians of the vicinity.

As for the column itself, there are no data to designate the christian date or the period of its works. It is possible that it has dates of the eleventh century, since this type of ornamentation is known in some architectural elements from that time. But it could belong to a later period, up to the fourteenth or fifteenth century.

This must be taken into account in studies of medieval art and also in the study of our ancient Christian beliefs.

Gaita de Boto (Morón de Almazán)

Dry Cleaning Clothing articles that because of construction, fabric, twists, pleating, dyeing, or printing, cannot be cleaned with water are best cleaned by dry cleaning. The most common solvent used is perchloroethylene (perchlorethylene). It is a special liquid that dissolves oily and greasy dirt and stains but that water cannot. Dry cleaning solves the cleaning problem of clothes which could be spoiled by water, such as men’s suits, fine uniform coats, and embroidered clothes. The dry cleaning machine works like a washing machine except: The cleaning agent used is perchloroethylene The clothes need to be washed after each use of the liquid to make it clear and reusable. Every cleaning machine has a “filter” to remove lint, hair, dirt, etc. Clothes are dried at the end of the cleaning process (almost like a “tumbling dryer”). The clothes are pressed and ironed before they come out. The dry cleaner’s machine is expensive. Unless there is a problem that cannot be solved with ordinary washing, dry cleaning can be avoided in the home laundry. The disadvantage of dry cleaning is that if clothes are left too long in the dry cleaning liquid that is not clear, the grease and dirt deposit on the cloth and damage it. If clothes are dry cleaned by the local dry-cleaner, first remove the heavy dirt and bits of mud or dust on the garment by water or brushing, before sending the garment for dry cleaning. There is a liquid known as detergent, which is useful in removing mud stains and oily dirt from clothes. It contains a mixture of different chemicals prepared specially for use in household washing machines. Clothes which are cleaned in detergent solution easily rinse and clean thoroughly. But detergent solution may increase the dirtiness of the water and require special disposal methods. Almost all modern washing powders and liquids contain detergent. Detergents usually cost more than ordinary soap powders and do not make the clothes smell much or foam. A few detergents are made for some specialty cleaning like work clothes cleaned with special machines or for hand washing of very delicate clothes. When detergent is applied on a storage water pipe, it aids in dissolving grease and increases the risk of damaging the metal pipe. Hence the water pipes and the water source should be free of detergent or chemicals from cleaning wastes. If special detergents are unavailable, soap powder may be used instead for washing dirty clothes. But soap powder removes less dirt, especially oily dirt. Sometimes soft detergents or washing agents made from shampoo liquid and soap powder are available. These give quite good cleaning and are sometimes preferred. Good washing powders or liquids dissolve in water quickly and reach the dirt easily. One carefully checks the amount of washing powder (or detergent or soap) needed. Too little powder means the clothes are not washed properly; too much powder means it’s wasted and it may be harmful to the clothes and the environment. Too much powder causes heavy foam that interferes with washing, rinsing, and sometimes damages the clothes. The best way to use detergent and clothes washing powders is to: Use the recommended amount. Use warm water, not cold. Water that is too hot may damage delicate clothes. Because of the above, cold water washing is not preferred for washing oily clothes. If the clothes are very oily, solely detergent may not be enough. Pretreat the clothes by rubbing soap or detergent on grease stains. Allow some time for the soap to act before washing. When clothes have stubborn dirt and stains, washing powder should be dissolved well in warm water first. Then soak the clothes in this solution for some time before rubbing or washing. This gives better results. Increase the washing time for heavily soiled clothes but not excessively long as this may damage the clothes fabric. Delicate clothes do not need vigorous washing; it is better to do gentle hand washing or use a special delicate cycle in a machine.
Special Problems in Washing Some Clothes

The following clothes require special care in washing or cleaning:

Woolen Clothes - Woolen clothes should not be dipped or soaked in water for a long time as it may easily deform them. Wool should never be cleaned with detergents for all-purpose washing. They should be washed in special wool detergents in water which is warm but not hot.
Silk Clothes - Silk clothes are unsuitable for washing in water. They should preferably be washed in dry cleaning liquids but some varieties of silk can be washed in mild soapy water or very mild detergents. They should not be soaked in water for long or rubbed vigorously. Dry and iron promptly after washing or cleaning.
Clothes with Embroidery or Decoration - Clothes which are embroidered or decorated with beads, sequins, fringes, or other delicate designs should be handled with gentle washing, often dry cleaned. If washed in water, handle the decoration carefully.
Clothes with Bright Colors or Prints - Some clothes may have colors that bleed or fade while washing. Test a small area first in water before washing the entire garment.

The above precautions help to extend the life and appearance of special clothes.

Gaita de Vicente Capitan, gaitero de Sarinena la gaita se encuentra en Sena (Huesca)

la actual demanda (suele construir 6 unidades al año).

Todos los que participamos en esta labor somos amigos, la mayoría somos universitarios y esto lo realizamos en nuestro tiempo libre. Todas las gaitas que suenan en Aragón actualmente son copias del modelo de Bestue. La gaita del pastor hecha a mano, está en Sarinena guardada como recuerdo. Estamos trabajando en la fabricación de copias de los otros modelos encontrados hasta ahora, tal como la gaita de Vicente Capitan que se encuentra en Sena (Huesca), de la que Mario Gros acaba de hacer un prototipo en madera de boj.

Estamos construyendo una familia de canas para estudiar las escalas de los clarines, que poco a poco los estamos radiografiando para poder obtener replicas.

El trabajo principal esta todavia por hacer y sabemos que costara tiempo y esfuerzo, pero tenemos la satisfaccion de saber que estamos en el buen camino.

Otra cuestion de importancia capital es la formacion de gaiteros, hay muchos jovenes en las capitales que se interesan por el instrumento, pero en los pueblos cuesta muchisimo, por falte de paciencia en el aprendizaje. Quiza haya que abrir la puerta a las mjueres (ye hay dos de ellas).

![Image of bagpipe]

Copia de la gaita Bestue hecha por Mario gros en madera de boj

![Image of bagpipe]

Copia de la gaita de Vicente Caitán, hecha por Mario Gros en madera de boj

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Medidas approximadas del clarin del gaíta de Sarriñena (Huesca)

Serrión 6 158

Serrión 6 16

Serrión 6 185

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Medidas aproximadas del clarín de la gaita de Bestue (Huesa)

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Historia de La gaita en Aragon

Nuestro reino en la edad media, se asocio al condado de Barcelona formando durante siglos la llamada Corona de Aragon. Nuestros datos parten de los Archivos de aquella epoca.

