Babia, Spain

The place name derives from medieval Latin in the form Vadabia. Philologists understand that it is a word with origins in the Basque word Ur, water, like Puente Orugo.

It limits to the north with Asturias. To the East with the region of Luna. To the south with the region of Omaña and to the west with the region of Laciana.

This region is abundant in waters and green meadows that have always determined its main wealth: livestock. Land of pastoral tradition and marked by transhumance, currently herds of ovejas merinos continue to go up to the ports of Babia, which are leased for the entire season and share the pastures with cattle and, also with the equine, especially of the Hispano-Breton breed, Babia being the state reference for this horse.

Since the Middle Ages, the Babia Region was divided into two councils:

• Babia de Abajo, Babia Baja or Babia de Yuso (from Latin deorsum), now City Hall of San Emiliano.
• Babia de Arriba, Babia Alta or Babia de Suso (from Latin sursum, sussum), now City Council of Cabrillanes .

It is limestone that characterizes its mountains, of an almost white gray and it is estimated that in its subsoil there is a great complex of chasms, caves and subterranean currents. The Cantabrian mountain range closes the high valleys of Babia where some relict forests remain. The action of man for centuries has endowed Babia with great biodiversity, with endemism such as the Saxifraga babiana.

The bottom of the Babia valley is wide, surrounded by peaks that exceed 2000 meters of altitude, valleys shaped by glacierses. The Ubiña massif stands out for its altitude and majesty, with Peña Ubiña at 2414 meters, one of the highest mountains in the Cantabrian Mountains.

In the year 2004 it was declared Biosphere Reserve by Unesco, as one more Unit of Greater Cantabria.^[1]

The region's livestock tradition begins with Meseta, being the starting point of transhumant routes that ended in Extremadura.

Currently, the region is divided into Babia de Arriba ^[a] and Babia de Abajo ^[b] which correspond to the town councils of Cabrillanes and San Emiliano respectively. Babia de Arriba is made up of 14 towns, which are: Cabrillanes, La Cueta, Huergas de Babia, Lago de Babia, Mena de Babia, Meroy, Las Murias de Babia, Peñalba de Cilleros, Piedrafita de Babia, Quintanilla de Babia, La Riera, San Félix de Arce, Torre de Babia and Vega de Viejos. Babia de Abajo is made up of 14 other towns: Candemuela, Cospedal, Genestosa, La Majúa, Pinos, Riolago de Babia, Robledo de Babia, San Emiliano, Torrebarrio, Torrestío, Truébano, Villafeliz de Babia, Villargusán and Villasecino. The largest population centers are San Emiliano, Cabrillanes, Huergas de Babia, Piedrafita de Babia, Torrebarrio and Quintanilla de Babia.

In 2004 the region became a biosphere reserve, forming the Babia Biosphere Reserve.^[1]

In addition to Spanish, Babia speaks a variety of the language Leonese language: "Patxuezu", pronounced with the "/che vaqueira/"; although its writing depends on the area in which it is spoken. This language belongs to the linguistic set of the Asturleonese language which today is in frank disuse in the region.^[2]

 

Despite the widespread belief that the reason for the saying Being in Babia was that in the Middle Ages the kings of León chose this place for their rest and to get away from the daily tasks of court,^[3] there is no proof or evidence to support anything like Babia was a royal playground, let alone that the king neglected his duties in Babia. Today the expression Being in Babia defines any distracted or absent person.^[4][3]

They also say that at the end of the summer the shepherds went in transhumance with their cattle to Extremadura and when they were all in front of the fire at night, there was always someone who felt nostalgic for the land until another approached him and said "Hey, wake up you're in Babia!", when his mind was being in Babia.^[4]

With the passage of time, the use of this expression caused its derivation into a very common popular saying that is applied to people who are self-absorbed or clueless.

There are studies that indicate that Quevedo was one of the first to use the expression, which is equivalent to being careless, amused or with a very distant thought of what it is about, according to the Dictionary of the Spanish Language of 1822.^[c]

• Asociación Estás en Babia
• "Secret Spain: lost in translation." The Guardian. (English article about being in Babia)