Maruxaina and port mythology. Approach to a case in San Ciprian (Galician Rias Altas)

Abstract

This article asks about the reasons for the reappearance of an apparently anachronistic mythical figure, Maruxaina, in the town of San Ciprian, in the Galician Rias Altas, in the late twentieth century. This mythical recovery occurs with the invention of a party that has not stopped growing since its birth. This growth has generated a discussion among the people of San Ciprian. The research revolves around the symbolic nature of this spirit, associated with the sea, which had been created in the past by San Ciprian sailors in order to justify unusual marine phenomena. This approach involves recreating the Maruxaina links with its immediate symbolic influences. All this with the intention of approaching the social fabric that makes up the Galician culture and its possibilities of cultural reaffirmation. The resurgence of Maruxaina raises a whole consideration on the mechanisms of anchoring to the past and the territory of the inhabitants of a town that continues to look towards the ocean.