“Queicoa”, in Barallete, the jargon of Galician knife-grinders, means “god, hero, fighting spirit, a great, legendary being.” For over three centuries now, these old knife-grinders, who became famous after walking so many paths and thousands of miles, have been called “Queicoas”.

They were brave, tough men, hardened by working the fields of one of the poorest areas in Europe. Emerging from Galician mountains, in a trip that seemed to lead nowhere, they were only accompanied by a spinning wheel.

When they walked, they were dreaming.

When they ground, they felt alive.

When they stopped, they were defeated.

This is their story and these are their faces...