Basque ethnography at a glance
Photo: Nasapunta at the Carmen festivity; Armintza, 2012. Author: Akaitze Kamiruaga, Labayru Foundation Photo Archive.
In traditional agricultural societies, plants and trees have had an extensive and recurring presence. In particular, trees with a significant character and a strong community or prophylactic load that, during the spring period will protect the potential harvest. During summer, they can also commemorate a satisfactory harvest, evidenced or materialized in their unique presence. In these contexts, the so-called maypoles (maiatzeko zuhaitzak) or festive trees (tree or poplar of Saint Joan, Donienatxa, etc.) have been, and still are a common practice.
Collecting heritage in Tudela. Source: Labrit Heritage.
Gypsies, bohemians, the Romani people. They have been part of Euskal Herria society for a long time. However, how much do we know about the history and culture of this community? In the following paragraphs, the testimonies extracted from the compilation of oral memories carried out by Labrit Patrimony, commissioned by Gaz Kaló, Federation of Gypsy Associations of Navarre, are presented. The main objective of this study is to bring the issue of otherness to the ethnographic field and do our bit to contribute against the invisibility experienced by the Gypsy community, through an anthropological point of view.
Author: Felix Mugurutza
Ascension Day was a significant reference in the calendar of our ancestors.
According to Christianity, it is celebrated forty days after Easter Sunday and commemorates the ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven in the presence of his disciples.
Transferred to the profane environment, the Ascension marks the end of a specific period, which begins with the equinox and the beginning of spring and shows us the moment in which meadows, forests and crop fields show the moment of greatest prosperity. Furthermore, it was planting time.
Flock of sheep sheltering from the sun in Arraba. Source: Labayru Foundation photo archive.
7 amazing words
In any language we can find incredible words, because the words themselves are original, expressive, changing, capricious… and among those oral flowers there are of many ages, sizes, appearance, colors and meanings. How can we not be amazed, thus, contemplating some of those wonderful pieces that yesterday and today in different places human intelligence and creativity have been produced! Nowadays it has become fashionable to show emblematic words from different languages on social networks, for people’s enjoyment. The idea is really good. But in these reels or short videos, false or invented etymologies are often given, due to the obsession with dazzling people. That is not our intention. Here we will present seven words or expressions from Basque, which have some particularity that makes them special. We use some of them naturally in our daily live, sometimes without paying attention to their intrinsic value or their beauty. Others we use less frequently, despite knowing them. And some of them may even be on the verge of extinction, having been displaced from use by new words and/or alterations in their meaning. In any case, all of them are part of our language and we are not going to give them up! On the contrary. It is a real pleasure to be able to display them on the counter, so that, on the one hand, we realize their value, and on the other, we feel encouraged to use them in the future.
Bilbo-Abando
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Tel.: +34 94 443 76 84
labayru@labayru.eus
Derio
Larrauri 1A, 5.a48160 Derio (Bizkaia)
Tel.: +34 94 406 01 71
idazkaritza@labayru.eus
Bilbo-Bolueta
Metroalde eraikinaBilbo-Galdakao errep. 6A
48004 Bilbo (Bizkaia)
Tel.: +34 94 607 72 10
labayru@labayru.eus
