Xoán M. Paredes (; born in 1975) is a
Galician geographer
A geographer is a physical scientist, social scientist or humanist whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society, including how society and nature interacts. The Greek prefix "geo" means "earth" a ...
, teacher and ordained
druid
A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. Whi ...
(head of the organized Galician druidic movement).
Paredes is a
''licenciado'' in Geography by the
University of Santiago de Compostela
, established =
, type = Public
, budget = €228 million (2011)
, rector = Prof. Dr. Antonio López Díaz
, city = Santiago de Compostela
, state = Galicia
, country = Spain
, undergrad = 23,835
, postgrad = 1,716
, doctoral = 2,697
...
(Galicia), where he studied under the direction of
Carlos Ferrás. He completed his
MPhil
The Master of Philosophy (MPhil; Latin ' or ') is a postgraduate degree. In the United States, an MPhil typically includes a taught portion and a significant research portion, during which a thesis project is conducted under supervision. An MPhil m ...
thesis at
University College Cork
University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh) is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork.
The university was founded in 1845 as one of ...
(Ireland), under the supervision of
Patrick O'Flanagan
Patrick O'Flanagan (born 1947 in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish geographer and academic.
Career
He is emeritus professor of thDepartment of Geographyat University College Cork, Ireland. He was the former Head of this department. At present, he c ...
.
Research
Paredes has conducted research in the fields of
spatial planning
Spatial planning mediates between the respective claims on space of the state, market, and community. In so doing, three different mechanisms of involving stakeholders, integrating sectoral policies and promoting development projects mark the th ...
and
cultural geography
Cultural geography is a subfield within human geography. Though the first traces of the study of different nations and cultures on Earth can be dated back to ancient geographers such as Ptolemy or Strabo, cultural geography as academic study first ...
, with a focus on
geolinguistics Geolinguistics has been identified by some as being a branch of linguistics and by others as being an offshoot of language geography which is further defined in terms of being a branch of human geography. When seen as a branch of linguistics, geolin ...
,
Atlantic Europe
Atlantic Europe is a geographical term for the western portion of Europe which borders the Atlantic Ocean. The term may refer to the idea of Atlantic Europe as a cultural unit and/or as a biogeographical region.
It comprises the Atlantic Isles ...
and cultural landscapes. He has helped in defining the concept of
cultural landscape
Cultural landscape is a term used in the fields of geography, ecology, and heritage studies, to describe a symbiosis of human activity and environment. As defined by the World Heritage Committee, it is the "cultural properties hatrepresent the co ...
as:
''"... the environment modified by the human being in the course of time, the long-term combination between anthropic action on this environment and the physical constraints limiting or conditioning human activity. It is a geographical area – including natural and cultural resources – associated to historical evolution, which gives way to a recognizable landscape for a particular human group, up to the point of being identifiable as such by others."''
Like a number of other previous authors such as
Otero Pedrayo
Otero is a Spanish surname, and an occasional given name, derived from the Spanish word for height, and indicating a family history of having come from a geographically high place.Richard Donovon Woods, Grace Alvarez-Altman, ''Spanish surnames in ...
, Paredes links his native
Galicia to a genuinely Atlantic culture despite being part of a Mediterranean
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
(Spain). In doing so, he identifies a cultural landscape common to Atlantic (namely Celtic) Europe mainly based on the settlement pattern, use and shared perception of the
lived space.
Following on
John T. Koch's and
Barry Cunliffe's “Celtic from the West” postulates, Paredes supports the
Paleolithic continuity paradigm
The Proto-Indo-European homeland (or Indo-European homeland) was the prehistoric linguistic homeland of the Proto-Indo-European language (PIE). From this region, its speakers Indo-European migrations, migrated east and west, and went on to form ...
, thus coinciding with
Francesco Benozzo when locating the origins of
Celtic Culture Celtic culture may refer to:
*the culture of Celts
*the culture of Celts (modern)
*the culture of Celtic nations:
**Culture of Ireland
**Culture of Scotland
**Culture of the Isle of Man
**Culture of Wales
**Culture of Cornwall
** Culture of Brittan ...
in north-west
Iberia
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
. Once again, Paredes considers that there is a particular Celtic cultural landscape (although presenting variations in scale) which demonstrates in itself a social and cultural unity and continuity.