Ma Carmen Gomez (3) obtiene de los Archivos de la Corona de Aragon una fuente de datos que nos son de una gran utilidad, sobre todos los referidos a los reyes Pedro IV el Ceremonioso y Juan I:

“En cuanto a otros musicos de instrumentos altos que estuvieron al servicio del monarca (Pedro IV), llama la atencion el hecho de que durante varios anos fueran estos casi de forma exclusiva juglares de cornamusa. El numero de juglares de la especialidad que tuvo empleados en su casa osciló entre tres y cinco durante los anos 1345 a 1356, luego se quedo solo con uno durante el periodo belico anteriormente senalado, y entre los anos 1378 a 1381 consta que eran dos las cornamusas a su servicio”.

Continuan los nombres de los gaiteros y anos en los que trabajaron, asi como en el reinado de Juan I en los anos 1387 y 1388.

Emilio Reina (4) nos cuenta:

“El consejo de Teruel en 1401, celebro fiestas por la concordia de haber un papa, y pago a los juglares que tocaban las botiellas e jaramiellos ….”

No olvidemos que botielle es bot, boto es decir odre. En la Ribagorza aragonesa, se dice “fer el bot” para decir “tocar la gaita”.

Ma Carmen Novoa dice:

“Alfonso el Magnanimo, rey de Aragon, Napoles y Sicilia (siglo XV) se llevo a su corte napolitana a partir de 1420, ministriles de su pais y entre los instrumentos que manejaban se mencionan “xalamias”, as decir, la gaita denominada en Mallorca “xeremias” (5).

En la procesion del Corpus de Zaragoza aparece (6): gaiteros en los anos 1471, 1472, 1492, 1549, 1550, 1583, 1584 y 1585.

Eliseo Serrano (7) con relacion a las fiestas en honor de Felipe V de la ciudad de Zaragoza en 1711 dice:

“La musica interpretada fue una mezcla de laudes, citaras, vihuelas gaitas, salterios, tamboriles y sonajas.”

Huesca en 1823, con motivo de la liberacion de Fernando VII, los danzantes:

“….una veces con espadas y dagas y otras con palos al son de la gayta que

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es su musica favorita” (8).

Zaragoza en 828, por la visita de Fernando VII, dice el Mayoral del Dance de las Tererias: ………………………….. y celebramos un danze con gayta y paloteado ………………………….. (9)

En 1869 en Huesca, Nicolas Momprade solicita que los danzantes sean acompañados por banda de musica y que sustituyan la gaita (10).

Ya hemos llagado a unas fechas en las que existen las viejas gaitas que hoy poseemos y que nos ayudan a darnos una idea del pasado y del area de extension geografica del instrumento a principios de siglo.

Contexto Sociologico de Utilizacion

No es nuestra intencion el hacer un apartada ampuloso y detallado sobre el folklore interpretado por este instrumento, hay cancioneros de las provincias de Huesca y Zaragoza que lo recogen, sino de dar un breve recorrido por el repertorio, centrarnos mas en algun punto poco conocido.

Por las referencias orales que tenemos, recogidas en los pueblos, los gaiteros eran los musicos del lugar, y como tales, tocaban con su instrumento todo tipo de musica, a gusto del pueblo.

La mayor parte de las veces tocaran en solitario (por problemas de escala musical del clarin), aunque haya excepcion de acompanamiento con violin, haciendo el baile en el pueblo. Pero como todo cambia y aparecen nuevas modas, la gaita se vera arrinconda por el acordeon, y el gaitero en los pueblos sera sustituido en el baile por la orquesta.

Este fenomeno, hace perder parcelas de actuacion al gaitero, viendose al final reducido a los actos religiosos al ser desplazado de los profanos.

En las fiestas profanas, aparte del repertorio de moda, tocaban pasodobles, polkas, mazurkas, jotas etc. que se encuentran bastante bien documentades para el Sobrarbe (zona de la montana de Huesco) en los trabajos de Anchel Conte y el Biello Sobrarbe de L’Ainsa o en el de Alvaro de la Torre (de proxima publicacion).

Nosotros vamos a centrarnos en el aspecto religioso, pues es el mas caracteristico de los Monegros (zona desertica entre las provincias de Huesca y Zaragoza, donde se han encontrado mas restos de gaitas, la gaita esta aqui viva en la mente de los viejos. Sarinena es el pueblo mas importante de la comarca).

Chanter 49

Por un lado tenemos:

El canto a son de gaita en Romances (profanos y religiosos)

Despertaderas y Auroras. En todos estos, con la intervencion de gaitero, solista y coro, a menudo acompaandos de una pequena campanilla como percusion. Y por otro lado:

El Dance.

Nos detendremos en el Dance, por ser el elemento que mas y major ha perdurado pese a los avatares del tiempo.

El Dance consiste en danzas rituales de palos, espadas, arcos y broqueles (pequenos escudos de madera), donde solo participan hombres (moder- namente hay excepciones) y cuya finalidad es realizar unrito cuyo significado nos es desconocido.

En los Monegros (comarca de Aragon), el Dance se suele componer de un Mayoral o jefe de los danzantes, cuatro “cuadros” de 4 hombres cada uno, es decir 16 danzantes y un cuadro de 4 ninos llamados volantes, que suelen llevar enaguas blancas. Todos portan las camadas de cascabeles en las piernas, camisas blancas y cintas de colores o mantones de Manila cruzados al pecho.

Al son de la gaita, interpretan distintas musicas o mudanzas, ya sean de palos, espadas, segun la percusion; ya sean pasacalles, ofertorios o mudanzas segun los movimientos de los danzantes. A destacar de las mudanzas de los Monegros su musica, que podemos llamar “entica”, con gran personalidad y absolutamente diferenciada del resto de Aragon.

De las diguras que forman los danzantes: el cinco del domino, donde cada punto es un cuadro de cuatro danzantes, siendo el punto central los volantes, que se expanden para formar una flor de 4 petalos; el circulo, la espiral, cadenas girando concentricas en sentido contrario etc.

Dentro de la simbologia, hay una mudanza conocida como “el degollau” (la decapitation) que representa la muerte falsa, seguida de resurreccion de un danzante o del Mayoral. Para ello se forma una cadena con los 16 danzantes provistos de una aspada cada uno, y al son de una musica muy cadenciosa, van rodeano el cuello del Mayoral con las espadas, formando los danzantes una espiral, y las espadas alrededor del cuello una estrella. Posteriormente subiran de pie, sobre los hombros de los danzantes, los cuatro volantes, que aisdos de las manos formaran un circulo coronando la espiral; todo el conjunto de hombres y ninos girara, degollando al jefe. Tras un silencio, los volantes descenderan y entre los danzantes saldra ell Mayoral “resucitado”, seguido de la cadena de danzantes, que de manera reversible vuelven a la posicion inicial de la mudanza.

50 Chanter

papel del gaitero y nuestra gaita hayan aguantado el paso de los anos.

