Gaucho knife for ID please: Argentine 'La Movediza'

Chris Evans · 10th October 2010, 12:08 AM

Hi Gene,

That 300 ton rock, a freak of nature, stood in a precarious state of equilibrium for a very long time, centuries, maybe even longer, until it lost whatever little support it relied upon and tumbled down the cliff. As to its name ` La Movediza' I am at a loss: In the local Araucan indian language, the word `Tandil' and the name of the town, refers to an unstable rock. When translated into Spanish probably Movediza was the best they could come up with, although it is unclear to me whether it ever trembled or gave any indication of movement. There is mention of an unconfirmed report that the terrible dictator, Juan Manuel Rosas, for reasons unknown, tried to knock the stone down but was unsuccessful, despite using a very large number of horses.

As an aside, Rosas who ruled with a very bloody hand, had strict regulations about knives and facons amongst his workers and even had himself flogged for wearing a knife due to a lapse of memory. His intention was to show that no one, not even himself was above the law. Rosas was an extraordinarily tough and ruthless warrior and reputedly the finest horseman in that part of the world. He gained great notoriety for his rule through terror and the use of death suqads. Nevertheless, he manage to create a basic Argentinean sense of identity, out of anarchy, and which later heads of state amplified to create a unified nation.

It is worth reading about his life and times to gain a broader understanding of 19th century Pampean life and the role of the knife.

Cheers
Chris

10th October 2010, 12:08 AM	#11
Chris Evans Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 685	Hi Gene, That 300 ton rock, a freak of nature, stood in a precarious state of equilibrium for a very long time, centuries, maybe even longer, until it lost whatever little support it relied upon and tumbled down the cliff. As to its name ` La Movediza' I am at a loss: In the local Araucan indian language, the word `Tandil' and the name of the town, refers to an unstable rock. When translated into Spanish probably Movediza was the best they could come up with, although it is unclear to me whether it ever trembled or gave any indication of movement. There is mention of an unconfirmed report that the terrible dictator, Juan Manuel Rosas, for reasons unknown, tried to knock the stone down but was unsuccessful, despite using a very large number of horses. As an aside, Rosas who ruled with a very bloody hand, had strict regulations about knives and facons amongst his workers and even had himself flogged for wearing a knife due to a lapse of memory. His intention was to show that no one, not even himself was above the law. Rosas was an extraordinarily tough and ruthless warrior and reputedly the finest horseman in that part of the world. He gained great notoriety for his rule through terror and the use of death suqads. Nevertheless, he manage to create a basic Argentinean sense of identity, out of anarchy, and which later heads of state amplified to create a unified nation. It is worth reading about his life and times to gain a broader understanding of 19th century Pampean life and the role of the knife. Cheers Chris