Laza

Laza is one of the opaque toponyms of the Galician transitional area between Castile and the Galician kingdom. The Latinising hypothesis derives the name from laqueata (participle of laqueare 'to interweave', also the root of French lacer, English lace), applied to the Cigarrosa river valley in reference to the interweaving of streams that converge in the depression. The pre-Roman hypothesis proposes a hydronymic lakk- root, parallel to European toponyms like French Lac or Latin Lacus. No firm consensus between the two. The singular thing about the village: the Entroido (carnival) of Laza is one of the oldest and most peculiar rural celebrations of the Iberian Peninsula, with masked figures called peliqueiros running through the streets with cowbells and leather batons, chasing villagers in a pre-Christian tradition documented at least since the 17th century. Galician Intangible Cultural Heritage, it attracts visitors in February but the Sanabrés pilgrim at other times finds the village empty and silent.