Did you think the cowboys who rode the plains on horseback only existed in the Far West movies?
Maybe you didn’t know this but in ARGENTINA, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil and Chile there were lone riders who stood out for their courage, loyalty and hospitality: they were called ‘gauchos’.
In this post, I will share the fascinating story behind one of Argentina’s most important cultural symbols: LOS GAUCHOS.
Turned into almost mythical characters, it is difficult to distinguish facts from fiction around their figure. However, most historians agree that these nomadic cattle herders lived in the Pampas region, far from civilization.
Their traditional outfit featured elements that were both functional for riding and protective against the harsh weather conditions in the Pampas region. They generally wore a poncho, wide trousers called ‘bombachas’ and a wool and a leather belt embellished with coins known as ‘rastra’
They travelled exclusively on horseback - their studs being the only friends of these solitary men - and lived from hunting wild cattle.
During the 19th century, salt was a scarce commodity, so the gauchos had to cook the meat immediately. To do this, they cooked the meat slowly over red-hot embers, a style of cooking known as ASADO.
Although a gaucho ate alone and lived a predominantly solitary life, from time to time he crossed paths with other fellow riders. They gathered in ‘pulperías’, a kind of store selling aguardiente, to socialize with other gauchos, listen to coplas and play cards and dice.
Due to their explosive and rude nature, these encounters often ended in quarrels. Always ready to fight, the gaucho carried a knife, known as a facón, attached to his waist.
Although they were not usually married, gauchos called women ‘guaina’, ‘gaucha’, ‘prenda’, ‘paisana’ or ‘china’. These women could not accompany the gaucho’s nomadic lifestyle for long, so they formed isolated settlements, assuming the upbringing of children begotten by different men.
Gauchos showed a willing disposition each time the country went to war. In the War of Independence against Spain in 1810, their participation was fundamental for the victory of Argentina. The Gauchos’ bravery and sacrifice on the battlefield earned them a change in reputation, moving from being considered low-class vagrants to becoming national heroes .
But modern times came and the reality of the gauchos began to change. Although they still spent the day outdoors, their life ceased to belong to them. Wide ranches (haciendas) emerged through the pampas and surrounded the big cities, especially Buenos Aires. Rich ranchers hired gauchos to tend to their cattle and defend family property. Little by little, the gauchos traded their freedom for a sometimes low but steady income and a more settled lifestyle.
Today, the gaucho continues to be a familiar face in the Pampas region and his traditions, such as asado and mate (an infusion they drank during their leisure time), persist in South American culture.
If you are intrigued by the figure of the gaucho and you’re planning to visit Argentina, I recommend you to book a visit to an Estancia to see the gauchos in action and eat a delicious asado in their company. With their simple manners and friendliness, they will conquer your heart.
This post is included in the series about Argentina, included in the Team Challenge proposed by @ErmesT .This series is oriented to introduce our country, its culture and traditions.
We invite you to know more about our country, reading the post series Living Argentina
You can find all the posts of this series searching by the hashtags #teamChallenge and #teamArgentina.
… well done again the complete team 
.
gigantes que usan para arar el campo o a grandes cosechadoras, participando en lo que aqui se llama las safras, andando de campo en campo en épocas de cosechas y al final de la temporada festejando lo que la tierra les dio, el trigo el maíz o cualquiera de las otras especies que sembraron.
