For the 1969 Western film starring Elvis Presley, see Charro! For the Elvis Presley song, see Charro (song). For the Mexican baseball team, see Charros de Jalisco.
Charro at the charrería event at the San Marcos National Fair in Aguascalientes CityFemale and male charro regalia, including sombreros de charroMexican Charro (1828). Originally, the term "Charro" was a derogatory name for the Mexican Rancheros, the inhabitants of the countryside. The term is synonymous with the English terms: "Yokel", "hick", "country bumpkin", or "rube".
Charro, in Mexico, is historically the horseman from the countryside, the Ranchero, who lived and worked in the haciendas and performed all his tasks on horseback, working mainly as vaqueros and caporales, among other jobs.[1] He was renowned for his superb horsemanship, for his skill in handling the lasso, and for his unique costume designed specially for horseback riding. Today, this name is given to someone who practices charreada (similar to a rodeo), considered the national sport of Mexico which maintains traditional rules and regulations in effect from colonial times up to the Mexican Revolution.[2]
The word charro (syn. charrar, charra) was first documented in Spain in the book "Vocabulario de refranes y frases proverbiales" (1627) by Gonzalo Correas as a synonym of dumb or stupid person.[3][4][5] More than one hundred years later, in 1729, in the first dictionary of the Spanish language edited by the Real Academia Española, the "Diccionario de Autoridades" charro was defined as:
The uneducated and unpolished person, raised in a place of little policing. In the Court, and in other places, they give this name to any person from the countryside.[6]
The first edition of the Real Academia dictionary published in 1780, kept that original definition, defining charro as: "the rough and rustic person, as the villagers tend to be"; but they would add a second meaning for the first time: "adjective that is applied to some things that are too laden with decoration and in bad taste".[7] Thus, it was a derogatory term applied to country people because they’re perceived as ignorant, rough and unsophisticated, and to things that were too laden in decoration but in bad taste. Synonymous with the English terms: yokel, bumpkin, boor, hick, gaudy and garish
Spanish-English dictionaries like the "Diccionario Español e Inglés" (1786) defined Charro as: "rustic, country like".[8] While the 1802 "A New Dictionary of the Spanish and English Languages" defined it as: "a clownish, coarse, ill-bred person" and "Gaudy, loaded with ornaments in a tasteless and paltry manner".[9]
In 1745, the Basque Jesuit, Manuel Larramendi, argued that the word was of Basque origin and that it meant: "vile and despicable thing", and wrote that country people and villagers were called that out of contempt.[10] While the historian and philosopher Antonio de Capmany y Montpalau, argued that the origin of the word was Arabic and that it originally meant "bad of moral malice and of customs" passing on to the Spanish to mean artistic malice, thus something "charro" is the same as something gaudy and tasteless.[11][12]
In Mexico, since the 18th century, the term charro was applied in a derogatory manner to the Rancheros, the inhabitants of the countryside and haciendas who carried out all their tasks on horseback, because, as country people, they were perceived as ignorant, crude and unsophisticated. Over time, the word evolved being redefined in Mexico, going from being a derogatory adjective to a noun, synonymous with Ranchero or vaquero, and "great horseman". In 1850, the Spanish historian and writer based in Mexico, Niceto de Zamacois, defined what Charro was in Mexico, as:[13]
Charros: gente del campo que se compone mucho para montar á caballo (country people who are very well formed to ride a horse).
Origins
1830's Charros, from Voyage pittoresque et archéologique dans la partie la plus intéressante du Mexique. 1834After the Mexican War of Independence was over one of the major generals Agustín de Iturbide rides into Mexico City victoriously with his generals many of which were charros that served in his army.
The Viceroyalty of New Spain had prohibited Native Americans from riding or owning horses, with the exception of the Tlaxcaltec nobility, other allied chieftains, and their descendants. However, cattle raising required the use of horses, for which farmers would hire cowboys who were preferably mestizo and, rarely, Indians. Some of the requirements for riding a horse were that one had to be employed by a plantation, had to use saddles that differed from those used by the military, and had to wear leather clothing from which the term "cuerudo" (leathered one) originated.
