Basque Fact of the Week, Euskadi

Basque Fact of the Week: The Koadrila, or Group of Friends

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For me, the best thing about the Basque Country is the strong social connections between family and friends. The Basques are so tight knit. Life-long groups of friends celebrate everything together and these groups are essentially a second family. Maybe this comes from having more compact towns and cities where it is easy to get together. Or that people rarely move far from where they were born (or they go half way around the world…) Whatever the reason, the koadrila is such a cool part of Basque culture.

A koadrila out for txikiteo. Photo from el tornillo que te falta.
  • The koadrila or kuadrilla is someone’s personal circle of friends. However, more than just being a group of friends, it is a core part of the social life of Basques. Often established in youth, the koadrila (or cuadrilla in Spanish) “is a protective structure that includes both rights and duties.” What happens in the koadrila stays in the koadrila. The koadrila is almost like a second family.
  • Once a koadrila is established, it is very hard for new people to break into the circle. Sometimes, partners of members can also become part of the koadrila, but new people without a strong bond with one of the existing members are rarely welcomed into the group.
  • Historically, koadrilas were usually of one gender or the other – mixed groups were rare due to taboos associated with sexuality and the like. However, today koadrilas are often mixed.
  • Koadrilas often go “kalera” (to the street) for poteo or txikiteo, or out drinking together. Usually, everyone puts cash into a pot (called a bote) and one person is designated as the buyer – getting and paying for drinks (a txikito or small glass of wine, or zurito, a small glass of beer) and pintxos at each stop during the txikiteo.
  • Just like a family, the koadrila is there in times of need and members can be sure that, when times are tough, the other members will be there to help out, no matter where they are. Even years later, when the group may have gone their separate ways as life often demands, they still get together a few times a year for a group dinner.
  • The koadrila is unique to Hegoalde and is essentially absent in Iparralde.

A full list of all of Buber’s Basque Facts of the Week can be found in the Archive.

Primary sources: Traditions, Etxepare Euskal Institutua

Basque Fact of the Week, People, Sports

Basque Fact of the Week: Pioneering Surfer Hugues Oyarzabal

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While surfing originated in Polynesia and Hawaii, many Basques have distinguished themselves in the sport. Indeed, the Basque Country has some prime surfing spots, including the Bizkaian coastal town of Mundaka. Hugues Oyarzabal became one of the pioneers of the sport, surfing some of the biggest waves in the world while filming himself riding down the center of a barrel wave long before GoPro was a thing.

Two images captured by Oyarzabal himself while surfing. Image from El Diario Vasco.
  • Waian Hugues Oyarzabal – he added the Waian later which means “first born son” in Balinese – was born March 7, 1985, in Donibane Lohitzune (Saint-Jean-de-Luz) to Charles and Lucette Oyarzabal. He grew up in the village of Biriatu. From an early age, he was an avid athlete, excelling at tennis and pelota, but when he was 11 he discovered surfing, which would become his lifelong passion.
  • When he was 16, he quit high school and, with the support of his parents, moved to Australia to work with a private coach. He never really became a competitive surfer, instead being what he called a “freesurfer,” traveling the world looking for the most challenging surfing spots.
  • Indeed, even before he left for Australia, he had already surfed Belharra beach, considered at the time impossible to surf. Throughout his life, he surfed some of the most isolated and difficult spots, including in Southern Africa and what would become his second home, Indonesia.
  • Oyarzabal was most famous for filming his surfing exploits. Before GoPro cameras became a thing, he attached a camera to his board and filmed himself in the barrel of a wave – he is thought to be the first person to do this. He also designed a device he could clamp into his teeth, giving the most intimate view of his surfing. For his pioneering videography, he won the inaugural GoPro award in Hawaii.
  • In 2006, he married Jana Kondo. They had a daughter, Kailani (“sea and sky” in Hawaiian), before divorcing in 2013. Kailani is an accomplished surfer in her own right, having learned from her father.
  • Oyarzabal took his own life on February 21, 2025, in Biarritz, his home at the time. He had suffered for years from bipolar disorder. Both in the Basque Country, in Hendaia, and in Indonesia, surfers took to the water and scattered flowers in his memory.

A full list of all of Buber’s Basque Facts of the Week can be found in the Archive.