A traves del tiempo, al Dance se le fueron incorporando otras representaciones tales como las Pastoradas (dialogos muy jugosos entre pastores, uno de ellos rebadan o aprendiz, y el otro el Mayoral o jefe de pastores; juventud y experiencia enfrentadas), los Dichos (critica social versificada, a veces muy mordaz), Motadas (cuartetos que compone el Mayoral a los danzantes para estimular su orgullo en publico, suelen ser muy graciosos) y finalmente la lucha de moros y cristianos, que en nuestra comarca corresponde a una representacion teatral, con unos textos escritos en estilo barroco del siglo XVII, sin duda obra de algun cura o gente letrada, donde se hace un autentico adoctrinamiento religioso de las masas con un grado de proselitismo extremo, ya que va a ser el Diablo personificado el que acuda en defensa de los moros, y el Angel personificado, el que acuda en defensa de los cristianos. Excuso decir quienes ganan, si bien es cierto que al final los moros reniegan de su fe y acaban como hermanos de los cristianos.

Creemos que lo principal del Dance es la danza, como su nombre indica, que su origen es tan antiguo como el hombre mismo, que son danzas anteriores al cristianismo, es decir paganas, y que la religion catolica afortunadamente las absorbio (de lo contrario habrian desparecido) y las dedico a un santo o santa.

En la lengua espanola, se han conservado unas acepciones de la palabra “moro” muy curiosas, asi un nino que muere sin bautizar es un nino “moro”, que por referencia al agua el vino “moro” es un vino puro, sin agua. Luego el significado de moro seria no cristiano. Obviamente, los musulmanes, al ocupar Espana y no ser cristianos, seran llamados moros.

Cualquier interpretacion y paralelismo entre la Reconquista espanola y la lucha de moros y cristianos del Dance es, desde nuestro punto de vista absurdo. El Dance aragones no tiene ninguna relacion con las fiestas de moros y cristianos del Reino de Valencia, donde dentro de un espiritu festivo, se conmemore la Reconquista.

La relacion entre el Dance aragones con las danzas de palos y espadas de Europe debe ser muy estrecha, notablemente con las Morris Dances inglesas, las cuales obviamente, a pesar de tener la palabra moro, los ingleses no tuvieron en su propio suelo una Reconquista del tipo espanol, encajando perfectamente el valor de moro como pagano y precristiano.

Suponemos que en el Dance, la parte de moros y cristianos fue anadida en el siglo XVII ante el temor a los turcos en toda Europa (hay en muchisimos dances confusion entre moros y turcos). Por ignorancia, esta parte esta siendo sobrevalorada en la actualidad, llegando incluso a modificar los vestidos de los danzantes, haciendo que la mitad salgan de musulmanes y el resto de ‘cruzados’.

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Mario Gros Herrero tocando con el Dance de Monegrillo (Zaragoza) en Agosto de 1988

FROM THE DOJO—Sen Jaki practicing at the Sword Contest

One of the exercises performed at the Kanto Police Weapon Contest on July 28th was this one, as demonstrated by Sen Jaki of the ‘Wado Torttet’ Kendo Club. One participant holds an opponent’s sword and the other attacks. (Desktop Kendo July Issue)

Area Geografica

El plano o mapa anexo presenta nuestra region dentro de Espana, con su limite con Francia. El otro mapa adjunto es el area de extension de la gaita aragonesa segun los datos que hasta la fecha poseemos. Se puede afirmar que estw mapa puede reflejar la situacion de principio de siglo, pero es posible que en el siglo pasado el instrumento estuviese mas extendido en Aragon, por falta de datos no nos atrevemos a sobrepasar estos limites.

Sin duda, con el tiempo y posteriores investigaciones se lograra ampliar este punto.

FRANCIA

ESPAÑA

Localizacion geografica de nuestra region Aragon, dentro del estado espanol. Aragon esta compuesto de tres provincias: H: Huesca; Z: Zaragoza; T: Teruel.

Resumiendo, los limites geograficos de la gaita aragonesa quedarian asi: al oeste su limite es la Jacetania y el Serrablo (comarcas de la provincia de Huesca donde se usa el “chiflo” o flauta de tres agujeros y el “chicoten” (especie de tambor de cuerdas), al sur el rio Ebro, al este es dificil fijarlo, porque la comarca de Ribagorza en su parte catalana fue recorrida por gaiteros de la Ribagorza aragonesa. Nos hemos limitado a fijar solo la parte aragonesa. Al norte reflejamos los datos encontrados por nosotros.

La sorpresa nuestra hace unos, fue muy grande, al tener noticia de unos trabajos hechos sobre la gaita de Bestue (Huesca). En cuanto a los vascos,

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Area de Extension de la Gaita Aragonesa

PROVINCIA DE HUESCA

[Map with various locations and markings]

Juan Antonia Urbeltz y su equipo, empenados en demostrar que la gaita de fuelle se toco alguna vez en el Pais Vasco (a pesar de que no existe nungun dato escrito, ni referencia oral, ni citada por los grandes folkloristas vascos), tuvieron la gaita de Bestue durante 7 anos (a pesar de serles cedida por dos anos y haberla reclamado en varias ocasiones el Ayuntamiento de Ainsa, los propietarios actuales). La usaron en su musica (11), sin precisar que era de Aragon. En todo momento quisieron ver en la cornamusa aragonesa su posible y teorica gaita imaginada para el Pais Vasco, sin ninguna base real.

Ellos conocen en Francia a Charles Alexandre, quien examina la gaita de Bestue y cree ver o reconocer en ella a la “gaita” francesa del Bearn y Bigorra (zonas limitrífes con Aragon), llamandola GAITA DE LOS PIRINEOS CENTRALES, omitiendo en su trabajo (12) detalles que comentaremos mas tarde. Con esa denominacion quedaba el camino libre para la utilizacion del instrumento por unos y otros como si propio fuera.

54 Chanter

Es cierto que existio en el Bearn y Bigorra una gaita que pudiera ser igual a la nuestra, pero desaparecio hace mas de un siglo (13), y no existe ni un solo ejemplar de este instrumento, por lo tanto cualquier parecido con la gaita aragonesa, es una hipotesia SIN BASE REAL.

Como datos graficos de la gaita bearnesa quedan dos dibujos: SIMON DELOM, gaitero de Bigorra, dibujo encontrado en el “Terrier d’Esparros” de 1772. Hoy se encuentra en los archivos departamentales de los Altos Pirineos de Tarbes.

Es un dibujo con una gaita que lleva dos tubos iguales por delante, en paralelo, y un dordon que le sale por el mismo lado donde lleva el odre. El dibjo es poco riguroso.

Dibujo del siglo XIX de DUNAS, que representa a un gaitero del valle d’Aure (muy cerca de la frontera). El original se encuentra en el museo Paul Dupuy de Toulouse.