Over time landowners and their employees, starting with those living in the Mexican Plateau and later the rest of the country, adapted their cowboy style to better suit the Mexican terrain and temperature, evolving away from the Spanish style of cattle raising. After the Mexican War of Independence horse riding grew in popularity. Many riders of mixed race became mounted mercenaries, messengers and plantation workers. Originally known as Chinacos, these horsemen later became the modern "vaqueros"[citation needed]. Wealthy plantation owners would often acquire decorated versions of the distinctive Charro clothing and horse harness to display their status in the community. Poorer riders would also equip their horses with harness made from agave or would border their saddles with chamois skin.
Mexican War of Independence and the 19th century
Two policemen of the rurales in charro style uniform c1890. Photo Abel BriquetSaddle of a charro (Mexico, 19th century)
As the Mexican War of Independence began in 1810 and continued for the next 11 years, charros were very important soldiers on both sides of the war. Many haciendas, or Spanish owned estates, had a long tradition of gathering their best charros as a small militia for the estate to fend off bandits and marauders. When the War for Independence started, many haciendas had their own armies in an attempt to fend off early struggles for independence.[14]
After independence was achieved in 1821, political disorder made law and order hard to establish throughout much of Mexico. Large bands of bandits plagued the early 19th century as a result of lack of legitimate ways for social advance. One of the most notable gang was called "the silver ones" or the "plateados"; these thieves dressed as traditional wealthy charros, adorning their clothing and saddles with much silver, channeling the elite horseman image.[15] The bandit gangs would disobey or buy out government, establishing their own profit and rules.
Towards the mid 19th century, however, President Juárez established the "rurales" or mounted rural police to crack down on gangs and enforce national law across Mexico. It was these rurales that helped to establish the charro look as one of manhood, strength, and nationhood.[16]
During the Second Mexican Empire, Maximilian I of Mexico reigned as emperor and liked to wear a charro suit as the national costume to ingratiate himself with his subjects. He was an avid and skilled horsemen and impressed by the local charros. Emperor Maximilian himself designed the elegant all black charro traje, or costume, as acceptable attire for formal occasions, which the charros and mariachi ensembles by extension still use in modern days.[17]
Charros were quickly seen as national heroes as Mexican politicians in the late 19th century pushed for the romanticized charro lifestyle and image as an attempt to unite the nation after the conservative and liberal clashes.
Prior to the Mexican Revolution of 1910, the distinctive charro suit, with its sombrero, sarape, heavily embroidered jacket and tightly cut trousers, was widely worn by men of the affluent upper classes on social occasions, especially when on horseback.[18] A light grey version, with silver embroidery and buttons, served as the uniform of the rurales (mounted rural police).[19]
However, the most notable example of 'charrería' is General Emiliano Zapata who was known before the revolution as a skilled rider and horse tamer.
Although it is said that charros came from the states of Jalisco in Mexico, it was not until the 1930s that charrería became a rules sport, as rural people began moving towards the cities. During this time, paintings of charros also became popular.
During World War II, an army of 150,000 charros was created, the "Legión de Guerrilleros Mexicanos", in anticipation of an eventual attack of German forces. It was led by Antolin Jimenez Gamas, president of the National Association of Charros, a former soldier of Pancho Villa during the Mexican Revolution who climbed the ranks to Lieutenant Colonel in the Personal Guard of Villa's Dorados.