Primary sources: Hugues Oyarzabal, Surfing Star Who Rode With a Camera, Dies at 39, The New York Times; Fallece Hugues Oyarzabal, surfista pionero en usar las GoPros y en olas gigantes, El Diario Vasco

Basque Fact of the Week, Music

Basque Fact of the Week: Basque Musical Instruments

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Music and singing is such an important part of Basque culture. No Basque festival or party is complete without an accordion or a txistu. And, like all cultures, the Basques have created some of their own unique musical instruments while incorporating others like the accordion that has since become a staple of Basque folk music. And others, like the txalaparta, almost disappeared only to see a revival in recent years. Yet others have been lost to time.

A collection of traditional Basque musical instruments, on display in Soinuena, the Traditional Music Museum. Photo from Kulturklik.
  • The alboka is a woodwind instrument made out of an animal horn. It has the unique feature that a second pipe allows for circular breathing and continuous playing. Curiously, while the instrument is native to the Basque Country, alboka is not a Basque word – it comes from the Arabic word al-bûq meaning trumpet or horn. While the current form might be native to the Basque Country, the alboka may have originally been “imported” from Asia, perhaps during the Arab conquest of the Iberian peninsula. It has been mentioned in text at least as far back as the 1400s.
  • The dultzaina or bolingozo is another reed instrument brought by the Arabs. It is a double reed instrument, in the same family as the oboe.
  • Two instruments that are extremely important to Basque music but which aren’t originally Basque are the tambourine or pandero and the accordion. The accordion is the youngest instrument in the Basque pantheon, introduced only in the 19th century. However, it is now heard everywhere and is a staple of Basque music.
  • I’ve written about the txalaparta before. Suffice it to say here that the txalaparta was originally a means of communication between valleys, often to announce cider production. After almost being lost, it has since undergone a revival as an important folk instrument.
  • I’ve also written about the txistu before. Often played by one person who also plays a drum, the txistu is one of the most ubiquitous Basque instruments, often accompanying many dances. There is a larger version, the silbote or txistu handia, that requires two hands to play.
  • Sometimes, particularly in Zuberoa, the txistu is accompanied by a ttun-ttun, a wooden box with strings stretched tightly across that are then hit with a mallet. Much like a guitar, the strings can be tuned. Variants with between 5 and 10 strings exist. The ttun-ttun is also played in Béarn.
  • These are only a few of the instruments that have been used in traditional Basque music. Some, like the zarrabete and the maniura, have been lost, either in the Basque Country and still played elsewhere, or completely with only historic mention. See this article and this article for more details.

A full list of all of Buber’s Basque Facts of the Week can be found in the Archive.

Primary sources: Please see the links in the main text.

Books, Diaspora, Uncategorized

More Than Sheepherders by Joxe Mallea-Olaetxe and Jess Lopategui

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I recently interviewed Joxe Mallea-Olaetxe about his research studying the Basques of the American West, particularly the arboglyphs herders left on the aspens in the mountains. He is out with a new book focusing on the Basques of Nevada, specifically Elko. With assistance from Jess Lopategui, this book explores the role Basque immigrants had in the area, from the first to arrive in the 1870s to those that continue to define the region.

More Than Sheepherders: The American Basques of Elko County, Nevada
Joxe K. Mallea-Olaetxe with the assistance of Jess Lopategui

(from the University of Nevada Press)

More Than Sheepherders is available through the University of Nevada Press.

In the remote community of Elko, Nevada, the Altube brothers and the Garats started fabled ranches in the early 1870s. These hardy citizens created the foundation of a community that still exists today, rooted in the traditions and cultures of American Basque families. Joxe K. Mallea-Olaetxe presents a modern study focused on the post-1970s, when the retired Basque sheepherders and their families became the dominant Americanized minority in the area. During this time, the Fourth of July National Basque Festival began to attract thousands of visitors from as far away as Europe to the small Nevada community and brought to light the vibrant customs of these Nevadans.

This book explores the American Basques’ present-day place in the West, bolstered by the collaborative efforts of four contributors, including two women—all who have been residents of Elko. The writers offer firsthand knowledge of their heritage through numerous vignettes, and these deeply personal perspectives will entice readers into Mallea-Olaetxe’s singular and entertaining historical account.

