Asturians () are a Romance
ethnic group native to the autonomous community of Asturias, in the North-West of the Iberian Peninsula.
Culture and society
Heritage
The Asturians have
Celts (
Astures) and
Latin cultural origins, most notably found in the Asturian language.
Religion
Asturians' religious affiliation is predominantly Roman Catholic. The Catholic faith has historically been important to Asturians, as the Battle of Covadonga and the founding of an independent Asturian Kingdom by Pelayo were believed to have been because Pelayo prayed to a statue of the Virgin Mary in a cave before his victory in battle. Believing that Mary miraculously aided the Asturians in the battle, a shrine was set up in her honour in Covadonga.
Prior to their Christianization, Asturians followed a polytheistic Celtic religion. Many elements of this faith have survived in the form of Asturian mythological creatures and folkloric legends told today.
Languages
Throughout history, Asturian people have been subject to multiple
. They originally spoke a Q-Celtic language, similar to that of the neighbouring
Gallaeci people.
However, due to the
Cantabrian Wars, the language became replaced with the modern Asturian language, also known as
bable, which is a Romance language. Since few records of the original Celtic language remain, it cannot be revived and has gone extinct.
(2025). 849647660X, KRK Ediciones. 849647660X
The Asturian language, once also widely spoken by Asturians, has been in decline since the early 20th century, although around 40% of Asturians still speak the language (10% as a mother tongue).
As Asturias is presently part of Spain, language shift toward Castilian Spanish continues to occur. Whilst not recognized as an official language in Spain, it is protected under the Autonomous Statute legislation, and efforts to preserve the language continue to be made. In the western part of
Asturias,
Eonavian (which is a transition language between Galician and Asturian) is also spoken, and its promotion also falls under the responsibility of Law 1/1998.
[Bauske 1995]
Cuisine
The most famous traditional dish is
Fabada Asturiana, a rich
stew made with large white
(
fabes),
pork shoulder (
llacón),
morcilla,
chorizo, and
saffron (
azafrán).
Apple groves foster the production of the traditional alcoholic drink, a natural
cider (
sidra). It is a very dry cider, and unlike French or English natural ciders, uses predominantly acidic apples, rather than sweet or bittersweet. Sidra is traditionally poured in by an expert server (or
escanciador): the bottle is raised high above his or her head to oxygenate the brew as it moves into the glass below.
Music
The Danza Prima is the most famous Asturian dance.
The most characteristic instrument is the
gaita asturiana, or Asturian bagpipe.
Similar bagpipes can be found in neighbouring regions such as
Cantabria and Galicia.
Emigration
In March 2019, it was reported that there are 133,854 Asturians living in 65 countries.
[
]
Americas
Asturians were involved in the development of the New World and their descendants in present-day Latin America, especially in Argentina and Uruguay; and other countries where Asturians moved to during the rule of the Spanish Empire. The Industrial Revolution came to Asturias after 1830 with the discovery and systematic exploitation of coal and iron resources. At the same time, there was significant migration to the Americas (i.e. Mexico, Cuba
Tens of thousands of Asturians moved to the United States[ History of the Centro Asturiano de Tampa Building and Social Club] and California and the zinc smelters of West Virginia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They were also involved in working in industrial bases of Midwestern factory towns. (see Asturian-American). A characteristic of the Asturian wherever they go is their attachment to the land of their birth. This is reflected in the 82 Asturian Centers[ FICA – Federación Internacional de Centros Asturianos] in United States.[ Centro Asturiano de Nueva York] Well-known people whose ancestors are Asturian, include Gloria Estefan, Eva Longoria, Vicente Fox, Lauren Jauregui, Miguel Díaz-Canel or Pimpinela. Martín de Argüelles was the first European who was born in the current United States.
As of 2019, there are 103,655 Asturian living in the Americas.[
]
Europe
In the case of Europe, the largest Asturian community sits in Belgium, with 8,208 members. France, with 4,913, Germany, with 3,994, and Switzerland, with 3,786, are also traditional countries of Asturian emigration.
Notable people of Asturian origin
See also
-
Astures (one of the Pre-Roman peoples of the Iberian Peninsula)
-
Kingdom of Asturias
-
Languages of Spain
