Morochuco
Encyclopedia
The Morochucos are the cowboys of the plains of the Peru
vian Andes
, living mainly in the Region of Ayacucho
. They raise cattle and tame horses for their livelihood, and they engage in other typical activities of a cattle-horseman cowboy
. They are comparable to other cowboys of Latin America such as the qorilazo, the cowboys from Cusco, also in Peru, the Chilean huaso
, the Argentine/Bolivian/Uruguayan gaucho
, the Brazilian vaqueiro, the Colombian/Venezuelan llanero
, and the Mexican charro
.
Morochucos are known for their bravery and strength. They are descendants of the Almagristas who fought in the Battle of Chupas, and more recently, participated in the war between Peru and Chile.
Their clothing is adapted to the cold of the Andes. They wear flat-brimmed hats similar to those of the Argentine gauchos, below which they wear a chullo
with the lappets tied to the face and an alpaca scarf. On the torso, they wear a black or gray vest beneath a poncho. They fit a strip or sash around their waist and wear knee high black boots with Peruvian or common spurs. They use their horses to move the cattle, surround the cattle, or tame other horses. They enjoy horse races and rodeos in their fiestas as well as bullfights. They also participate in the festivities in Ayacucho, especially during the Holy Saturday during the Holy week of Easter. They rope-pull the bulls in the streets of Huamanga, Ayacucho in a celebration called "Jala-toro" (bull-pulling) in which the bulls are released in the heavily crowded streets. While the people play with the bulls, the morochucos pull on the ropes holding the bulls before the people are hurt or charged.
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
, living mainly in the Region of Ayacucho
Ayacucho
Ayacucho is the capital city of Huamanga Province, Ayacucho Region, Peru.Ayacucho is famous for its 33 churches, which represent one for each year of Jesus's life. Ayacucho has large religious celebrations, especially during the Holy Week of Easter...
. They raise cattle and tame horses for their livelihood, and they engage in other typical activities of a cattle-horseman cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
. They are comparable to other cowboys of Latin America such as the qorilazo, the cowboys from Cusco, also in Peru, the Chilean huaso
Huaso
A huaso is a Chilean countryman and skilled horseman, similar to the Argentinian, Rio Grande do Sul's or Uruguayan gaucho, the American cowboy, the Australian stockman, and Mexican vaquero and charro. A female huaso is called a huasa, although the term china is far more commonly used for his wife...
, the Argentine/Bolivian/Uruguayan gaucho
Gaucho
Gaucho is a term commonly used to describe residents of the South American pampas, chacos, or Patagonian grasslands, found principally in parts of Argentina, Uruguay, Southern Chile, and Southern Brazil...
, the Brazilian vaqueiro, the Colombian/Venezuelan llanero
Llanero
A llanero is a Venezuelan or Colombian herder. The name is taken from the Llanos grasslands occupying western Venezuela and eastern Colombia. The Llanero were originally part Spanish and Indian and have a strong culture including a distinctive form of music.During the wars of independence,...
, and the Mexican charro
Charro
Charro is a term referring to a traditional horseman from Mexico, originating in the central-western regions primarily in the state of Jalisco including: Zacatecas, Durango, Guanajuato, Morelos, Puebla...
.
Morochucos are known for their bravery and strength. They are descendants of the Almagristas who fought in the Battle of Chupas, and more recently, participated in the war between Peru and Chile.
Their clothing is adapted to the cold of the Andes. They wear flat-brimmed hats similar to those of the Argentine gauchos, below which they wear a chullo
Chullo
Chullo is an andean style of hat with earflaps, made from vicuña, alpaca, llama or sheep's wool. Alpaca has wool-like qualities that help to insulate its wearer from the harsh elements in the Andean Mountain region...
with the lappets tied to the face and an alpaca scarf. On the torso, they wear a black or gray vest beneath a poncho. They fit a strip or sash around their waist and wear knee high black boots with Peruvian or common spurs. They use their horses to move the cattle, surround the cattle, or tame other horses. They enjoy horse races and rodeos in their fiestas as well as bullfights. They also participate in the festivities in Ayacucho, especially during the Holy Saturday during the Holy week of Easter. They rope-pull the bulls in the streets of Huamanga, Ayacucho in a celebration called "Jala-toro" (bull-pulling) in which the bulls are released in the heavily crowded streets. While the people play with the bulls, the morochucos pull on the ropes holding the bulls before the people are hurt or charged.