Aqui claramente puede ser una gaita aragonesa como las actuales, el odre va vestido, es un odre igual de voluminoso, pero desgraciadamente delante se ve los dos tubos sin ningun detalle.

Este gaitero tiene un atuendo tipico aragones: alpargatas de canamo y sbore todo el “cachirulo” o panuelo que los aragoneses se atan a la cabeza. Se podria tratar perfectamente de un gaitero de Aragon, por el atuendo y por las continuas emigraciones de aragoneses alli. Concretamente, el abuelo paterno de Pedro Mir nacio el siglo pasado en Bearn y era de origen aragones.

A resaltar el detalle del dibujo de llevar este gaitero el bordon por encima del antebrazo. Este detalle debio ser tenido en cuenta por Charles Alexandre, ya que la foto de Juan Cazcarra, gaitero de Bestue, la modifico en el dibujo. Es esto un trabajo serio?

Adjunto el dibuko de Charles Alexandre junto con una copia de la foto de Juan Cazcarra, para que se vean las rectificaciones hechas sobre el original.

De la misma manera, Charles Alexandre no cita en su trabajo el detalle de llevar la gaita los tubos forrados de piel de serpiente ni la tela de flores que recubria el boto.

Obviamente, desde aqui reclamamos lo que es patrimonio de una region-que fue reino en la edad media, y designamos con la mas elemental de las logicas “gaitas aragonesas” a todas aquellas gaitas encontradas en nuestro territorio, con características propias y diferenciadas de las de nuestros vecinos.

Asi mismo rechazamos la apelacion de gaita de los Pirineos Centrales por ambigua e imprecisa, siendo ademas la comarca de los Monegros (a 200 kilometros de la frontera) la zona de mas restos de gaitas.

Chanter 55

Joueur de Cornemuse des Pyrénées centrales,

Jean Beaubois 77

Restos Hallados

Para resumir en este apartado, citaremos las piezas halladas en los pueblos, sin entrar en detalles de forma o conservacion, posteriormente elaboraremos una lista de gaiteros fallecidos y sus pueblos de origen. Por supuesto que hay testimonios fotografícos de gaiteros desconocidos y de gaitas perdidas, quemadas e incluso una, cambiada a unos franceses por un acordeon diatonico.

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Bestue (Huesca)
Encontrada una gaita completa que se encuentra en el Ayuntamiento de Ainsa. Tambien se encontro mas tarde un clarin, propiedad de un nieto de Cazcarra que vive en Huesca.

Santa Justa
(Huesca - Dos clarines y dos sopladores completos

Sena (Huesca)
Una gaita completa, perteneciente al antiguo gaitero de Sarinena.

Sarinena (Huesca)
Una gaita completa. Una clarin y una bordoneta.

Robres (Huesca)
Una gaita completa. Ademas un clarin, dos bordonetas y un cepo.

Castejon de Monegros (Huesca)
Una gaita completa. Ademas otro clarin y muchas canas de bordon.

La Almolda (Zaragoza)
Dos clarines y un soplador con su cepo.

Resumiendo, hemos encontrado hasta ahora 5 gaitas completas, y disponemos de un total de 13 clarines.

Relacion de gaiteros fallecidos, conocidos por ahora:

Juan Cazcarra Sese Bestue(Huesca)_ 14 Dic 1963
Isidro Castell Caserras (Huesca) 1910
Senen Pueyo Serrate Castejon M (Huesca) Sept 1954
Cristobal Falceto Aznar La Almolda (Zaragoza) 17 Feb 1953
Casildo Becana Val Robres (Huesca) 1861
Francisco Becana Oto Robres (Huesca) 1837
Mariano Becana Robres (Huesca) 1805
Juan Puertolas Castillo Santa Justa (Huesca) 13 Enero 1929
Tomas Tella Castan Sarinena (Huesca) 26 Abril 1936
Teodoro Tella Bornao Sarinena (Huesca) 24 Nov 1959
Vicente Capitan Inglan Sarinena (Huesca) 23 Junio 1967

Afiliacion del instrumento

Si nos preguntamos por la existencia de gaitas similares a la nuestra o modelos con los que guarde relacion, segun los autores habra discrepancia de opiniones. Asi Urbeltz (14) la inscribe en el area mediterranea y la aproxima a la “xeremies” de Mallorca y la “zampogna” de Calabria (Italia). En cambio Collinson (15) nos dirige a la zampogna como la unica gaita que existe hoy, con relacion con los caramillos divergentes de la Roma clasica y sin relacion con ninguna otra gaita.

Baines (16) clasifica en familias las gaitas del mundo, y sin lugar a dudas podemos afirmar que la gaita aragonesa peertenence por sus caracteristicas al grupo de las gaitas del oeste de Europa (caramillos conicos con canas dobles), y dentro de este, al subgrupo que llama de la gaita campesina francesa (caramillo conico con pequeno bordon cilindrico junto a el, en la misma pieza ensamblados y a veces con un bordon bajo separado).

Posteriormente Baines anade (17):

“La colocacion en paralelo del caramillo y pequeno bordon en estos instrumentos - una forma de estas aparece en un instrumento de las Cantigas de Alfonso X el Sabio - es claramente derivada de algun antiguo caramillo doble de tubos paralelos”.

Gaitas con esta disposicion hay varias en Francia: la chabretta, la gran cornamusa, cabretas, musettes etc.

Habiendo llegado al final del trabajo, solo nos queda el agradecerles el interes por nuestro instrumento y la paciencia de habernos leido. GRACIAS.

Pedro Mir Tiere, Martin Blecua Vitales

Referencias Bibliograficas

Violant i Simorra. El Pirineo Espanol. Ed. Altafuella. Barcelona 1986, pag. 408. Igualmente en Ed. Plus Ultra. 1949.
Violant, op. cit., pag. 505.
Gomez Muntane Ma C. La musica en la casa real Catalano Aragonesa 1336-1442. Vol. I. Ed. Antoni Bosch. Barcelona 1979, pag. 28.
Reina Gonzalez Emilio. La musica popular aragonesa al margen de la jota. Cuadernos de Zaragoza no 16. Ed. Excmo. Auyntamiento de

