As early as 600 B.C., the Celts settled in Northern Spain and Portugal. Later, the Romans conquered many parts of Spain in the second and first centuries B.C. and drove out the Celts, causing the Celtic languages and dialects to die out in Spain. Spain and Portugal's Latin-based languages, like Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician, are traced back to the Romans. Much later, in the 800s, the Galician city Santiago de Compostela became Europe's main pilgrimage destination for Christians. People from all over made the pilgrimage to Santiago, Galicia, bringing their musical instruments, styles, and cultures with them. The many pilgrimages to Galicia have had a lasting effect on the region's folk culture.
I have enjoyed learning about many aspects of Galicia that make this Spanish region unique from other parts of the country. I have already seen different ways in which there is a Celtic influence on Galician culture and traditions. One of the most obvious examples of this influence is the prevalence of the bagpipe, known here as the gaita. Famous bagpipers from all over the world have come to Galicia to learn and study the bagpipe. Muñeira is a type of Galician music that is interwoven with the culture and usually features the bagpipe.
