The Guarda Pampa: a symbol at the crossroads of civilizations
Tourists, just like local people, are interested in Argentinian crafts. One type of souvenirs is particularly successful among people: objects decorated with a "Guarda Pampa".
Everywhere in the Province of Buenos Aires, you can see sculptures, fabrics, decorations, ponchos, jewelry, “mate” glasses, adorned with this repetitive, regular, traditional pattern: the Guarda Pampa.
Created more than 5000 years ago by a population of the south-west of the country, the Guarda Pampa is, originally, a spiritual and religious symbol, used in the manufacturing of various pieces of gauchos’ traditional art.
The Guarda Pampa: why this name?
You might wonder why this famous pattern is called Guarda Pampa. In fact, in the aboriginal language, the word Pampa means “flat”, and is used to describe the huge expanses of plains overlooking the central-eastern part of Argentina.
A few centuries ago, this pattern was adopted and widely used by the “Panpa tribe”. Today called “Pampa”, and not “Panpa” due to some spelling rules of the Spanish language, its has kept the name of the tribe, preceded by the word Guarda, which means “guardian” in Spanish.
In fact, this Guarda Pampa pattern is not exclusive to the Buenos Aires area. On the contrary, it refers to southwestern Argentina and Chile, where the Mapuches, an indigenous population, lived. Therefore, it would be more appropriate to call it Guarda Mapuche, or Guarda del Cacique, as the Mapuches called it between them.
Who are the Mapuches?
The Mapuches are a people originated from the southern part of Chile and Argentina, the only people having survived the invading of the Incas and of the Spanish. In the 17th century, several pacts were made and signed between the Spanish and the Mapuches in order to define and formalize who would take control over who. Unfortunately, between 1810 (Independence of Chile), and 1980, the Mapuches suffered from many genocides. Thousands of them were killed. It was only in the 1990s that Mapuches began to rise up, fighting against the deforestation, pollution and contamination of their lands.
In spite of all their suffering, the Mapuches managed to escape and spread out all over the Pampas. The fabrics, pottery, knives they had taken with them were all decorated with the Guarda Pampa: today it is part of the gauchos’ culture.
What about the different meanings of the Guarda Pampa?
Depending on the region they originate from, the pattern and the colors of the Guarda Pampa vary. Over time, the symbols and meanings of this Andean pattern have kept evolving, making it difficult to interpret.
The most common interpretation remains: “We come from the Andes and the Lakes”. As a matter of fact, the upper part of the pattern probably represents the mountains of the Andes Mountains and the lower part the Lakes area where the mountains are reflected.
Originally, the pattern probably represented a certain hierarchy prevailing then among the Mapuches. In fact, the black color symbolized nobility, while the red color symbolized blood and war.
In the middle of the pattern, there is a cross called “Chakana”: it was true symbol for the Incas. Its number of peaks varies: if it four peaks, it symbolizes the four cardinal points. If it has eight peaks, it means “all directions”.
However different they may be, these “Chakanas” remind us of the Southern Cross, a constellation of stars, only visible in the southern hemisphere.
The central point is, for sure, the pattern that is mostly interpreted in different ways. On the one hand, it represents emptiness, nothingness, ignorance and unconsciousness. But on the other hand, it refers to the divine, the sacred or the Moon. Another possible interpretation can be a reference to the Sun and to the individual.
The repetition of the symbols probably evoques and refers to a range of Andes mountains, all related to one another.
The Guarda Pampa is part of the Argentinian identity and it is undoubtedly one of the most significant pattern of the 20th century crafts. Today used in an artistic and commercial way, the Guarda Pampa teaches us the philosophy of life of the old indigenous peoples, based on diversity, complementarity and balance between Men and Nature.