Novoa Gonzalez Ma del Carmen. La Gaita y la Cornamusa en Galicia y Francia. Edicios do Castro. La Coruna 1980, pag. 22.
Calahorra Martinez Pedro. Musica en Zaragoza. Siglos XVI-XVII Vol II: Polifonistas y ministriles. Ed. Institucion Fernando el Catolico. Zaragoza 1978, pags. 246, 248 y 253.
Serrano Martin Eliseo. Tradiciones Festivas Zaragozanas. Ed. Excmo. Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza. Zaragoza 1981, pags 73.
Balaguer Federico. Introduccion al estudio historico del dance oscense. Aparece en Bizen do’o Rio Martinez: El Dance Laurentino Ed. I.E.A. Diputacion Provincial de Huesca. Huesca 1985, pag. 10.
Serrano, op.cit., pag. 55.
Balaguer, op.cit., pag. 11.
Disco de Benito Lertxundi )referencia: Elk-Az-9-10 Artesi, edita y distribuye Arte y Ciencia S.L. calle Ingente no2 de San Sebastian, de 1977). Igualmente J.A. Urbeltz la utiliza en un libro suyo sobre folklore vasco del que no tenemos las referencias).
Alexandre Charles. La Cornemuse dans les Pyrenees Francaises. Bulletin du Musee Instrumental de Bruxelles. Vol. VI, 1/. 1978, pags. 28, 29 y 30. Dibujos en las paginas 19, 21, 27 y 28.
Dominique Luc Charles. Musique populaire en Pays d’Oc. Editions Loubatieres. Cahors 1987.
Urbeltz Juan Antonio. Notas sobre el xirolarru en el Pais Vasco. Ed. Sociedad de Estudios Vascos. San Sebastian 1983, pag. 186.
Collinson Francis. The Bagpipe, the history of a musical instrument. Ed. Unwin Borthers Limited. Surrey 1976, pags. 46 y 222.
Baines Anthony. Bagpipes. Ed. The University Press. Oxford 1973 pag. 103.
Baines, op.cit., pags. 105-107.

Chanter 59

Decapitación del jefe, los volantes forman el círculo sobre la espiral de danzantes. Danza de

[part of the text is cut off]

Parapants «Sauinos» en la mudanza del ‘descolleu’

La Gaita de Fuelle or Aragonese Bagpipe

The Authors (Los Autores)

Pedro Mir Tiert is 36. He has a degree in Chemistry. He reads English, speaks and reads French fluently. He works as a teacher in Seville. While living in France for two years in the 70s he discovered Celtic music which awakened a search for his own cultural identity.

Martin Blecua Vitale is 33. He run a grocers shop in the town of Sarinena (Huesca) where he was born. From the age of 10 he has been a member of the local traditional dance group. He was taught the bagpipes by the leader of group, Antonio Susin Palacios, who died some years ago. He has been involved in the world of folklore for 23 years, 14 as a piper. He has no knowledge of written music and is, without doubt, the most complete traditional piper in Aragon.

We are both natives of Sarinena, the last village in Aragon that keeps alive the aragonese bagpipe. From our childhood we have always heard the instrument. We remember the gaitero Vincente Capitan Inglan who died in 1967. We also knew Juan Mir Susin who was his successor and with whom we had a close friendship. We were well placed to revive the instrument that had not been heard of for five years. We have always been able to count on the collaboration of the local dance group and indeed the whole village.

Today, after 14 years of work and research, we feel obliged to write about a subject that is still unknown to the majority of Aragonese. We will now outline the process of the instrument’s revival in chronological order.

Revival of the Intrument (Recuperacion del Instrumento)

It is obvious that when we talk of a revival it means that there was a time when the instrument had disappeared. This happened to the gaita de fuelle of Aragon which was once found all over the province of Huesca. During the 60s it was reduced to only one village - ours. We knew the two pipers, Capitan and Juan Mir, the latter succeeding the former after his death. Juan Mir continued playing until 1975 when he stopped for personal and family reasons taking with him his old bagpipes. The leader of the dance group had no alternative but to train a new piper, Martin Blecua, who played the gaita gallega because the gaita de fuelle was unobtainable. Nobody knew how to

Chanter 61

make the instrument, indeed many had completely forgotten its existence.

From 1976 we began to think of ways to replace the galician gaita by an aragonese gaita. We tried to get a copy made of Juan Mir’s pipes but no one was willing to take on the task. At last, in 1980, a shepherd from Sangarren called Clemente Brun made a copy by hand marking the revival of the instrument. The pipes made their first public appearance in Zaragoza, May 1980. At that time we did not know how to pitch the drones and they sounded completely out of tune.

From 1974 Pedro Mir had followed the trail of a set of pipes that had, according to Anchel Conte, belonged to the town council of Ainsa. They had been loaned to some Basques for study and were taken to France for an artisan to copy. In August 1980 Pedro Mir met this maker in Tarbes (France). His name was Marcel Gastella Etchegorry and he had made six copies of a bagpipe from Bestue which had belonged to Juan Cazcarra (d. 1968). Juan Antonio Urbeltz and his team from San Sebastian had the original. Marcel Gastella also marked a revival of the aragonese bagpipe. He gave us four free copies, told us of many things including a bibliography. He will remain the reviver of the instrument in Aragon and our guide. We owe it all to him and wish to say so in these pages. We will return later to the old gaita from Bestue which was and still is the subject of many baseless theories.

By 1982 we posessed five instruments that worked properly. We had learnt how to tune the drones and how to make reeds. It then became necessary for a definite revival of the instrument for it to displace the gaita gallega and return, as far as possible, to the level of diffusion at the beginning of the century. One problem was: would anyone in Aragon take up making the pipes? Happily our friends, Mario Gras and Jose Luis Sarrablo of the Grupo de Musica Traditional Biella Nuey, living in Zaragoza, organised a workshop that made a copy of the Bestue pipes in 1986. Then things began to happen. There was a need for gaitas aragonesas from folk groups and people who wanted to find a substitute for their gaitas gallegas. All of them needed a bagpipe with a “normal” musical scale. Availability was a priority, afterwards a study of the chanter scale could be made in peace. To date 12 more copies of the Bestue gaita have been made.

Description of the Instrument and Reeds
(Descripcion del Instrumento y sus Canas)

To better understand the following we refer you to the drawing and table. (See pages 00, 00) After a throrough analysis of various old gaitas aragonesas we have been able to deduce that there existed one unique original from which various version were made, conserving a unity despite many variations (we still have not found two instruments identical!).

The gaita de fuelle consists of :-

A) A bag (Un odre). Always a goatskin made airtight with pitch. It has a capacity of about 25 litres.

B) The stocks (Las cepos) are made of wood and tied directly to the neck and feet. They link the chanter, drones and blowpipe to the bag and protect the reeds.

C) A blowpipe (Un sopladar) to fill the bag with air. It has a leather valve strengthened with a strip of iron. At times it was made of hollowed out bone but mostly of wood lined with brass or bronze, or sometimes just a bronze tube so that the blowpipe will not deteriorate.

D) Three sounding pipes: the clarin, bordon and bordoneta. The clarin and bordoneta are placed in the same double stock called the “pieza de los clarines”. The bordon is generally carried below the arm corresponding to the anatomy of both animal and piper.