“Many Basque American communities are in need of a local history. For Elko, Joxe Mallea-Olaetxe fills this gap. He provides an in-depth history that focuses on early Basque immigrants in the sheep industry, while also highlighting their later work in restaurants, mining, and construction. The personal vignettes he includes allow the reader to meet the locals. Mallea-Olaetxe’s account details the experience of the Elko Basque community and provides a case study for deeper understanding of the Basque American Diaspora.”

—John Bieter, professor of history, Boise State University,
author of An Enduring Legacy: The Story of Basques in Idaho

AUTHOR/EDITOR BIOGRAPHY

Joxe K. Mallea-Olaetxe arrived in the United States from the Basque Country in the mid-1960s. He earned his PhD from the University of Nevada, Reno, in 1988. Mallea-Olaetxe is the author of Speaking Through the Aspens: Basque Tree Carvings in California and Nevada. He taught history and language classes at both UNR and Truckee Meadows Community College.

Jess Lopategui immigrated to Elko in 1957 and herded sheep from 1958 to 1965. He served as president of the Basque Club and, with his wife Denise and father-in-law Frank Arregui, was co-owner of the Elko Blacksmith Shop. After his retirement in 2006, he became more involved in researching the history of the Basques in Elko County.

Basque Fact of the Week, Diaspora, People

Basque Fact of the Week: Agustín de Iturbide, First Emperor of Mexico

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Growing up in Idaho, I of course learned about the Basque presence in the western United States and their role as sheepherders. But I didn’t realize the impact that Basques had had across other parts of the Americas. This is particularly true in Mexico, where as I’ve written Basques founded important cities. Basques continued to play an important part of the history of Mexico, and a prime example is the first Emperor of Mexico.

Agustín de Itúrbide y Aramburu. Image from Auñamendi Euzko Entziklopedia.
  • Agustín de Itúrbide y Aramburu was born on September 27, 1783 in Valladolid (current day Morelia), Mexico. His father, Joaquín, was from Nafarroa and came from a family of confirmed nobility. In Mexico, Joaquín married a Spanish woman who had been born in Mexico (at the time, there was a big distinction between pure blooded Spanish born in Mexico and those that weren’t pure Spanish). The family were large land owners, including more than one hacienda.
  • Agustín attended a local Catholic seminary and managed one of the family’s haciendas before enrolling in the army in 1805. That same year, he married Doña Ana María Josefa Ramona de Huarte y Muñiz, who also came from a prosperous family. Before joining the army, he had found he had an aptitude for horsemanship, a skill which would serve him well in the army.
  • In the first decade of the 1800s, there were multiple insurgency campaigns for Mexico’s independence and Agustín was tasked with helping to quell these insurrections. He gained a reputation for his combat prowess, often defeating much larger forces, though he also was known for his cruelty, including against women and children. His success in battle quickly led to advancement in the army. However, accusations of cruelty and corruption led to him being removed from command in 1816.
  • His supporters, needing a leader against the rebels, got the charges dismissed a year later. However, politics were changing in Spain and the Mexican nobility felt that independence might be good for them, helping them consolidate power and to protect Mexico from rising republicanism. Agustín was one of the leaders, developing a plan for independence that included a monarchy. He joined forces with one of the rebel leaders to fight for Mexican independence.
  • In the negotiation for independence with Spain (though continuing with a Spanish monarch), the Spanish viceroy, Juan O’Donojú, suggested that if no one in the Bourbon family wanted the monarchy, the Mexican people should elect someone. Agustín was selected as the head of the new ruling Junta. When Ferdinand VII rejected the position of Mexican monarch, and forbade any of his family from accepting it, Agustín became emperor of Mexico in 1822. There is debate whether he was given this title or took it. Regardless, he became the first emperor of the newly independent nation. This new nation included, at the time, the current US states of California, Texas, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico.
  • At first, the Mexican Congress was the sovereign body over the nation. However, as rumblings against Agustín grew, primarily from republicans that didn’t want a monarchy or empire, Agustín took complete control of the government, replacing that Congress with his own body. Agustín also persecuted his enemies, including many in the former Congress, leading even more to turn against him. Further, Spain had regained stability and power with the intent of reconquering Mexico, such that no European nation would recognize their newly won independence. Finally, Agustín himself lived quite extravagantly, leading to further resentment.
  • When he was unable to pay the army, he lost the support of his base. Things quickly deteriorated from there. New rebel leaders, including the infamous Antonio López de Santa Anna, arose, wanting to bring back the old Congressional government. Agustín’s military leaders changed sides when they encountered Santa Anna’s forces. To avoid a civil war, Agustín offered to abdicate, but Congress refused, as that would recognize the legitimacy of the throne, something they didn’t want to do.
  • In 1823, only about a year after being named emperor, Agustín and his family found themselves exiled in Italy. At Spain’s insistence, Italy kicked him out so they moved to England where he published an autobiography. He returned to Mexico a year later, in 1824, unaware of a law enacted by Congress that called for his death if he ever returned. He was executed by firing squad a few days later. His remains now reside in Mexico City where an inscription says “Author of the independence of Mexico.” The modern Mexican flag and that the country is known as Mexico are attributed to Agustín.

