Basque ethnography at a glance

Fountain of Goiendegi. Neighbourhood of Urigoiti, Orozko (Bizkaia). Javier Perea. Labayru Fundazioa Photographic Archive.

“It has quite rightly been said that any human settlement is the amalgamation of a little humanity, a little land and a little water.” proves to be a self-evident, though worth recalling observation, made by Barandiaran at the time.

Proximity to rivers or springs of fresh water was a major geographic factor for human settlement, ultimately affecting the location of rural houses. Some households had their own well, cistern or tank; others shared it with neighbouring households. Many neighbourhoods featured a fountain, together with a drinking trough for the livestock, and a communal washing place where clothes were laundered. And in larger population areas urban fountains were a convenient source of good-quality water, not to mention professional vendors who supplied water door to door.

Water from the fountain (iturriko ura) was the usual drink at ordinary family meals in Basque homes. Freshly fetched water was indeed highly esteemed by folks of old. Besides, in every village, town or city, there were springs and fountains whose waters were especially appreciated. Ferruginous (metal-ura, burdin-ura or ur gorria) and sulphurous (uratsa or urhatsa) water springs were remarkable among them, the latter being known for their curative qualities.

Roncal (Navarre). Lucien Roisin. Digitized postcard. Labayru Fundazioa Photographic Archive.

The carrying of water from the source was a frequent daily task in which children and youth participated. Containers used for that purpose were the traditional bucket (edarrea or ferreta), the jug (pegarra), the pitcher (potiza), the churn (kantina)…

The local fountain was a meeting place, nothing less than a social centre, as were the square, the bar or the church portico. The visit to the fountain and the journey to and from it were propitious occasions for encounter between young boys and girls. Lord, if our fountains and their surroundings could talk, they would tell us about many a courtship.

It was once customary practice to introduce the end of a burning ember from the hearth in the water brought from the source at nightfall. As Barandiaran gathers, the mentioned purificatory ritual stems from the time-honoured belief that outdoor waters remained under the dominion of genies and evil spirits during the night.

To put it in a nutshell, having water running in the kitchen sink with just a turn of the tap was certainly among the most profound changes in the quality of life experienced by our society during the 20th century.

Jaione Bilbao – Ethnography Department – Labayru Fundazioa

References for further information: José Miguel de Barandiaran. “Diccionario ilustrado de mitología vasca [Illustrated dictionary of Basque mythology]” y “Los establecimientos humanos en el Pirineo vasco [Human settlements in the Basque Pyrenees]” en Obras completas [Complete works], volumes I and V, Bilbao, 1972 and 1974 respectively; and also the Ethnographic Atlas of the Basque Country collection.