Use of term
Although the word charro was a originally just a derogatory term for country people, synonymous with English words yokel or bumpkin, and gaudy, it evolved independently in different countries, becoming a demonym for the people of the province of Salamanca, in Spain, also known by Campo Charro, especially in the area of Alba de Tormes, Vitigudino, Ciudad Rodrigo and Ledesma;[20] and a noun synonymous with the name Ranchero, the horse mounted people of the Mexican countryside. In other places in Latin America, it retained its original derogatory meaning. In Puerto Rico, charro is a generally accepted slang term to mean that someone or something is obnoxiously out of touch with social or style norms, similar to the United States usage of dork(y), (i.e gaudy). The traditional Mexican charro is known for colorful clothing and participating in coleadero ycharreada, a specific type of Mexican rodeo. The charreada is the national sport in Mexico, and is regulated by the Federación Mexicana de Charrería.
In all the states of Mexico – and in some US states such as California, Texas, and Illinois – charros participate in tournaments to show off their skill either in team competition charreada, or in individual competition such as coleadero. These events are practiced in a Lienzo charro.
Some decades ago, charros in Mexico were permitted to carry guns. In conformity with current law, the charro must be fully suited and be a fully pledged member of Mexico's Federación Mexicana de Charrería.[22]
The vaquero is a horse-mounted livestock herder of a tradition that has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula and extensively developed in Mexico from a methodology brought to the Americas from Spain. The vaquero became the foundation for the North American cowboy, in Northern Mexico, Southwestern United States, and Western Canada.
Mariachi is an ensemble of musicians that typically play ranchera, the regional Mexican music dating back to at least the 18th century, evolving over time in the countryside of various regions of western Mexico. The usual mariachi group today consists of as many as eight violins, two trumpets and at least one guitar, including a high-pitched vihuela and an acoustic bass guitar called a guitarrón, and all players taking turns singing lead and doing backup vocals.
A lasso or lazo, also called in Mexico reata and la reata, and in the United States riata or lariat, is a loop of rope designed as a restraint to be thrown around a target and tightened when pulled. It is a well-known tool of the Mexican and South American cowboys, then adopted, from the Mexicans, by the cowboys of the United States. The word is also a verb; to lasso is to throw the loop of rope around something.
In English, a sombrero is a type of wide-brimmed Mexican men's hat used to shield the face and eyes from the sun. It usually has a high, pointed crown; an extra-wide brim that is slightly upturned at the edge; and a chin strap to hold it in place.
Charrería, also known as Jaripeo is a sport and discipline arising from equestrian activities and livestock traditions used in the haciendas of old Mexico.
The Federación Mexicana de Charrería regulates charrería events in Mexico. Charrería, officially the National Sport of Mexico, consists of a series of Mexican equestrian events rooted in the horsemanship brought over from Spain during their conquest of the New World. The most noted event is the charreada, or Mexican rodeo.
Classical Nahuatl is any of the variants of Nahuatl spoken in the Valley of Mexico and central Mexico as a lingua franca at the time of the 16th-century Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. During the subsequent centuries, it was largely displaced by Spanish and evolved into some of the modern Nahuan languages in use today. Although classified as an extinct language, Classical Nahuatl has survived through a multitude of written sources transcribed by Nahua peoples and Spaniards in the Latin script.
The Diccionario de la lengua española is the authoritative dictionary of the Spanish language. It is produced, edited and published by the Royal Spanish Academy, with the participation of the Association of Academies of the Spanish Language. It was first published in 1780, as the Diccionario de la lengua castellana and subsequent editions have been published about once a decade. The twenty-third edition was published in 2014; it is available on-line, incorporating modifications to be included in the twenty-fourth print edition.
Jarocho was, historically, the horseman of the Veracruz countryside, who worked on the haciendas of the state, specifically those dedicated to the job of vaquero (cowboy) and everything related to cattle ranching.Jarocho was for Veracruz and its “Tierra-Caliente” what Ranchero or Charro was for the Mexican Highlands and interior of the country. Synonymous with vaquero, horseman and country man.
Alonso de Molina was a Franciscan priest and grammarian, who wrote a well-known dictionary of the Nahuatl language published in 1571 and still used by scholars working on Nahuatl texts in the tradition of the New Philology. He also wrote a bilingual confessional manual for priests who served in Nahuatl-speaking communities.