A full list of all of Buber’s Basque Facts of the Week can be found in the Archive.

Primary sources: Agustín de Iturbide, Wikipedia; Asarta Epenza, Urbano. Iturbide Aramburu, Agustín. Auñamendi Encyclopedia. Available at: https://aunamendi.eusko-ikaskuntza.eus/en/iturbide-aramburu-agustin/ar-71008/

Basque Proverb of the Week

Basque Proverb of the Week: Proverb #6

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Aditu nahi ez duenak, ez du esan behar.

He who doesn’t want to hear unpleasant things shouldn’t say unpleasant things.

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Image generated by Buber using ChatGPT.

These proverbs were collected by Jon Aske. For the full list, along with the origin and interpretation of each proverb, click this link.

Basque Fact of the Week, Euskara

Basque Fact of the Week: The Basque Word for God

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It seems like a simple question: what is the Basque word for God? But, like almost everything Basque, there is a lot of nuance in this simple question. The modern words for god and God in Basque are not typical Basque words. Does that mean they were borrowed? Or created by a priest only semi-literate in Basque? Or do they come from a more ancient source, the pre-Christian religion of the Basques? We’ll likely never know for sure, but this “simple” word carries a lot of history with it.

Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam. Image from Wikipedia.
  • The modern Basque word for god is jainko, and for God in the monotheistic Christian sense Jainko. However, the more typical word for the Christian God is Jaungoikoa, which literally means “Lord from on high.” In earlier texts, especially in Iparralde, Jainko is more prevalent than Jaungoikoa.
  • As Larry Trask discusses, the form of Jaungoikoa is very atypical for Basque words. We would normally expect a word that meant “Lord from on high” to look more like Goikojauna. While no one knows where this word came from, it might be a more literal translation of “Lord from on high,” the typical Latin phrasing, where that Latin word order was kept in an invented Basque word.
  • There are at least three hypotheses on the origins of these two words.
    • Jainko is the ancient Basque name for some god in the Basque folk pantheon and Jaungoikoa was invented, as mentioned, as a backwards formation of the Christian “Lord from on high.”
    • Jainko is not ancient at all and is some kind of contraction of Jaungoikoa.
    • The two words are not related at all and just share a coincidental similarity (Trask favored this hypothesis).
  • Jainko is also odd in a few other ways. It is rare, though not impossible, for native Basque words to start with ‘j.’ And, the letter/sound combination ‘nk’ is also very rare.
  • There is another Basque word for god, and that is ortzi. The French pilgrim Aymeric Picaud, in his “tourist” guide to the Way of Santiago, has a brief Basque “dictionary” and lists ortzi (in his notation Urcia) as meaning god. Probably, ortzi is the native Basque word for sky, and it is present in many modern Basque words: as a few examples, orzargi ‘daylight’ (argi ‘light’), ortzadar ‘rainbow’ (adar ‘horn’), ortzantz ‘thunder, storm’ (azantz ‘noise’), ortzitsu ‘stormy’ (tsu ‘full of’), orzgarbi ‘clear sky’ (garbi ‘clean’). There is speculation that, when Picaud pointed to the sky and asked what the word for god was, the natives thought he was literally pointing at the sky and told him the word for sky. However, that the Basque word for Thursday is ortzegun or ostegun – `ortzi-day’ – suggests that, just like our Thors-day, Ortzi was originally a god of thunder.

A full list of all of Buber’s Basque Facts of the Week can be found in the Archive.

Primary sources: Some Important Basque Words (And a Bit of Culture) by Larry Trask, Buber’s Basque Page