Regarding planning and territorial management, Paredes defends a deep restructuring of the Galician official administrative jurisdictions, considered to be the result of forced foreign (Spanish) intervention and therefore in disarray with the traditional – and still operating at a popular and psychological level – Galician territorial tiers. His research also criticises the governmental improvisation and lack of strategic planning in Galician territorial implementations.
Selected works
Research
* (2015):
Nem ordem nem progresso para o nosso território. O (des)ordenamento territorial na Galiza, in ''R. Inter. Interdisc. INTERthesis'', v.12, n. 12, Universidade Federal de Sta. Catarina, Florianópolis, Brasil, p. 95-115.
* (2015): “A utilidade do celtismo. Celticidade galaica no S.XXI”, in proceedings of ''Jornadas das Letras Galego-Portuguesas 2012-2014'', DTS and Sociedade Antropolóxica Galega, p. 175-190.
* (2007):
Territorial management and planning in Galicia: From its origins to end of Fraga administration. 1950s – 2004'. MPhil Thesis, Dept. of Geography, University College Cork.
* and da Silva Mendes, S. (2002):
The Geography of Languages: a strictly geopolitical issue? The case of ‘international English’“, in ''Chimera'', n. 17, Dept. of Geography, University College Cork, p. 104-112.
* Ferrás Sexto, C. and Paredes, X.M. (1999):
Reflexiones sobre justicia social y desarrollo alternativo en América Latina. Desarrollo local, desarrollo sostenible y/o ecosocialismo?, in proceedings of ''I Seminario internacional sobre perspectivas de desarrollo en Iberoamérica''. Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, p. 81-96.
Essay
* (2017):
Druids and Druidry in the 21st century, in ''A Revista da Tradição Lvsitana'', n. 3, ATDL, p. 66-74
* (2017):
, in ''Diário Liberdade'' (last access August 8, 2017).
* (2016):
Ti vai fazendo, in ''
Praza Pública'' (
gl) (last access August 8, 2017).
Religious views
Paredes is the current head of the
Irmandade Druídica Galaica' (Pan-Galician Druidic Fellowship), an officially registered religious organisation. He is therefore a believer in
reconstructionist Druidry, although following an orthodox approach unlike most contemporary neo-druidic groups. In these contexts the initiated name of ''Milésio'' is often used in reference to the
Milesians.
As a religious figure, he has featured in media on a number of occasions.
[Article on Celtic Galicia an]
interview with Paredes as a religious figure
28 September 2018
See also
*
Atlantic Europe
Atlantic Europe is a geographical term for the western portion of Europe which borders the Atlantic Ocean. The term may refer to the idea of Atlantic Europe as a cultural unit and/or as a biogeographical region.
It comprises the Atlantic Isles ...
*
Carlos Ferrás Sexto
Carlos Ferrás Sexto (Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, 1965) is a Galician geographer and academic.
Carlos Ferrás is a senior lecturer at the Department of Geography of the University of Santiago de Compostela. He is also the director of thSoci ...
*
Celtic Culture Celtic culture may refer to:
*the culture of Celts
*the culture of Celts (modern)
*the culture of Celtic nations:
**Culture of Ireland
**Culture of Scotland
**Culture of the Isle of Man
**Culture of Wales
**Culture of Cornwall
** Culture of Brittan ...
*
Cultural geography
Cultural geography is a subfield within human geography. Though the first traces of the study of different nations and cultures on Earth can be dated back to ancient geographers such as Ptolemy or Strabo, cultural geography as academic study first ...
*
Cultural landscape
Cultural landscape is a term used in the fields of geography, ecology, and heritage studies, to describe a symbiosis of human activity and environment. As defined by the World Heritage Committee, it is the "cultural properties hatrepresent the co ...
*
Francesco Benozzo
*
Galician People
Galicians ( gl, galegos, es, gallegos, link=no) are a Celtic-Romance ethnic group from Spain that is closely related to the Portuguese people and has its historic homeland is Galicia, in the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula. Two Romance la ...
*
Geography
Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and ...
*
Paleolithic continuity theory
The Proto-Indo-European homeland (or Indo-European homeland) was the prehistoric linguistic homeland of the Proto-Indo-European language (PIE). From this region, its speakers migrated east and west, and went on to form the proto-communities of ...
References
External links
Personal websiteXoán Paredeson Twitter.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paredes, Xoán
Living people
Cultural geographers
Cultural landscapes
Druids
Neo-druids
Spanish modern pagans
Modern pagan religious leaders
Year of birth missing (living people)