It’s perhaps the most iconic Basque symbol. The lauburu — literally four-heads. This curvilinear swastika is ubiquitous in the Basque Country, appearing on store fronts, tombstones, the doorways to baserri, and, now, masks protecting us from COVID-19. If someone wants a Basque-themed tattoo, they often turn to the lauburu for inspiration. But, where does this […]
As the brightest object in the heavens, the sun has always captured the fascination of those humans who gazed upon it. The Basques, of course, were no different. As the source of warmth, and thus its connection to nature and growth, it is central to several myths and stories. Much of what we know about […]
My wife, Lisa Van De Graaff, and I made this for our daughter. A friend of Lisa’s dad cut out the lauburu outline a number of years ago for me (I used a few others to make cribbage boards for my brothers — over ten years ago). I asked my daughter to pick her favorite […]
In Basque circles, Alan King is perhaps best known for his The Basque Language: A Practical Introduction. Beyond his interests in Euskara, he also studies languages such as Nawat and Lenca, two indigenous languages in the Americas. On his personal website, he has begun posting translations of Basque folktales. As part of the Basque Story […]
Throughout the Basque Country, on cabinets, headstones, and books, one finds various designs that adorn pretty much everything. There is of course the ubiquitous lauburu, but there are also other figures, rosettas, that are very common. The Enciclopedia Aunamendi has an article on “popular art” where they have an image of a number of rosettas […]
Visitors to Buber’s Basque Page likely already know Andy Franco. Since discovering his Basque roots, he has been very involved in the Boise Basque community. Owner of Calico Forge and Knife Company, Andy has weaved his Basque heritage into his work. He made the replica harpoons that were featured in the Boise Basque Museum’s exhibit […]
The lauburu is such a Basque symbol that most of the tattoos that I’ve received prominently feature it in some way or another. The two most recent tattoos are no exception. Megan Etcheberry is a second generation but 100% Basque who lives in Portland, Oregon. Her tattoo features an encircled lauburu on her back. Simple, […]
Seth Jordan and Dax Arguello have both sent photos of their new tattoos, both of which prominently feature the lauburu. Seth’s tattoo, of a big lauburu on his forearm, was done at Tattoo Revolution in Meridian, Idaho. Dax’s, features a lauburu centered in a bigger design, was done at Guru Tattoo in San Jose, California. […]
Molly Mendiguren sent this photo of her lauburu tattoo. She writes “Taken right after I got it. Chose the basque red & green colors over the plain black.” The full size photo can be found in the Tattoo Gallery. Eskerrik asko Molly!
Kevin Paul shares his tattoo, done by Tattoo 13 in Oakland, CA. It is a stylized lauburu in which each of the heads of the lauburu is an oak leaf. A great idea! Thanks for sharing Kevin. This, and all the tattoos, are in the Tattoo Gallery. If you have a tattoo to share, feel […]
