This song has lyrics by Castelao and music composed for Santiago university students, although it is sung by Dulce Pontes as a fado from Coimbra.

It represents the links between Galicia and Portugal.

Galicia borders Northern Portugal. In fact, some scholars claim that the name of Portugal is derived from the same root as Galicia, meaning ”the port of the Galicians”.

The Galicians were one of the several Celtic tribes that inhabited the North West of the Iberian peninsula, therefore called Gallaecia by the Romans.

The Medieval kingdom of Gallaecia was later divided in two counties, Galicia and Portugal, which eventually became two separate kingdoms. Finally, Galicia had become part of Spain.

In short, medieval Portuguese and Galician cultures were much the same. As we will see later, this is especially evident in Brazil!