Spanish Culture Shaped by Many Civilizations
The Spanish culture for a long time has been renowned for the warmth and welcoming that friends, visitors and foreigners have always enjoyed. Their spirit of cordiality and generosity is part of what draws people to the Spanish-speaking people and why learning Spanish is such a popular topic of study.
In addition to what might be known about the culture of Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries, the world has also been affected in many ways by Spanish influences. Some of these cultural influences from the Spanish language and the Spanish people come in the form of art, music, poetry, dance, cuisine and architecture.
The Spanish culture could actually be considered a vibrant mosaic from a number of other various peoples who conquered or visited the Iberian peninsula. This large peninsula, that makes up a large portion of the south western part of the continent of Europe, could be considered the cradle from which the Spanish culture was nurtured.
Over the centuries, the Iberian peninsula, which was the cradle of the Spanish culture, was invaded, conquered and influenced by other many different peoples. There were pre-Latin influences of culture and language from the Greeks, the Basque and the Celts. Later, in the 5th century AD, an invasion of the area by the Visigoths brought in some Germanic influences, plus added some German words to the Spanish language. In addition, the Visigoths introduced some elements of architecture, which over the centuries, developed into the well-known forms of Gothic architecture which is so commonly seen in buildings throughout Hispanic cultures.
During the 8th century AD, Spain absorbed a number of elements of Moorish culture, with the conquest of the area by the Muslims. Moorish artistic and architectural influences can readily be seen throughout the country. Another unique contribution from the Moorish culture are the beautifully planned gardens. An Islamic garden includes four elements which make them unique and stunning: water, shade, variety in color and fragrance, and sound. The Spanish vocabulary was again augmented from this time period with numerous Arabic words, all of which begin with the "al" prefix.
Next, in the early part of the 11th century, there was considerable influence on the culture from French pilgrims and ecclesiastics who traveled through Spain. This friendly interaction brought about an appreciable influx of French words and phrases, as well as touches of cuisine, spiritual traditions and art.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, the culture was further shaped by an infusion of elements from the Italian language and society. This arose from the domination of Aragonese influences in Italy and because of the huge popularity of Italian poetry in Spain, during this period. This influenced the Spanish language again with additional words to the vocabulary, including Spanish verbs. In addition, art, cuisine, music and thought were impacted by Italy at this time.
Through many different eras, Spanish culture has continued to evolve as new influences were brought to bear on the land of Iberia. There have been many greats in the realms of art, poetry, writing, music and architecture who have either contributed to the culture of Spain or who have drawn inspiration from it. People are sometimes surprised that when they take Spanish lessons, they end up learning so much about world cultures, many of which seem to have intersected in Spain.
|
