Asturian bowling

Last updated March 12, 2019

The Asturian bowling is the variation of bowling mainly played in Asturias, and the most important traditional sport in this Spanish Autonomous Community.

Bowling class of sports in which a player rolls a bowling ball towards a target

Bowling is a target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls or throws a bowling ball toward pins or another target.

Asturias, officially the Principality of Asturias, is an autonomous community in north-west Spain. It is coextensive with the province of Asturias, and contains some of the territory that was part of the larger Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages. Divided into eight comarcas (counties), the autonomous community of Asturias is bordered by Cantabria to the east, by Castile and León to the south, by Galicia to the west, and by the Bay of Biscay to the north.

History

There are controversies about its origins. The most credible hypothesis talks about how pilgrims brought this tradition thanks to the Camino de Santiago.

The Camino de Santiago, known in English as the Way of Saint James among other names, is a network of pilgrims' ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the saint are buried. Many follow its routes as a form of spiritual path or retreat for their spiritual growth. It is also popular with hiking and cycling enthusiasts and organized tour groups.

Bowling is important in Asturian culture as it is mentioned in the Regional mythology, for example with the golden bowls of the xanes.

The xana is a character found in Asturian mythology. Always female, she is a creature of extraordinary beauty believed to live in fountains, rivers, waterfalls or forested regions with pure water. She is usually described as small or slender with long blonde or light brown hair, which she tends to with gold or silver combs woven from sun or moonbeams. The origin of the Asturian word xana is unclear, though some scholars see it as a derivation from the Latin name for the goddess Diana. References to where the mythological xanas lived are still common in Asturian toponyms. They also appear in Eastern Galician and Cantabrian mythology (Anjanas).

The first reference of Asturian bowling, one of the oldest in Spain, dates back to 1495. Alonso de Quintanilla, major book-keeper of the Catholic Monarchs, complains Nuno Bernaldo de Quirós of ruining the coat of arms during a bowling game at Campo de San Francisco in Oviedo. Thanks to this document, it is known that the pins were called byrlos and that betting was usual during the games.

Catholic Monarchs title for Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon

The Catholic Monarchs is the joint title used in history for Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, being both descended from John I of Castile; on marriage they were given a papal dispensation to deal with consanguinity by Sixtus IV. They married on October 19, 1469, in the city of Valladolid; Isabella was eighteen years old and Ferdinand a year younger. It is generally accepted by most scholars that the unification of Spain can essentially be traced back to the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella. Some newer historical opinions propose that under their rule, what later became Spain was still a union of two crowns rather than a unitary state, as to a large degree Castile and Aragon remained separate kingdoms, with most of their own separate institutions, for decades to come. The court of Ferdinand and Isabella was constantly on the move, in order to bolster local support for the crown from local feudal lords.

Oviedo ; is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain and the administrative and commercial centre of the region. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city. Oviedo is located approximately 24 km (15 mi) southwest of Gijón and to 23 km (14 mi) south of Avilés, both of which lie on the shoreline of the Bay of Biscay. Its proximity to the ocean causes Oviedo to have a maritime climate, in spite of it not being located on the shoreline itself.

In the 18th century, according to Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, in most villages and places of Asturias there's a bowling alley, a place where neighbors meet and play. During the 19th century and the early 20th, the Asturian bowling became the most widespread activity in the rural zones of the Region.

Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos was a Spanish neoclassical statesman, author, philosopher and a major figure of the Age of Enlightenment in Spain.

Asturian bowling popularity grows during the 20th century with the creation of a Federation, that was dissolved during the Spanish Civil War. When it finished, competitions were reorganized and the Asturian Federation of Bowling was reestablished in 1962.

The Spanish Civil War took place from 1936 to 1939. Republicans loyal to the left-leaning Second Spanish Republic, in alliance with the Anarchists and Communists, fought against the Nationalists, a Falangist, Carlist, Catholic, and largely aristocratic group led by General Francisco Franco. The war was known as a struggle between democracy and fascism, particularly due to the international political climate. The Nationalists won the war in early 1939 and ruled Spain until Franco's death in November 1975.

Nowadays, due to the rural emigration, some bowling variations fell into disuse. Despite the emigration, the rise of interest in traditional culture is helping to keep the game, specially in the most played variations like cuatreada, birle or bolo celta.

Variations

Cuatreada: the most extended variation, mainly played in the center and the East of Asturias.
Birle or bolo palma: played in the Eastern Asturias and Cantabria.
Bolo batiente or batiente rodáu: played in the Western coast of Asturias.
Bolo of Tineo or bolo celta.
Bolo vaqueiro

Related Research Articles

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Gijón or Xixón is the largest city and municipality in the autonomous community of Asturias in Spain. It is located on the Bay of Biscay, approximately 24 km (15 mi) north-east of Oviedo, the capital of Asturias.

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The Republic's Cup 1931 was the 31st staging of the Copa del Rey, the Spanish football cup competition.

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References

Catalogue of the Bowling Museum of Asturias
García Acebal (E.): “Deportes” in Gran Enciclopedia Asturiana. Gijón, Silverio Cañada, 1981.
Braun Trueba (J.): Bolos y cultura. Aportación al origen y desarrollo de los bolos de Cantabria. Santander, Artes Gráficas Resma, 1984.
Ruiz Alonso (J. G.): Bolos asturianos. Modalidaes, téunica y estáu actual. Gijón, Alborá llibros ediciones, 1992.
Ruiz Alonso (J. G.): Los bolos en Asturias. Gijón, Alborá Llibros Ediciones 2000.

External links

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