Els Segadors

History

The original song dates in the oral tradition to 1640, based on the events of June 1640 known as Corpus de Sang ("Corpus of Blood") during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Spain, England, France and Austria, the event that started the Reapers' War or Guerra dels Segadors, also known as the Catalan Revolt or Catalan Revolution, where Catalans fought against the Count-Duke of Olivares, the chief minister of King Philip IV of Spain, and eventually led to an open war and the establishment of a Catalan Republic under French protection.

The song describes the events, an uprising of peasants due to the large and burdensome presence of the Spanish Royal army in the Principality of Catalonia, as they were required to lodge and provision the troops, thus leading to a large tension and discomfort and the outbreak of episodes such as religious sacrileges, destruction of personal properties, and rape of women by the soldiers. The second part of the song tells the arrival of the rebel reapers in Barcelona, who kill various guards, the royal officers and the viceroy of Catalonia, Dalmau de Queralt, ending with the exhortation to Catalans to take the arms, as they are at war.

In the 19th century, the text was compiled in the Romancillero Catalán, a book of folk traditions written by Manuel Milà i Fontanals. The music was standardized by Francesc Alió in 1892. Its modern lyrics were written by Emili Guanyavents, who won a competition convened by the political party Unió Catalanista in 1899, simplifying the text to three verses. At the time, the change of lyrics caused some controversy among conservative elements, as Guanyavents, coming from sectors close to anarchism, gave them a revolutionary tone.

Throughout the first quarter of the 20th century, "Els Segadors" became one of the most relevant symbols of Catalanism and Catalonia itself, consolidating its popularity during the Second Spanish Republic and the Civil War. Despite an early attempt of the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan autonomous government) in 1931 to replace it with another song, "El Cant del Poble", "Els Segadors" remained highly popular, assumed by both Catalan government and population as the de facto national anthem. The dictatorship of Francisco Franco (1939–1975) banned the public use of Catalan national symbolism as part of the broad anti-Catalanist policies, among them "Els Segadors". Tolerated songs, such as the "Virolai" or "La Santa Espina", were often played in its place to express Catalan identity, generally in folkloric contexts. The death of the dictator and the transition towards a democratic system allowed its public use again.

After decades being use de facto, often alongside the "Cant de la Senyera", the Catalan government officially adopted "Els Segadors" as the national anthem of Catalonia on 25 February 1993, by law of the Catalan parliament. The official version was recorded in 1994. The new Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006 confirms this decision by its article 8.4, in which is explicitly defined as a national symbol of Catalonia, alongside the National Day and the flag.

Lyrics

Modern lyrics

Original lyrics: pre-1899

Recordings and variations

An arrangement of "Els Segadors" appears on "Ballad of the Fallen" by Charlie Haden (1983). Contemporary Catalan composer Jordi Savall made a version of the folk song, using the original narrative (which dates back to the 17th century) combined with the modern lyrics and refrain, which were added later. The song has also been recorded and interpreted by major artists, included on albums such as Traditional Catalan Songs (Victoria de los Ángeles).

In October 2017, in the aftermath of the Catalan independence referendum, the American band A Sound of Thunder released a heavy metal variation of the anthem, using a mix of English and Catalan lyrics.

Notes

References

References

1. "Law 1/1993, 25 February, of the national anthem". dogc.vlex.es.
2. "First article of the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia. 'Catalonia, as a nationality, exercises its self-government constituted as an autonomous community...'". gencat.cat.
3. "Generalitat de Catalunya: National symbols".
4. "Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia, Article 8.1: "The flag, the holiday and the anthem are the national symbols of Catalonia, defined as a nationality by Article 1"". parlament.cat.
5. (2017-09-20). "Todo sobre 'Els Segadors': la letra y su significado".
6. "National anthem".
7. (1993). "Els segadors: himne nacional de Catalunya". L'Abadia de Montserrat.
8. Oliver y Castañer, Jaime. (May 1900). "Los Segadors: Estudio histórico-político de literatura popular catalana". La España Moderna.
9. (1982). "La Generalitat en la història de Catalunya". Departament de Cultura de la Generalitat de Catalunya.
10. Schädel, Bernhard. (1908). "Manual de fonètica catalana". O. Schulze Verlag.
11. "CANÇONS DE LA CATALUNYA MIL·LENÀRIA. Planys & Llegendes – Alia Vox".
12. A Sound Of Thunder. (2018-03-15). "A Sound of Thunder - Els Segadors (The Reapers) - Official Music Video".