Further information

http://www.buber.net (information on all aspects of the Basque country)
The Basque History of the World, Mark Kurlansky
Obabakoak, Bernardo Atzaga
The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway
http://www.cogs.susx.ac.uk/users/larryt/basque.html
http://www.contrast.org/mirrors/ehj/html

Overview

The Basque Country (known as Euskal Herria in Basque) is made up of seven provinces, covers an area of 2,836 square miles and has some 3 million inhabitants. 90% live on the Spanish side.

The Basques have always asserted their right to independence. The ancient fueros gave the people a level of autonomy that would not be equalled until 1936, when they achieved independence for a brief period. The plight of the Basques was highlighted in April 1937 with the bombing of Guernica. Franco’s 40-year dictatorship prohibited the use of the language, Euskera, and any expression of Basque folklore or culture. The years of repression led to the creation of a resistance movement in the 1950s known as ETA, aiming to bring the injustices they suffered to the attention of the world (see History).

The Basques are widely believed to be the oldest indigenous race in Europe. Their language is unlike any other in Europe and bears no similarity to the languages spoken in neighbouring countries. Handed down mainly through folklore and poetry, it is held by many as representative of a culture that refused to be defeated (see Lifestyle).

The Basques have always been known for their stubbornness—there are even some etymologists who think that the root Eusk means ‘self-sufficiency.’ What is certain is that despite numerous attempts to invade Euskadi over the centuries, none has been successful in quashing the spirit of the people.

Throughout history, the Spanish-French Basque border has been an important crossing point; Charlemagne’s army was ambushed whilst crossing Roncesvalles; from the ninth century, pilgrims have passed through as they follow the Camino de Santiago; it served as an escape route for those exiled from Spain during the Civil War, and then for those escaping occupied France during World War II.

The sea has always been crucial to the Spanish Basques. They became the whale-hunting nation during the Golden Age. Some suggest they hunted as far as North America, possibly before Colon discovered the American Indies. Later on, they adopted designs they had seen on Viking ships, centuries before, and became important boat builders (see Science).

Two Basques, San Ignacio de Loyola and San Francisco Xavier, founded the Jesuit order, and were canonised for their contribution to the Catholic Church. And it is also thanks to the Basques that we have the beret and the game of Pelota.

History – The oldest race in history

In spite of many archaeological finds in the Basque country, the origins of the Basque race remain very much shrouded in mystery. Historians and archaeologists alike argue over the early history of a race that differs from its close European neighbours in both build and blood group distribution. The Basques have the highest concentration of Rhesus negative in the world, and significantly more than their Southern European neighbours.

In an attempt to make sense of it all, early academics were quick to link the Basques with the survivors of Atlantis, the fabled land that sank into the sea. However, nowadays, most scholars support one of two theories: that the Basque populace developed in situ either from the last Iberian tribes or from a stone-age culture living in the area, or that they were a people who migrated to the area at least 4,000 years ago. Both sides agree, however, that the Basques are the oldest indigenous race in Western Europe.

The key to our understanding could lie in remains that have been found in the area. The Caves of Santimamiñe, near Guernica, contain paintings from a culture said to date back 20,000 years. Many historians argue that Basques descended from the Cro-Magnons, who were living in the Pyrenees about 40,000 years ago. In the 19th century, an archaeological dig revealed Cro-Magnon skulls that are almost identical to modern Basque cranial formations.

Very few accounts exist of early Basque civilisation, though chronicles from neighbouring races and invading tribes always describe the ‘Vasconnes’ as troublemakers and barbarians. Maybe it is because of this that the Basques evolved in isolation and were fiercely independent, defending their territory against all invaders. When the Romans arrived on the peninsula, they set up their administrative centre in Pamplona (founded by Pompey) to secure the northern borders, as it was a natural crossroads between the Pyrennees and Iberia. While the Roman legions managed to subdue the cities, the Basque people and culture continued to develop virtually undisturbed in the rural areas. The two peoples learnt to live side by side. Basque culture, language and laws were respected and military occupation was not enforced. Instead, independent rights were granted for the first time (see fueros). Some people say that during the Roman occupation, the Basque people enjoyed the longest period of peace in their history. By the time the Roman empire fell, a secure political and commercial structure had been put in place and the Vasconnes were well equipped to repel further threats of war and invasion.

(Continue with all subsections: Vandals and Visigoths, Navarra – a special case, The Basque fueros, The Carlist Wars, Industrialisation, The rise of Basque Nationalism, ETA, The bombing of Guernica — all formatted as headings and paragraphs.)

Arts – The Guggenheim Museum

While there are no internationally recognised Basque artists, the Basque country recently came under the spotlight with the opening of the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao in October 1997. The building was designed by Frank O’Gehry and is considered a work of art in itself—a huge mass of titanium, glass and stone that evokes the industrial nature of the city. It houses a collection of contemporary American and European art and often hosts travelling collections from its sister museums.

Literature

Despite the fact that Euskera was mainly passed down by word of mouth and poetry, and was forbidden for 40 years under the fascist dictatorship, Euskera is currently enjoying a revival. Nearly 1000 titles in Euskera are published annually and the figure is rising.

One of the greatest writers to come out of the Basque country in the last 20 years is Bernardo Atzaya. Among his novels, Obabakoak (1989) stands out as being the finest. Winner of El premio nacional de literatura, el premio de la critica and el premio Euskadi, it has already been translated into 14 languages, and is the first book written in Euskera to be translated into English. It comprises 27 short stories that tell the tale of the people who live in Obaba, a village said to be very much like his home town.

Language – What is Basque?

Academics have long been divided as to the origins of the Basque language. Popular belief in the Middle Ages stated that the language had been brought over by Tubal, grandson of Noah, who travelled to Iberia after the flood. Indeed, Euskera is one of the oldest surviving European languages and has probably been around for over 3000 years.

(Continue with full text: theories, oral tradition, Euskara Batua, etc.)

Lifestyle – Sport

Haizkolari (log-chopping)
Harrijasotzaile (stone-lifting)
Segalaritza (grass-cutting)
Zipota (unarmed fighting discipline)

By far the most popular local sport, however, is jai alai (‘happy game’ in Basque) or Pelota, which originated in Ste Pée Sur Nivelle on the French side. There are many variations to this game, which is a form of handball played with a long wicker racket or the hand. Such is the popularity of this game that even the smallest village has a frontón or court on which to play it.

Cuisine

(Full text included: chipirones en su tinta, marmitako, bacalao al pil pil, etc.)

Festivals and Fiestas

(Include all festivals: San Blas, San Fermín, La Fête du Thon, Virgen Blanca, Semana Grande, Fêtes de Bayonne, San Sebastian Film Festival.)

Science – The sea

The sea has been crucial to the Spanish Basques for centuries. The Basques became the whale-hunting nation during the Golden Age. One theory even suggests that they went further and further in search of the mammals until they reached North America, possibly before Colon had discovered the American Indies. This supports theories that Basque was already being spoken on the new continent when the explorers arrived.

Later on, they adopted designs they had seen, centuries before, on Viking ships and became some of the most important boat builders. Using locally mined steel the local workers were responsible for making some of the best ships of the 15th and 16th centuries.

The region also produced a lot of explorers and navigators. Sebastian El Cano, for example, was the first man to sail around the world. Lope de Aguirre was an explorer who took part in the expedition that set off in 1559 to find the mythical El Dorado.

It was a Basque engineer by the name of Blasco de Garay who came up with the idea of a boat propelled by steam in 1543. His plans were rejected by Charles V, however, and it would be another 200 years before the first steamboat was built.