E) Reeds. A double reed (pista or whistler) for the chanter and single reeds for the drones. In Bestue we were told that Juan Cazcarra used a double reed in his bordoneta but he is an exception. Some bordonetas have conical bores and others, especially the smaller type are cylindrically bored.

F) The bag cover (Tela estampada or patterned cloth). Bright colours and fringes are used to give the appearance of a girl’s dress. A similar cover is found on the Sencelles bagpipe of Mallorca.

G) Snakeskin covers all the pipes. As far as we know this is a unique characteristic.

Detailed Description (Descripcion pormenorizada)

The bag - The animal skin is peeled off in one piece from the back right foot so no other seams are needed. It is turned inside out (wine skins are made by this method). Normally the skin is scraped to about 1/2cm so that the pitch is easier to apply. The pitch seals the bag.

All the old pipes had their bags sealed by this process. We followed the tradition with our hand made bag in 1980. When we used pitch we found the following:-

The skin became to rigid. When the pitch gets dry and the bag is empty the insides stuck together. Boiling water or the heat of the sun were needed to free the bag. Cleaning and repairs are made very difficult.

In the revival of the instrument we have used Scottish lanolin instead of pitch. It seals the pores, gives good flexibility to the skin and the instrument is always ready to play.

The Bordones - Two pieces joined by a slide so that the drone can be lengthened or shortened to the desired tuning within the limits of the reed. Tin hoops are attached to the ends to protect the contact zones and also to provide decoration although Aragon is very sober in this respect. The following characteristics can be found in many areas of Europe:

“The shepherds of the Alto Isbana valleys of Barrabes, Bohi and Bosia sometimes carved drawings onto the wood and very occasionally filled the lines with solder by putting the object into a leather cloth or rolled card and pouring in the molten metal. This ornamental soldering technique is found in Ribagorza and El Pallars, the Basque country, Portugal, Brittany and some French alpine areas."(1)

All the drones have a resonance box (bell). It can be found beneath the snakeskin, often a beautiful pastoral work made by knife and decorated with intricate patterns.

The bordonetas - mostly of one type: two pieces with a conical interior. Because of their conicity they do not slide together easily making adjustment difficult. Except for one example they use a single reed. The bordonetas are like smaller versions of the bordones. They are almost the same length as the chanter.

The clarines - the majority of chanters are well constructed on a lathe and of a similar length. As the main part of the bagpipe they are often damaged, they crack quite easily. Some pipers reinforced the outside with wire rings covered by snakeskin giving the chanter a strange feel and appearance. The bore is conical and the number of tone holes may vary. They always have a double reed.

Woods used - most bagpipes are of box, a wood whose properties include: hardness, brightness, durability etc. This was the favourite of the shepherds. The box wood is usually dyed a red shade by immersion in dung.

The floral cloth (La tela de flores) - Many stories have been told about the floral cloth that covers the bag. One tell of Juan Cazcarra the piper of Bestue. His daughter died and he was so full of grief that he took her dress to clothe his pipes in. It’s a pity that this touching story is not true, as his decendants would testify. We have old photographs of pipers with these floral covers. It was surely used to decorate the bare skin as is the custom with many bagpipes throughout the world.

Snakeskin - Our instrument belongs to an epoch when people had a clear sense of magic in life. Parts of animal bodies were used to make musical instruments. In many primitive peoples the serpent totem reinforces the ritual

64 Chanter

character of the instrument and the player. Apart from the bagpipe there is also a three holed pipe called the chiflo (whistler) that is covered in snakeskin. The aragonese shepherds carve clubs with a penknife. The motif is generally a snake. There are many examples of crooks which end in a snakehead. (2)

The old pipers of our village have always firmly maintained that if the pipes were not covered with snakeskin then they would not sound good. It is hardly necessary to add that this is not true. There are various opinions that try to explain the use of snakeskin:

A) So that women would not play the pipes (knowing the horror women have for reptiles). There is an ancestral misogyny in this attitude. The pipes were played mainly for the dance, including stick and sword dances and rituals which are exclusively masculine.

B) Snakeskin acts as a thermal jacket that help keep temperature steady and prevents the instrument going out of tune. We can’t believe that we are the only ones in the world to have discovered this technique.

C) The wrapping prevents air leaks from cracked pipes. A logical theory that could hold true.

D) We are inclined to believe that it has a magical characteristic con nected with the snake that is reflected in one of the sword dances from Graus called La culebreta (the little snake). Volantes (fliers) zig-zag along the line of dancers clearly imitating the movements of a snake.

As you would expect there is an abundance of allusions to snakes and witchcraft preserved in the soul of our people in the form of superstitions. Our old piper Vincente Capitan was recorded on tape in 1950. When he heard the playback he ran from the room terrified.

Current state of the instrument (Situacion actual del instrumento)

Today there are six folk groups in the region, each of them with a gaita aragonesa. From being the only village with the pipes we have reached the point where it is played by five other important villages. Construction has expanded from the workshop in Zaragoza to include another in Sarinena where Martin Blecua has made three pipes. Soon Jose Luis Sarrablo will open another in Boltana. Mario Gros in Zaragoza has too much work which prevents him from satisfying demand (he usually make six bagpipes a year). All of us who participate in this work are friends. The majority are university students and we are involved in the world of bagpipes in our spare time.

The bagpipes heard in Aragon today are copies of the model in Bestue. The hand made shepherd’s pipes are kept as a museum piece in Sarinena. We are working on making copies of other models that we have come across such as

Chanter 65

Vincente Capitan’s found in Sena. Mario Gros has just made a prototype in box wood. We are making a variety of reeds to study the scales of the chanters which we are gradually x-raying in order to produce replicas. The main work still lies ahead of us. We know it will take time and effort but we have the satisfaction of knowing that we are on the right track.

Another important question is the training of pipers. There are many young people in the capitals of the province who are interested but in the villages there is still a lack of patience with the apprenticeship. We will try to open the doors to more women. (There are already two of them.)

History of the bagpipe in Aragon (Historia de la gaita en Aragon)

In the middle ages our kingdom was associated with Barcelona. For centuries it formed the so-called “Crown of Aragon”. Our facts are drawn from archives of the period. Carmen Gomez (3) found a very useful source of facts relating to the regions of Kings Pedro IV el Cerimonioso and Juan I:

“Referring to other high musicians in the service of the monarch (Pedro IV) we note the fact that for many years they are almost always juglares (minstrels) of the bagpipes. The number of juglares varied between three and five during the years 1345-56. He was left with only one during the period of wars and between 1378-81 there were two in his service.”

Emilio Reina (4) tells us:

“In 1401 the Council of Teruel celebrated fiesta for the election of a pope and paid juglares who played ‘las botellas’ and ‘las foramiellos’…”

We must not forget that botella means bag. In the Ribacorza region they say “make the bag” instead of “play the pipes”.