The Arte de la lengua mexicana y castellana is a grammar of the Nahuatl language in Spanish by Alonso de Molina. It was published in Mexico in 1571, the same year as his monumental dictionary, Vocabulario en lengua castellana y mexicana.
Vocabulario en lengua castellana y mexicana is a bilingual dictionary of Spanish and Nahuatl by Alonso de Molina, first published in 1555 originally entitled Aquí comiença un vocabulario en la lengua castellana y mexicana, edited by Juan Pablos. It was the first dictionary to be published in the New World. However the most relevant and most famous edition was the one made in 1571, edited by Antonio de Spinosa, which then came to be named Vocabulario en lengua castellana y mexicana. This new edition included the Nahuatl-to-Spanish section that the original didn't.
Marcos E. Becerra was a Mexican prolific writer, poet, and politician. He produced pioneering historical, linguistic, philological, and ethnographic studies relating to his country's pre-Columbian and early colonial past. He held important posts in the Mexican Federal Government as well as in the state governments of Tabasco and Chiapas. He was a distinguished member of the Mexican Academy of History.
Gramática de la lengua castellana is a book written by Antonio de Nebrija and published in 1492. It was the first work dedicated to the Spanish language and its rules, and the first grammar of a modern European language to be published. When it was presented to Isabella of Castile at Salamanca in the year of its publication, the queen questioned what the merit of such a work might be; Fray Hernando de Talavera, bishop of Avila, answered for the author Nebrija in a letter addressed to the monarch:
After Your Highness has subjected barbarous peoples and nations of varied tongues, with conquest will come the need for them to accept the laws that the conqueror imposes on the conquered, and among them our language; with this work of mine, they will be able to learn it, as we now learn Latin from the Latin Grammar.
A lienzo charro is an arena where charros hold the events of charreada, coleadero and jaripeo. American rodeo events may also take place at a lienzo charro.
The Museo de Charrería or Charrería Museum is located in the historic center of Mexico City on Izazaga Street, in an old monastery which was dedicated to the Virgin of Montserrat. The monastery closed in 1821 and the building deteriorated significantly, until it was decided to rehabilitate it as a tourist attraction. The purpose of the museum is to preserve and promote the sport and tradition of the charreada with both the museum's permanent display of art and handicrafts as well as outreach programs.
A ranch is an area of land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of farm. These terms are most often applied to livestock-raising operations in Mexico, the Western United States and Western Canada, though there are ranches in other areas. People who own or operate a ranch are called ranchers, cattlemen, or stockgrowers. Ranching is also a method used to raise less common livestock such as horses, elk, American bison, ostrich, emu, and alpaca.
Félix Ramos y Duarte (1848–1924) was a Cuban educator and writer, who was exiled from Cuba in 1868. He moved to Yucatán, Mexico and later lived in Veracruz and Mexico City. He compiled the first dictionary of terms that were specifically "Mexican Spanish". Ramos returned to Cuba after it gained independence from Spain. He taught briefly and then served as President of the Teacher Examination Board. He published many textbooks and educational articles.
A charro or charra outfit or suit is a style of dress originating in Mexico and based on the clothing of a type of horseman, the charro. The style of clothing is often associated with charreada participants, mariachi music performers, Mexican history, and celebration in festivals. The charro outfit is one that is associated with Mexico around the world. It is seen as a national emblem and a way to express personal pride in Mexican heritage. Charro outfits can be worn by men or women and have various levels of formality from work-wear to very expensive formal attire. The outfits consist of tight, decorated pants or a long skirt, short jackets, silk ties and are often worn with a wide-brimmed sombrero and other accessories as appropriate.
Escaramuza charra is the only female equestrian event in the Mexican charrería. The escaramuza means "skirmish" and consists of a team riding horses in choreographed synchronized maneuvers to music. The women ride side-saddle and wear traditional Mexican outfit that include sombreros, dresses, and matching accessories. A team consists of 16 women, but only 8 ride at a time. The routine is practiced in a lienzo, or a circular arena.
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