east spend more time in the summer brañas, from April to October, while Vaqueiros who live in the more western brañas spend more time in the winter brañas, only spending June to August in the summer brañas. There are a minority of Vaqueiros who participate in a shorter distance transhumance, with summer brañas also located near the coast and nearer to the winter brañas, particularly in Tineo and Cangas del Narcea. A significant minority of Vaqueiros participated in trading and hauling goods by mule, called and . Vaqueiros who participated in transported goods between Asturias and Castile while Vaqueiros who participated in worked shorter routes. In later centuries, the Vaqueiros who participated in also transported travelers between Madrid and Asturias on foot or by mule. Economy Vaqueiros traditionally made their living off the sale of calves at cattle fairs. Extra money was made by selling linen, butter, milk, and cheeses in the markets of non-Vaqueiro towns. Culture Religion Though Vaqueiros consider themselves to be Roman Catholic, Vaqueiros traditionally practice a mix of Roman Catholicism and a traditional folk religion. Vaqueiros have been historically considered “bad Christians” for their beliefs and for their dedication to their animals and have been persecuted by the Church. Vaqueiros venerate their patron saint, , the Virgin of the Holly Tree, whose shrine is in Cangas del Narcea, alongside Saint Anthony (both Anthony of Padua and Anthony the Great). Vaqueiro beliefs also incorporate ancestor worship of the , the souls of the dead. Vaqueiro religion designates creatures and objects as blessed or cursed and divides the world into three domains: the sky, the earth, and the underground, into which every living thing and non-living things including natural phenomena, days of the week, and phases of the moon, are divided into. Sickness and misfortune are caused by the disorder of these domains. Vaqueiro healing implements spiritual healers and traditional medicine to maintain universal order. The Christian concept of Hell is a foreign concept to Vaqueiros. Although the Vaqueiro world is divided into sky, earth, and the underground, hell is not associated with the underground and has no spatial location. Instead, the “bad place” is associated with the suffering and misfortunes of life. Kinship Vaqueiro society is largely patrilineal and patrilocal. It relies on the system of , or the house, as a system of inheritance and as a broader spiritual concept. The house includes its living members,