He perceived galego as a royal language of ancient rulers, framed in the Celtic mythology, and opposed the concept of Galician as a rural folk speak.

Politically he supported the Traditionalist cause and served as leader of the Carlist provincial organisation in La Coruña; he has never engaged in buildup of the Galician nationalism.

They had 3 children, born between 1874 and 1880; the youngest son died at 2 years of age,[47] while the other two, Dolores[48] and Ramón Martelo y de la Maza Paumán del Nero y Agar,[49] did not become public figures.

Since he started writing to periodicals already as a child[54] his earliest poetic contributions might not be identified;[55] his signed writings appeared in local press throughout 40 years,[56] scattered across titles like Galicia,[57] Santiago,[58] Follas Novas,[59] Coruña Moderna,[60] Boletín Oficial del Centro Gallego,[61] Revista Gallega,[62] El Ideal Gallego[63] or El Compostelano.

[70] Works falling into the "costumista-realista" rubric are exaltation or rural life and customs, pitted against advancing urbanization and change which dismantles the old agrarian order.

[74] Martelo's poetry adhered to numerous formats: from sonnets to epigrams, odes, narrative poems and satires, though he is appreciated mostly due to his lyrical verses.

[75] As a poet – considered "not very prolific"[76] - he was inspired mostly by Pondal[77] and is referred to as "continuador da estética pondaliana", with Celtic mythology and heroic Galego past singled out as 2 key motives of his poetry.

[78] Some scholars place him within the tradition of "bardismo, Ossián, celtismo",[79] other focus on aristocratic and patriotic spirit and name him rather a "hidalgo idealista",[80] few call him "poeta de la Tradición"[81] and underline the Carlist motives.

[92] Since 1893 Martelo engaged in A Cova Céltica, an informal La Coruña group of intellectuals striving to build a lettered Galician culture.

In the 1880s the archbishop nominated Martelo to supervise orthodoxy of provincial prints[124] and in the 1900s he welcomed hierarchs at his private premises,[125] but some press notes from the 1920s hint at his anti-clericalism.

[130] Martelo declared himself the supporter of Carlos VII during the academic period; he engaged against Amadeo di Savoia, possibly taking part in local riots,[131] and spoke in favor of the "legitimate dynasty".

[144] During his term in the provincial party executive Martelo engaged in typical leadership activities: he took part in local celebrations like Fiesta de los Martires de la Tradición,[145] animated popular initiatives against secular and centralizing governmental projects like the so-called Ley del Candado,[146] with other party pundits like Luis Hernando de Larramendi presided over rallies protesting further plans of liberal education[147] and held honorary presidency of various provincial Traditionalist organizations, including the football section of Requeté Herculino.

During the Mellista crisis of 1919 Martelo sided with the claimant Don Jaime and did not join the breakaways followers of Vázquez de Mella.

General historiographic studies on Traditionalism of the late 19th/early 20th century ignore him,[149] though he is listed as representative of "el carlismo ideológico" in work on the Galician Carlism.

[150] Scholars claim that for Martelo Traditionalism was sort of extension of his idealistic, historicist, aristocratic and regionalist outlook, "not an esthetic refuge but an heroic ideal".

[153] Though some of his poems honor "rebelión del pueblo gallego contra la opresión castellana",[154] his vehement regionalism and exaltation of local fueros have never evolved into Galician nationalism.

[160] His 1921 entry to Real Academia Gallega elevated him to the status of official authority on Galician language, but it was hardly recognized beyond his native region[161] and even in La Coruña press he was presented as a bit of an eccentric.

Rarely some of his poems got re-published in the press;[167] he was dedicated sub-chapters in a 1944 work on Galician Traditionalism[168] and in a 1957 anthology of poesía gallega;[169] in the 1950s Centro Gallego in Madrid organized a commemorative poetry session.

[179] His poetic style is praised for charm, "unha unérxica dicción" and sincerity, though criticized for "somewhat licentious versification",[180] "missing sense of form", abuse of conversational tone[181] and "lira de seco e duro cordaxe".

[189] The most iconic one, his preferred summer residence Castillo de Vimianzo,[190] following changing fortunes[191] is currently the property of local ayuntamiento, which turned it into a tourist attraction;[192] the municipal authorities use it as the setting for "Noite no Castelo", a nightly event which includes reading of Martelo's poetry.