Carmen Novou says:

“Alfonso el Magnanima, King of Aragon, Naples and Sicily took minstrels from his country to his Neapolitan court (1420). Among the instruments they took is the ‘xalamias’. That is to say the Mallorcan bagpipe called xeremias.” (5)

In the Corpus Christi procession of Zaragoza pipers are recorded in the years 1471, 72, 92, 1549, 50, 83, 84 and 85. (6).

In relation to the festivals in honour of Felipe V in Zaragoza (1711), Eliseo Serrano (7) says:

“The music was a mixture of lutes, citterns, vihuelas, gaitas, salterios, drums and sonajas.”

In Huesca (1823) the dancers celebrated the liberation of Fernando VII:

“Sometimes with swords and daggers, sometimes with sticks they danced to the bagpipe - their favourite music.” (8)

For the visit of Fernando VII to Zaragoza in 1828 the mayor said of the Dance of The Tanners:

“… and celebrated a dance with bagpipe and paloteado.” (9)

In Huesca (1868-9) Nicholas Momprade asked that the dancers be accompanied by a group of musicians including a piper. (10) We have now arrived at times within living memory of old pipers who could give us an idea of the past and the geographical extent of the instrument at the beginning of this century.

Sociological Context (Contexto sociologico utilizacion)

It is not our intention to make a full and detailed account of the folk music interpreted by the bagpipe. There are already singers in the provinces of Huesca and Zaragoza who have collected the music. We will give a brief outline of the repetoire, concentrating more on some lesser known points.

Through oral references that we have collected in the villages we know that the pipers were musicians from specific places. They played all kinds of music, whatever appealed to the people of their locality. In the main, they played solo because of the idiosyncracies of the chanter’s tuning. There were exceptions accompanied by the violin and playing at village dances. As new fashions appeared the bagpipe was replaced by the accordion and the solo piper was replaced by dance bands.

The piper lost many opportunities to perform and was reduce a role in religious ceremonies having been displaced in secular music. In the secular festivals the piper played pasedobles, polkas, mazurkas, jotas etc as well as the more fashionable repetoire. This is well documented in the Sobrarbe area (the mountainous zone of Huesca) by Anchel Conte and Alvaro de la Torre.

We will concentrate on the religious context because it is most characteristic of the Monegros (the desert zone between the provinces of Huesca and Zaragoza where most bagpipe remains have been found). There the pipe is alive in the mind of the old people. Sarinena is the most important town in the area. On the one hand we have the songs of the bagpipe in romances (secular and religious), waking up pieces and dawn pieces. In these we count on the intervention of the solo piper sometimes accompanied by a bellringer as percussion. On the other hand we have the dance which is the element that has disappeared most in the course of time. The dance consists of ritual stick dances using swords, arches and “broqueles” (small wooden shields). Only men participate in these dances although there are modern exceptions. The

purpose of these rituals is to realise a ceremony whose meaning is now lost.

In the Monegros (country of Aragon) the dancers are usually a Mayoral (chief of the dancers), four cuadros (squares) of four men each (i.e. 16 dancers) and a cuadro of four boys called volantes (flyers) who usually wear white petticoats. They all have stilts on their legs, white shirts and coloured ribbons across their chests. The piper interprets different musical pieces or mudanzas. They are either stick or sword dances depending on the percussion and pascalles, ofertorios (offerings) or mudanzas according to the movements of the dancers. To emphasise the music of the Monegros mudanzas we can call it ethnic. It has a unique personality completely different from the rest of Aragon. Several figures are formed by the dancers: The five of dominos where each point is a square of four dancers with the centre point taken by the volantes. This figure expands to form a four petaled flower, a circle, a spiral, whirling concentric chains moving in opposite directions etc.

Within the symbolism there is a mudanza known as El Degollan (the hanging or decapitation). It portrays the death followed by the resurrection of a dancer of chief, 16 dancers, each with a sword, form a chain. While the piper plays music full of cadenzas they hold the swords around the neck of the one who is to die. The dancers form a spiral and swords a star. The four volantes climb onto the shoulders of the other dancers and form a circle to crown the spiral. All of the groups then remove the swords from the victims neck. After a silence the volantes descend and the resurrected victim emerges from the spiral of dancers. The sequence is reversed and the dancers return to the starting point of the mudanza.

It is not strange that within this context of ritual, colour and devotion the role of piper and bagpipe have survived the passing of the years. Over the course of time several other episodes have been incorporated into the dance. Las Pastoradas (shepherds show) is a playful dialogue between a shepherd apprentice and a senior shepherd (youth and experience come face to face). Los Dichos (the sayings) are social criticism in verse of ten very scathing. Motadas are quartets composed by the Mayoral to stimulate public pride and are often very mannered.

Finally we have the battle between Moors and Christians which in our area is a theatrical show with written texts in the baroque style of the 17th century. Without doubt it was written by a priest or some lettered person. Authentic religious doctrine of the mass is coupled with an extreme level of prosilization. The devil personified defends the moors while an angel defends the christians. There is no need to say who wins - the moors finally renounce their faith and become christian brothers. We believe that the dances have an origin as old as man himself. They are pre-christian dances or pagan rites that luckily the catholic church absorbed (otherwise they may have been lost) and they became dedicated to a saint.

Several curious uses of the word moor have been preserved in the Spanish language. A child who dies without baptism is called a moor child. A wine that

68 Chanter

has not been adulterated with water is a pure or moor wine. Later on the word moor came to mean not christian. The muslims who came and occupied Spain were therefore called moors.

Any parallels between the Reconquest of Spain and the fight between moors and christians in the dance is, from our point of view, absurd. The aragonese dance bears no relationship to the festival of moors and christians in the Kingdom of Valencia where the conquest is comemorated.

The relationship between the aragonese dance and the stick and sword dances of Europe must be very close. Notably with the English Morris Dances which obviously come from the word moor although the English had no reconquest to celebrate. This links perfectly the use of the word moor with something pagan and pre-christian. We think that the part of the dance connected with moors and christians was added in the 17th century when the fear of an expanding Ottoman Empire spread throughout Europe. There are many dances that confuse the moors and turks. Ignorance has caused this aspect to be overvalued today. It has even modified the dancers costumes, half come out dressed as muslims and the rest have crosses.

Geographical Area (Area Geografica)

The maps show our region within the Spanish state and the extent of the aragonese bagpipe within our region at the beginning of the century and according to current research. It is possible that the diffusion was greater in the previous century, but we do not have the facts to state this catagorically. Time and research will without doubt amplify the situation.

In the west the geographical limits of the aragonese bagpipe are La Jacetania and El Serrablo (countries of the province of Huesca where the chiflo or three holed pipe and the chicoten, a kind of string drum are found). In the south the limit is the River Ebro. It is difficult to fix the eastern limit because the country of Ribagorza in the Catalan area was visited by pipers from aragonese Ribagorza. We have stayed within the aragonese part. The northern limit was fixed by data discovered by ourselves.

