Oxcarts – A National Symbol of Costa Rica

The Costa Rican Oxcart, or Carreta, rose from its humble beginnings, in the early 1800s to become one of the most striking and recognizable symbols of the country. In 2005 it was granted the coveted ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage‘ status by UNESCO. Every bit of Costa Rican heritage is woven into the Oxcart – the country’s topography, agriculture, demographics, roads, weather, commerce, and art & cultural expression have all left their mark on the revered Carreta – a vehicle which has evolved to create a cozy niche within the landscape of Costa Rica.

And while modern technology in the form of tractors, pick-up trucks, large transport vehicles and trains has largely replaced the role of the Oxcart, there is still a place for it in our society. And this place exists in the thriving cultural heritage scene of the country such as parades, religious celebrations, traditional functions, artesian shows, and festivals as well as in very practical areas as the Oxcart is still used where modern vehicles fail to deliver (or where farmers take pride and pleasure in using the Oxcart for various tasks as a symbol of their past)- and so the Carreta can truly be considered a living and thriving element of the Costa Rican heritage.

THE OXCART’S HUMBLE BEGINNING – AND THE BIRTH OF THE BOYEROS

The Oxcart accompanied the Spanish settlers upon their arrival in Costa Rica, back in the 1500s when it was a very simple design made of undecorated lumber. Initially the carts were used for transportation to and from work as they would have been used in Spain. Other tasks included turning the mill wheel, plowing the fields, transporting sick people to medical help, delivering firewood, and all kinds of general transportation tasks. However, the climate of Costa Rica is vastly different from the Iberian lands thousands of miles away. And so the Oxcarts did not perform as intended – the local mud, sand, swamps & rivers, unprepared roads, and thick vegetation played havoc with the vehicle which often got stuck or suffered from wheel damage – and this was exacerbated by the emerging long-distance transportation links that developed along the developing coffee and agricultural produce trade routes. So, starting in the mid-1800s, the settlers developed a new design for the wheels – they ditched the spokes and crafted an ingenuous disc-like innovation, said to be based on the wheels used on children’ toys by the Aztec people. This proved to be a winning and effective update which marked the birth of the Costa Rican Oxcart as we know it.

Costa Rican Oxcart drivers acquired the name Boyeros, and their tasks also includes breeding the oxen, caring for the animals, and training the Ox to pull the Oxcart. The Boyeros were, and are, highly skilled and highly respected – as the livelihood of families and, in the years past, entire communities depends on their skill, strength and expertise.

NOW TIME FOR SOME COLOR AND FLAIR

Other than the closed-wheel design, there are additional aspects that make the Costa Rican Oxcart so unique – and the most striking are the elaborate, colorful and mesmerizing designs which adorn the carts and harnesses. No two designs are the same and each could be considered a work of art. But it was not always like that – early Oxcarts were simple, purely utilitarian vehicles made of plain wood and plain leather coverings, either unpainted or covered in tar.

The tradition of painting the Oxcarts was born in the early 1900s in the town of Sarchi, at the Joaquin Chaverri Oxcart Factory. It is said that a local craftsman who owned the factory, Joaquin Chaverry, used the Oxcart to take his family on Sunday drives. He wanted his family to travel in style so he started to decorate the Oxcart in various designs. As orange was the only paint available in the town, those designs were originally made in orange – and while, soon after, other colors were used as the tradition took hold, even to this day the color orange is the predominant color to be associated with the Costa Rican Oxcarts (and the bull harnesses which are equally decorative). In the past, and even today, the Oxcart is a symbol of skill, wealth and status – the more intricate, colorful and striking the design, the greater the apparent wealth and well-being of the family.

EACH OXCART HAS A UNIQUE SONG

A series of metal rings attached to the wheel produce a very unique sounds – each Oxcart has its own ‘song’ as it moves along its tasks. The sound was a source of pride and complimented the colorful designs of the Oxcart. It was also useful in alerting residents of who is passing their home or heading in their direction – as the unique sounds of individual Oxcarts became a sort of ‘calling card’ across the landscape, being associated with specific people and families.

THE COFFEE TRADE

As mentioned at the beginning, Oxcarts were initially used to transport workers to and from work, and perform general farm chores. But soon after, starting in the mid-1800s, the expanding coffee trade pushed the Oxcarts to the limits – coffee needed to be transported between the Central Valley growing areas and the transportation links along the Pacific & Caribbean coasts, a journey of between 10 to 20 days. It was this tough journey, either way, which drove the evolution of the Oxcart’s wheel and cemented the vehicle as pivotal to cultural and economic development of Costa Rica. And due to the weight of the coffee cargo, and to ease the loading and unloading burdens, the Oxcart was made lighter, stronger and modified in design in order to better conform to its coffee-hauling requirements. Coffee is the celebrated cargo of the Oxcart, but it was not the sole produce to be transported to the Pacific and Caribbean ports of Puntarenas and Limon- corn, sugar cane, bananas, and other goods made the journey as well, the carts not returning empty but carrying exchanged goods such as salt back to the Central Valley communities.

THE TRADITION LIVES ON 

Painted Oxcarts are still a familiar sight in Costa Rica, especially during major festival or religious festivities. In many forms they are still used in practical applications, and modern Oxcarts are put to work as well – you have probably seen them when driving by the sprawling palm oil plantations between Jaco and Quepos.

El Día del Boyero, or National Boyero Day, is celebrated on the second Sunday of March. This holiday primarily honors the Boyeros and the Costa Rican Oxcart tradition. The heart of the celebration takes place in the city of Escazu where traditional dancers, performers, and craftsmen share their passion for their past, present and future. Fairs, cultural events and traditional food & craft stalls pop up like mushrooms after the rain, with the full richness of Costa Rican heritage on display. But the highlight of the festivities is the much-anticipated and color-infused Oxcart parade, showcasing the cart (and the oxen) which are dressed up for the special occasion. Following the parade the Boyeros, dressed in traditional Costa Rican attire, are honored by local dignitaries in front of the festive crowds. While Escazu holds the main event smaller celebration, just as colorful and meaningful, take place in cities, towns and villages all over Costa Rica.

WHAT IS AN ‘OX’ ANYWAYS?

Simply, the term ‘Ox’ refers to a bull which has been castrated – this makes the animal calm and docile, taking away the typical aggression of a bull. For comparison, ‘Bull’ refers to a male animal that is not castrated, and ‘Cow’ refers to a female animal. Another name for the Ox is ‘Bullock’. Oxen have been domesticated and put to work as far back as 6,000 years ago!

COMMEMORATIONS OF BOYEROS AND FARMERS

Costa Rica is full of pride towards their farmers, Boyeros and the Oxcart . As such, numerous monuments and commemorations are scattered throughout the tropical lands. Aside, there is even a constellation named after the Boyero – this is an ancient constellation of a shepherd as he looks onto the Big Dipper.