Gospelario: Tinaja
Morphological types of jars
From Latin tinacŭla, a diminutive of tina. A tina was a container for wine with an elongated mouth and a lid. The term became popular in Romance languages to refer to various types of rustic containers.
TINAJA (noun, f.)
- A large clay vessel, much wider in the middle than at the bottom and mouth, typically used to store water, oil, or wine. Tinajas are commonly found in old cellars and rustic settings.
- The quantity of liquid that a tinaja can hold. As in, this vineyard will produce ten tinajas of wine.
The TINAJA tee can’t hold liquids, but you can turn it into a sack by tying the hem laces and putting things in through the neck hole. This way, it can serve you as anything from a laundry bag to a sack for the tesoros you collect along the camino.
Dos jóvenes subidos en una tinaja. Programa "Los Legados de la Tierra" from la Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha
Diogenes of Sinope lived in a large tinaja and owned only four things: a stick, a bag, a cloak, and a bowl. He tossed the bowl away when he saw a boy eating lentils with his hands, realizing he didn’t need it. He’s famous for living in a tinaja, and because one day Alexander the Great came to visit him and offered to grant him anything he asked. Diogenes just asked him to move aside because he was blocking the sun. He thought that living simply, like a dog (kyon in Greek, which is where the word "cynic" comes from), was the best way to live.
If we are to believe John, Christ’s first miracle also involved some large tinajas. This miracle was also one of his best, since bringing alcohol to the party is always a certi move. Jesus was invited to a wedding in Cana with his mother, and the vino ran out. He then asked for some very big tinajas that were sitting there empty to be filled with water, and, miraculously, water turned into high-quality wine. Amen.
Since the end of the Bronze Age, tinajas have been crafted all around the Mediterranean. In Spain, the main centers of their production are Villarrobledo, Colmenar de Oreja, and Arroyomolinos de Montánchez for larger pieces, and Torrejoncillo, Torre de Santa María, Lucena, Lorca, and Totana for smaller sizes. Iconographically, these large jars are considered an emblematic symbol of La Mancha.
From the archive: Centro de Estudios de Castilla la Mancha
"Tinajas Artesanas" by Eugenio Monesma
In Valdepeñas, la Avenida del Vino is lined with tinajas.
