Johan de Cangas facts for kids

Johan de Cangas was a medieval singer and poet from Galicia, Spain. He was known as a jograr, which means he was a performer who wasn't from a noble family. Johan de Cangas lived around the 1200s. He probably came from or had strong ties to Cangas do Morrazo, a small town near the sea.

Only three of his songs are still around today. These songs are special because they are all cantigas de amigo. This type of song is sung from the point of view of a girl talking about her boyfriend. In all three songs, the girl mentions a small chapel by the sea called San Momede do Mar. Because of these sea references, Johan de Cangas is often called the "singer of the sea."

In his songs:

• One song is about a girl asking her mother if she can go meet her boyfriend at San Momede do Mar.
• Another song tells how the girl's boyfriend didn't show up, and she fears she has lost him.
• The third song has the girl asking her boyfriend to meet her there and to keep his promise this time.

Who Was Johan de Cangas?

Not much is known for sure about Johan de Cangas's life. This is common for jograes from that time. However, the fact that his three songs were saved suggests he was a good performer. He likely sang in the castles of local noble families.

His name, "de Cangas," means "from Cangas." This shows he was known by his hometown, not by a family name. This was typical for jograes. The way his songs are written also confirms he was a jograr.

His Name and Recognition

In old songbooks, like the Cancioneiro da Vaticana and Cancioneiro da Biblioteca Nacional, his name is spelled Johan. Today, in Galician, it would be Xoán, and in Portuguese, João.

For a long time, not many people studied Johan de Cangas's work. But in 1998, he became famous when the Galician Literature Day was dedicated to him. This special day also honored two other "singers of the sea," Martín Codax and Mendinho.

Example of a Song

Here is one of Johan de Cangas's cantigas de amigo. It shows how the girl speaks to her friend or lover.

See also

In Spanish: Johan de Cangas para niños