Basques are known for their prowess on the ocean, their ship building expertise, and their exploration of the northern Atlantic. Ships such as the San Juan fueled this exploration. The San Juan, built in 1563 but lost in 1565, was discovered centuries later, a discovery that changed our understanding of Basque history and connections with […]
In past Facts, I’ve touched on various aspects of the medieval history of the Basques, including the connection to the neighboring Muslim caliphate, the early rulers of Pamplona, and the Battles of Orreaga that set the stage for much of that history. It’s a complicated history, one that I don’t pretend to fully grasp. But […]
There are so many curious facts surrounding the history of witchcraft in the Basque Country. One is the Akelarre, or what would later be regarded as the Basque Black Sabbath. In reality, the Akelarre was probably just an innocent gathering of people, primarily women, who were healers and herbalists and the Akelarre was a time […]
Located in the Pyrenees, the names Orreaga, Errozabal, Ibañetako Mendatea have an important role in Basque history. Ibañetako Mendatea is the actual pass, Errozabal is the broader plains, and Orreaga is the village near the pass. All of these have been used to name multiple battles that happened at this chokepoint between the Iberian Peninsula […]
Last week I wrote about the Valley of Aran, which has historical and linguistic connections to the Basque Country. In the Valley of Aran, the local language is Occitan, which is related to Gascon, which has its own connections to Euskara. In fact, the words Gascon and Basque come from the same Latin root. A […]
The Val d’Aran, or Valley of Aran, lies in the northwest corner of Catalunya. As such, it is a bit of an outlier. It is the only part of Catalunya that sits on the northern side of the Pyrenees. It has its own language, Aranese, that is co-official with Spanish and Catalan. The region also […]
The New Fueros of Bizkaia were approved in 1526 – 500 years ago this year. These fueros codified the customs and practices of the people of Bizkaia – it didn’t establish any new laws per se, but formalized those that already existed. Elixabete Piñol Olaeta looked back at how specifically women were mentioned in those […]
Hard times brings out the best and worst in people, pushing them in directions they may never have ever imagined. Such is the case of Txomin Letamendi. An extremely talented musician, the Spanish Civil War and its aftermath pushed him to become first a soldier and then a spy for the Basque government in exile, […]
On April 26, 1937, the Basque city of Gernika was bombed. This, and other disastrous events during the Spanish Civil War, led to thousands of Basque children being evacuated from the Basque Country. In their play, Picasso Presents Gernika, playwright Dr. Begoña Echeverria and creative director Dr. Annika Speer, both professors at the University of California, Riverside, explore the […]
During tough times, people find a way. The aftermath of the Spanish Civil War was brutal for many. In the Basque Country, and beyond, the resulting food shortages led enterprising folks to devise new ways to make and deliver food. One curious – to me – example is the wandering noodle men or fideogile ibiltariak. […]