Xohán de Cangas

Xohán de Cangas was a troubadour during the Middle Ages. He was born on Cangas de Morrazo, a little town on Pontevedra, Galicia (Spain).

There is not much data on his life, although it is believed that it took place near Galician "pazos".

We know that, during Xohán's times, there were both noblemen and commoners who worked as troubadours. De Cangas was clearly a commoner, as he replaced his surname with his birthplace.

He is considered a "sailor troubadour," as his works talk about coast hermitages, where he would try to "commune with the sea". He uses the female lover as a narrator and the hermitage of San Mamade do Mar (near Cangas) as a background, though he would then "travel" throughout Morrazo and the "rías" of Vigo and Pontevedra.

Xohán is the ancient spelling of the modern day 'Xoán´. The name itself can not be directly translated and so the names Joán, Johán and Joham are allocated as translations of 'Xohán' as many scholars have trouble pronouning Xohán and its modern day counterpart.

Día das Letras Galegas

On 1998, the Galician Literature Day was dedicated to Xohán de Cangas as well as two other sailor troubadours, Martín Códax and Mendinho.