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Queen Lupa

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Portrait of Queen Lupa from the Museum of the Astorga Cathedral

Queen Lupa (also known as Raíña Lupa, Raíña Lopa, Raíña Luparia, Raíña Luca and Raíña Loba) is a character from Galician mythology. She is mentioned in both the Codex Calixtinus and the Golden Legend involving the translation of the body of the Apostle James by his disciples.

Legend[edit]

A widowed noblewoman,[1] Galician tradition holds that Lupa lived along the Portuguese Way in Castro Lupario [gl].[2] She appears in Book III (Liber de translatione corporis sancti Jacobi ad Compostellam) of the 12th-century Codex Calixtinus, which contains a story regarding the arrival of the disciples of the Apostle James, Theodore and Athanasius, in Iria Flavia. According to the story, Theodore and his party approached the queen about giving them a place to bury James's body.[3] Lupa chose to trick the disciples and sent them to the King of Duio [gl] with the intent of having them killed. The king imprisons them, but they are freed by an angel and return to the queen.[4]

In the Golden Legend, Lupa tried deceiving them and sent them to Mount Ilicino (now known as "Pico Sacro") to collect some of her oxen to carry the necessary material to build the tomb.[5] She did not tell them that a cave in the mountain was the entrance to hell and was guarded by a dragon.[2] However, the presence of the holy cross protected the disciples from harm and tamed the bulls.[6][7][1] Upon witnessing the miraculous events, Lupa converted to Christianity and helps build the apostle's tomb in Libredon.[6]

Lupa's legacy is subject to multiple interpretations. While her myth is popular among Catholics, others think that Lupa could be the representation of a pre-Christian goddess, perhaps the female version of Lugh.[8] Galician Academic Manuel Gago Mariño [gl] has written about Lupa and notes that in the Middle Ages, portions of the Galician aristocracy claimed to descend from her.[9] Lupa is said to be buried at the Castle of Saint George [gl], on Mount Pindo.[10]

In popular culture[edit]

A number of pieces of art feature her, among them the Traslado del cuerpo de Santiago el Mayor ante el palacio de la reina Lupa by Martín Bernat is on display in the Museo del Prado. Lupa still holds the imagination of many people, with Castro Lupario [es] being a tourist site.[11] On 2 July 2016, the opera A Raíña Lupa [gl], with music by the Galician composer Fernando Vázquez Arias [gl; es] and a libretto by Xoán Pérez [gl], premiered at the Teatro Colón [gl; ca] in A Coruña.[12]

Her name, "Lupa," recalls the Spanish word "lupino" (meaning "characteristic of or relating to wolves"), which in turn is derived from Latin lupus. The folklore of Galicia holds many tales of "Lobishome." Her name may be an allusion to her she-wolf-like nature.[11]

Gallery[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "The Jacobean Legend of Queen Lupa". TranslatioMedia. 27 May 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b Jacobus de Voragine. Golden Legend: St. James the Greater. Golden Legend.
  3. ^ Regional Government of Galicia. "Legends of the Camino de Santiago". Google Arts and Culture.
  4. ^ Pazos, Antón M. (2016). Translating the Relics of St James: From Jerusalem to Compostela. Routledge. ISBN 9781317007173.
  5. ^ de Voragine, Jacobus (1265). "St. James the Greater". The Golden Legend.
  6. ^ a b Senén, Felipe [in Galician] (5 June 2016). "O "Bosque de Galicia": os bosques animados, Libredón, Ilicino..." La Opinión de A Coruña (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  7. ^ Rodríguez, Eladio (2001), "Boi", Diccionario enciclopédico gallego-castellano, p. 368, ISBN 9788482884288, Rodríguez attributes to this legend the origin of the popular saying "Boi bravo, vente ó carro, que o manda o Señor Santiago" (English Brave ox, come to the cart, sent by Lord Santiago)
  8. ^ Cuba, Xoán Ramiro [in Galician]; Reigosa, Antonio [in Galician]; Ruíz, Xosé Miranda [in Galician] (1999). Diccionario dos seres míticos galegos. Xerais de Galicia. ISBN 978-84-8302-363-1. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  9. ^ Gago Mariño, Manuel [in Galician]. "Hai unha muller no corazón mítico de Galicia (Raíña Lupa)". Retrieved 9 March 2023 – via Twitter.
  10. ^ "Pindo Mountain". visitacostadamorte.com. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  11. ^ a b Anderson, Megan (17 November 2023). "Visit Castro Lupario the Mythical Fortress of Queen Lupa". Packing up the Pieces. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  12. ^ ""A Raíña Lupa" de Fernando Arias". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 2 July 2016. Retrieved 22 December 2020.

Bibliography[edit]

External links[edit]

  • Media related to Raíña Lupa at Wikimedia Commons
  • "Lupa". xacopedia.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 July 2023.
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