''Jinete'' () is

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

for " horseman", especially in the context of light cavalry.

Etymology

The word Jinete (of Berber ''

zenata The Zenata ( Berber language: Iznaten) are a group of Amazigh (Berber) tribes, historically one of the largest Berber confederations along with the Sanhaja and Masmuda. Their lifestyle was either nomadic or semi-nomadic. Etymology ''Iznaten ( ...

'') designates, in Castilian and the Provençal dialect of

Occitan language Occitan (; oc, occitan, link=no ), also known as ''lenga d'òc'' (; french: langue d'oc) by its native speakers, and sometimes also referred to as ''Provençal'', is a Romance language spoken in Southern France, Monaco, Italy's Occitan Vall ...

, those who show great skill and riding especially if this relates to their work. In

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

, it is spelled ''ginete''. The term ''

jennet A jennet or Spanish jennet was a small Spanish horse. It was noted for a smooth naturally ambling gait, compact and well-muscled build, and a good disposition. The jennet was an ideal light riding horse, and as such spread across Europe and prov ...

'' for a small Spanish horse has the same source.

Medieval Hispanic light cavalry

As a military term, ''jinete'' (also spelled ''ginete'' or ''genitour'') means a Spanish

light horseman Light cavalry comprised lightly armed and armored cavalry troops mounted on fast horses, as opposed to heavy cavalry, where the mounted riders (and sometimes the warhorses) were heavily armored. The purpose of light cavalry was primarily r ...

that wore leather armor and were armed with javelins, a

spear A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fasten ...

, a sword, and a shield. They were a type of mounted troop developed in the early

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

in response to the massed light cavalry of the

Moors The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a distinct or ...

. Often fielded in significant numbers by the Spanish, and at times the most numerous of the Spanish mounted troops, they played an important role in Spanish mounted warfare throughout the ''

Reconquista The ' (Spanish, Portuguese and Galician for "reconquest") is a historiographical construction describing the 781-year period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula between the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 and the fall of the Nasrid ...

'' until the sixteenth century. They were to serve successfully in the

Italian Wars The Italian Wars, also known as the Habsburg–Valois Wars, were a series of conflicts covering the period 1494 to 1559, fought mostly in the Italian peninsula, but later expanding into Flanders, the Rhineland and the Mediterranean Sea. The pr ...

under Gonzalo de Córdoba and

Ramón de Cardona Ramon Folc de Cardona i Anglesola (Italian: ''Raimondo di Cardona'') (1467 – 10 March 1522) was a Catalan general and politician, who served as the viceroy of Naples during the Italian Wars and commanded the Spanish forces in Italy during the ...

. Sir Charles Oman describes their tactics thus: In addition,

Philippe Contamine Philippe Contamine (7 May 1932 – 26 January 2022) was a French historian of the Middle Ages who specialised in military history and the history of the nobility. Contamine was a president of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, t ...

records they used the tactic of feigned flight (''tourna-fuye''). Jinetes existed in considerable numbers. During the period 1485-9, Castilian armies mustered between 11-13,000 jinetes. Some of these were provided by the Military Orders. The Master of Santiago provided 300, while the Master of Calatrava was responsible for a further 450. In May 1493, a number of standing companies were established in Castile called the ''guardas viejas'' (veteran guard). These included five captaincies of 100 jinetes. In 1496, the ''guardas reales'' (royal guard) of Castile included 130 jinetes. Out of 600 cavalry in the Spanish expeditionary force to Italy in 1495, 500 were jinetes.Oman (1987), p. 52

Contemporary usage

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, ''jinete'' means " rodeo rider", hence "cowboy". In Castilian, it is used adjectivally of a rider who knows how to ride a horse, especially those who are fluent or champions at equestrian practices, such as the

gaucho A gaucho () or gaúcho () is a skilled horseman, reputed to be brave and unruly. The figure of the gaucho is a folk symbol of Argentina, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, and the south of Chilean Patagonia. Gauchos became greatly admired and ...

, the

huaso A huaso () is a Chilean countryman and skilled horseman, similar to the American cowboy, the Mexican charro (and its northern equivalent, the vaquero), the gaucho of Argentina, Uruguay and Rio Grande Do Sul, and the Australian stockman. ...

of the plains, the cowboy, Vaquero, or

charro Charro has several meanings, but it generally refers to Mexican horse riders, who maintain traditional dress, such as some form of sombrero, which in Mexican Spanish are called ''sombrero de charro'' (a charro's hat). The charros could also ...

among others. It is also used in the Spanish Army to designate personnel belonging to the cavalry arm. In its original Spanish title " The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" by

Vicente Blasco Ibáñez Vicente Blasco Ibáñez (, 29 January 1867 – 28 January 1928) was a journalist, politician and bestselling Spanish novelist in various genres whose most widespread and lasting fame in the English-speaking world is from Hollywood films that were ...

is "Los Cuatro Jinetes del Apocalipsis". ''Canción de jinete'' is a poem by

Federico García Lorca Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca (5 June 1898 – 19 August 1936), known as Federico García Lorca ( ), was a Spanish poet, playwright, and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblemat ...

.César García Alvarez (1977)
Canción de jinete
(in Spanish). ''

Revista Chilena de Literatura ''Revista Chilena de Literatura'' is an academic journal about literature published by the University of Chile The University of Chile ( es, Universidad de Chile) is a public research university in Santiago, Chile. It was founded on November 1 ...

'' (9/10 ): 171-178. The novel ''El jinete polaco'' by Antonio Muñoz Molina was published in 1991.Elizabeth Amann (Autumn 1998)
Genres in Dialogue: Antonio Muñoz Molina's El jinete polaco
(in Spanish). ''Revista Canadiense de Estudios Hispánicos'' 23 (1): 1-21.

References

External links

Lanza Gineta: Spanish Light Cavalry of the Early Italian Wars
{{Authority control Equestrianism Military units and formations of the Italian Wars Military units and formations of the Middle Ages Military units and formations of Spain

Etymology

Medieval Hispanic light cavalry

Contemporary usage

See also

References

External links