THE MESTA
CHAPTER ɪ
ORIGINS
The pastoral industry of the Moors. The origin of the merino sheep. Sheep rais-
ing in mediaeval Spain. The early meetings or mestas of shepherds for the dis-
posal of strays.
Ample evidence of an extensive sheep raising industry in Spain
and of the high quality of Spanish wool is found in the earliest
sources of recorded history in the peninsula. A widely prevalent
pastoral life, including the practice of semiannual migrations, is
believed by some investigators to have existed in times as remote
as the primitive Iberian period.1 The Roman era has left several
specific references to the reputation of the fine wools of Turde-
tania and Baetica, which comprised the region of the Guadal-
quivir valley.2 In general, however, the wool of this period was
quite different in quality and nature from the merino of later
times, and notably so in color, for the earlier fleece was a reddish
brown. Furthermore the wool of Roman Spain had an unusually
long, smooth staple, which did not resemble the famous short,
crinkled product of the merino flocks of later years. This differ-
ence provokes the inquiry as to the circumstances of the change
and the origin of the merino.
The origin of the merino sheep has been much debated, and yet
very little substantial evidence has been produced thus far to sup-
port any of the views advanced. The notion that the name as
applied to the sheep comes from the maiorinus or merino, a royal
magistrate of mediaeval Castile, who, according to some writers,
ɪ The most scholarly examination of this early period is to be found in J. Costa,
Esludios Ibericos (Madrid, 1891-95),pp.i-xxxii. See also Paredes Guillen,Historia
de Ios Framontanos Celtiberos (Plasencia, 1888).
2 References to the writings of Varro, Strabo, Columella, and Martial (himself
a Spaniard) in this connection, are given in Diez Navarro’s introduction to the
Quaderno or Mesta code of 1731; see Bibliography, no. 77.