Basque ethnography at a glance
View of St Anthony’s weathervane. Bilbao (Bizkaia). Watercolour by José Ignacio Gutiérrez López-Vázquez.
As a university student, I took an Easter holiday to Andalusia. On my return home I recounted what I had seen: the Mosque of Córdoba, the Alhambra of Granada, the Giralda of Seville.
Upon hearing this I remember my grandmother said to me: “Hain urrin joan zarie Jiralda ikusten Bilbon eukita?” (Why go all the way to Seville when there is a Giralda in Bilbao?). This was the first time I heard about the Giralda of Bilbao, which is, as she pointed out, mounted on top of the tower of St Anthony’s Church. I have ever since tried to gather testimonies which would ratify the information given by my grandmother but is not easy. (more…)
View of the neighbourhood of Biáñez. Valley of Carranza (Bizkaia), 1976. Miguel Sabino Díaz.
During the 1940s in the Valley of Carranza, a group of youth from the neighbourhood of Biáñez used to go around asking for alms on 28 December, the Feast of the Holy Innocents.
On that day the young girls paraded house to house and door to door in the neighbourhoods of Biáñez, Bollain and Paules, all three administered by the parish of Biáñez, reaching sometimes as far as Ranero and Santecilla, neighbourhoods that belong to the parishes with the very same names and somewhat removed from their place. (more…)
Children entertained by the performance of the Nativity of Jesus. Laguardia (Álava), 1994. José Ángel Chasco.
The first representation of the birth of Jesus is attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi in the year 1223. During the 14th century the practice became widespread across the south of Italy. In the 18th century Charles III made the Nativity tradition popular in Spain and Spanish territories. (more…)
Illustration by Ángel Badillo for the tale “Cata-ovales” by Antonio de Trueba.
The tradition of collecting honey from combs —known as tástanas or tástanos— made by wild bees in caves and rock crevices was widespread in areas of the district of Las Encartaciones in Bizkaia. (more…)
Bilbo-Abando
Colon de Larreategi 14, 2. esk.48001 Bilbo (Bizkaia)
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
