Étienne Pellot Aspikoeta (1765-1856), known as the Basque Fox (le Renard Basque in French), was the last known French corsair. He was imprisoned at least twice by the British, though much of his later activity was centered off the coast of Galicia. He was born and died in Hendaia.
He received the Legion of Honor in 1843, some 30 years after he retired. Napoleon had denied him this honor because he had refused to return to direct service to the State.
The Song of Roland, one of the oldest major works in French, describes how Charlemagne’s nephew, Roland, takes the rear guard of Charlemagne’s army back through the pass of Roncevaux, where they are ambushed and slaughtered by the Muslims. In reality, it was the Basques that attacked Roland.
While The Song of Roland was written between 1040 and 1115, the Battle of Roncevaux, or Orreaga in Basque, Pass occurred in 778.
The Basques attacked in retaliation for the prior destruction of the walls of Pamplona. Some accounts say that the whole city was destroyed.
The Basque force was essentially a guerrilla army. “A typical Basque mountain warrior was armed with two short spears and a knife or short sword as his main weapons, and bows or javelins for missile weapons. He would not normally wear armour.” (from Wikipedia)
Benoit Etcheverry, creator of the 8 Probintziak radio program and now Export Manager at Hitza Hitz, sent me an email announcing they are looking for a Commercial Agent or Distributor in the USA. In particular:
HITZA HITZ is looking for a commercial agent or distributor in the USA
HITZA HITZ is the « given word » of the Basques, a motto, a code of honour. And it is the name of a brand of ready-to-wear apparel inspired by the Basque country. It’s also the first Jeans Brand from the Basque Country.
It is appropriate for women and men, for Basques and their friends, the locals, the visitors, from those who love the mountains to those who prefer the ocean.
What do we offer? An attractive commission on the sales
Responsibilities:
Represent and be the face of the Storefront to all our clients and brands
Manage key, significant projects
Qualify clients’ specific needs and suggest the best spaces for these needs
Monitor the ongoing communication and deals in your portfolio
Lead deals toward success; be a deal closer and never let a customer be unsatisfied
Help develop our customer acquisition strategy
Active outbound prospecting through cold calling, created campaigns, and events
Target specific and strategic brands
Provide education to your prospective clients to lead them on the platform
Requirements
Have experience in Sales or Account management
Interest in the Retail and Fashion industry
Possess excellent communication skills
Result-oriented and a valuable team player
Tech-oriented person
Quick thinker; you thrive in a fast-paced and challenging environment
Organizational skills are a strength
Relevant graduate degree
Must be in USA Full-time
Experience in managing high-frequency pipeline is a plus
Knowing the Basque culture is a plus
Benefits
Have the opportunity to directly shape the company’s strategic direction
Work in a fun, collaborative, and stimulating environment (We’re looking for your personality as well!)
An insanely supportive, hardworking team, building something truly transformative
What to Expect Next
Interview with our Chief Business Development Officer and Export Responsable.
You’ll also meet a few of our other teammates and business leaders!
La Tamborrada is a 24-hour festival taking place every January 20, the feast day of the city’s patron Saint Sebastian, in Donostia. Over 100 different bands dressed as soldiers and cooks march through the city throughout the 24 hours of the day, starting at midnight.
The gathering in the Plaza de la Constitución, image from here.
The celebration is said to have originated with people (either kids or women) banging on buckets, barrels and cans to mock the soldiers parading through the streets. The soliders may have been an occupying force of Napoleon’s, stationed in the city after burning a large chunk of it to the ground.
In 1881, the city council gave the organizers of the festival drums stored in the barracks of San Telmo. The next year, they gave them uniforms left over from Napoleon’s troops. This was the first year the bands paraded in military costume. These costumes gave the festival a connection to the events of August 31, 1813 when Napoleon destroyed much of the city. Thus, the connection may not be as direct as legend implies.
My cousin, Egoitz Uberuaga Aranburu, died yesterday, January 13, on his birthday. He had just turned 33.
Egoitz, with his sister and a few cousins, wrestling on the grounds of the family basseri.
Like with most of my dad’s family, I didn’t get to know Egoitz until my first visit to Euskal Herria, back in 1991, when I went to Donostia to study Basque. Egoitz was only 6 years old back then. I remember how, at a big family dinner at the family basseri, surrounding a table in the foyer just in front of the doors leading to the barn where the animals were kept, Egoitz and his sister, Eneritz, with some cajoling from their parents, pulled out their trikitixa and tambourine and played for their American cousin.
Egoitz grew into an amazing young man. He had a giant heart, always full of life. He was often the center of attention because of his outsized presence in the room. He was full of a restless energy; his Facebook page was full of photos from his travels all over the world. His work was to help others less fortunate than himself.
Egoitz, my daughter, my wife Lisa, my friend Gontzal, and me, in the Parte Vieja of Donostia, March 2018. Photo courtesy of Lisa.
He always went out of his way to make time to see me when I visited. During our last visit to the Basque Country, he joined us during a day trip to Donostia, hitting the pintxos bars and sharing a few drinks during a break in classes. His smile was infectious, just as it had been when he was 6.
As I watch his Facebook feed, it was obvious how many lives he touched. He had spent the night before his birthday with his sister at a Gatibu concert and people were wishing him Happy Birthday. It was especially heartbreaking watching his friends post “Zorionak”, not knowing he had left us only hours before.
They always say that life is wasted on the young. Egoitz is one of those that took life by the horns and lived it his way. He filled his all-too-short life with more than most of us that live twice as long ever experience. He lived life to the edge and made the most of the time he had. He was truly an inspiration.
The words on his obituary sum up his spirit better than I ever could:
Mila esker bizitza politagoa egitea gatik, beti eskuzabal, beti irribarretsu, beti dana emateko prest, txori alai, beti libre, beti aske, beti pozik.
Thank you for making life nicer, always generous, always smiling, always ready to give, sweet bird, always free, always independent, always happy.
Translation by me, with an assist from Google Translate.
Goian bego, Egoitz. You will always be in my heart. The Basque Country won’t be the same without you.
Donald T. Garate, an interpreter and historian for the National Park Service, found evidence that the name Arizona may be of Basque origin. According to his research, Arizona was originally a rancheria or village established by Bernardo de Urrea sometime between 1734 and 1736. When silver was discovered nearby, the name Arizona became much more noteworthy.
The theory that Arizona was of Basque origin was originally proposed in 1979 by William Douglass, founder of what is now the Center for Basque Studies.
The alternate theory is that Arizona comes from a Native American language, O’odham, phrase al? ?onak, meaning “small spring.”