A few years ago we were very surprised to hear the results of work done on the Bestue bagpipe. Some people form the Basque country claimed that the gaita de fuelle had once been played in their country despite the lack of written and oral evidence or any references from basque folklorists. The Bestue bagpipe was taken to France and it was claimed to be the same as a French bagpipe from Bearn and Bigorra (areas that border Aragon). It is certain that a bagpipe existed in the Central Pyrenees, it could have been the same as ours, but it disappeared more than a century ago (13). No examples of this instrument remain so any resemblance to the aragonese bagpipe remains hypothetical.

The only facts we have about the Bearness bagpipe are two drawings:

Chanter 69

“Simon Delon, piper of Bigorra” in the “Terrier d’Esparros” (1771). It can be found in the archive department of Los Altos Pirineos de Tarbes. The drawing shows two equal pipes in parallel in front and a drone. It is not a very detailed drawing.

A 19th century drawing by Dunas shows a piper from the valley of Aure (close to the border). The original is in the Paul Dupay Museum at Toulouse. This could clearly be an aragonese bagpipe. The bag is covered and of a similar size. But unfortunately two tubes are shown in front with no details. The piper is wearing typical aragonese costume: rope soled sandals and especially the “cachirulo” or scarf that is tied around the head. By the clothing and the evidence of continuous emigration from Aragon to the area it could easily be an aragonese piper. In fact the paternal grandfather of Pedro Mir was born in Bearn during the last century. He was of aragonese origin.

We want to reclaim the heritage of our region which was a kingdom in the Middle Ages. With simple logic we want to be able to designate the term “gaitas aragonesas” to those instruments found in our region that have the characteristic properties of our bagpipe and differ from those of our neighbours. In this way we reject the term “Bagpipe of the Central Pyrenees” being applied to our instrument. It is ambiguous and imprecise. The county of Monegros (200km from the border) is the area where most of the bagpipe remains have been found.

Remains Found (Restos Hallados)

We will list the remains found in the villages without reference to their state of conversation. We will also list known historical pipers and their place of origin. Of course there is also a photographic evidence of unknown pipers and for bagpipes that were lost, burnt or even swapped with some Frenchmen for an accordeon!

Bestue (Huesca) - A complete set was found here and can now be seen in the Town Hall at Ainsa. Later we found a chanter belonging to a grandson of Juan Cazcarra who lives in Huesco.

Santa Justa - Two chanters and two blowpipes.

Sena - A complete set belonging to an acient piper from Sarinena.

Sarinena - A complete set plus a clarin and bordoneta.

Robres - A complete set plus a clarin, two bordonetas and a stock.

Castejon de Monegros - A complete set plus a clarin and many drone reeds.

La Almolda (Zaragoza) - two clarines plus a blowpipe and its stock.

Up to now we have found five complete sets and have a total of 13 chanters.

(A list of pipers, town and date of death is to be found in the Spanish text)

Affiliation of the Instrument (Afiliacion del Instrumento)

We may wonder about the existence of bagpipes similar to our own or types with some relationship. We find a difference of opinion amongst the various authors. Urbeltz (14) links it to the Mediterranean area alongside the Xermies of Mallorca, and the Zampogna of Calabria. Collinson (15) points to the Zampogna as the only bagpipe which has any connection with the divergent chanters of the classical roman instrument. He claims it has no relationship to other bagpipes.

Baines (16) classifying the bagpipes of the world into families would affirm that the aragonese bagpipe belongs to the characteristic group known as the bagpipes of western Europe (conical chanter with double reed) and in the eastern sub-group of French peasant pipes (conical chanter and small cylindrical drone in one stock, and sometimes a separate bass drone).

Baines (17) added:

“The parallel arrangement of chanter and small drone in these instruments, a form of which appears in an instrument in the Cantigas, is clearly derived from some early double-pipe.”

There are various bagpipes of this type in France: la chabrettia, la gran cornamusa, cabretas, musettes etc.

Having come to the end of our work it only remains for us to thank those interested in our instrument for having the patience to read this article. Thank you.

Translated by Berni Armstrong

Chanter 71

Martin Blecua Vitales, gaitero de Sarinena; junto a el diablo, el angel y los volantes.

A Note on Sussex Bagpipes

Here are some brief but interesting bagpipe references that I have come across recently by chance. They add to Roderick Cannon’s paper in CHANTER 5, and provide considerably later dates to bagpipes in Southern England than those suggested by him.

I quote in full from a recently published book on the village of Tarring, now a part of Worthing on the Sussex coast, “Tarring - A Walk Through its History”, by Roger Davies (1990).

“In the fifteenth and Sixteenth centuries, the church was treated with much less reverence than today, and the nave acted as a sort of church hall. In particular, it was the scene of regular ‘church ales’, at which the churchwardens sold ale in the church to raise funds. By all accounts these were riotous occasions, and the churchwardens accounts make regular reference to them (Sussex Notes and Queries iv, p.230).

“The first record is one on Trinity Sunday, 1515, and they continued to be held regularly over the next 50 years. A problem arose in 1550, however, when a loss of 8s 6d was made - not at all the object of the exercise! The lesson was clearly learnt, and by 1561, the scale of the venture had been considerably increased. In that year, the churchwardens bought, among other things, a leg and half a carcase of mutton, two calfs’ heads, twelve loaves of bread, vinegar, saffron, and of course a considerable quantity of hops and malt. In addition, they paid wages to a cook, a bagpipe player and some minstrels, and bought bells for the morris dancers.”

The second reference is much more recent. The Rev. Giles Moore was rector at Horsted Keynes, and he wrote a diary between 1655 and his death in 1679. The contents of this diary are briefly described in a book published in 1882 “Glimpses of our Ancestors in Sussex”, by Charles Fleet. In Moore’s diary, and Fleet does not say when, the following brief entry appears:

[paid] “To a begging Welchman and a bagpipe player, 6d each.”

Thus we have bagpipes being played in Sussex as late as the second half of the seventeenth century, considerably later than 1636, the date set by Roderick Cannon after which “the southern counties disappear from the record entirely”, and considerably removed from the Cotswolds area where the “last” record was made.

Of course we have absolutely no record of the nature of those pipes, or the nature of the players. The Horsted Keynes piper being associated with a begging Welshman may be construed as being an itinerant musician. It is

Chanter 73

The Bagpipe Society

La Gaita de Fuelle

Gaita de Fuelle O Cornamusa Aragonesa

Situacion Actual Del Instrumento

Contexto Sociologico de Utilizacion

Restos Hallados

A Note on Sussex Bagpipes