Basque ethnography at a glance

Sunset. Valley of Carranza (Bizkaia), 2006. Luis Manuel Peña. Labayru Fundazioa Photographic Archive.

The Sun and the Moon are said to have been husband and wife. Once upon a time the new Moon was shining in the early evening sky and the Sun setting when he said full of pride:

“See the Earth more beautiful every day!”

“She sure is!” replied the Moon.

“Light and heat from me fill her with vim and vigour” boasted the Sun.

“And what about the dew I provide her with at night? Is it for nothing?”

Upon hearing the words of the Moon, the Sun became really angry, took from within himself an armful of red-hot embers and threw them in her face, burning her from forehead to chin. The terrible sunburns can still be seen today on moonlit nights.

Full moon. Aia (Gipuzkoa), 2014. Karlota Arginberri. Labayru Fundazioa Photographic Archive.

The Moon was so very frightened by the Sun’s anger she fled from the sky whenever he appeared. But he chased her like raptors do in search of prey.

The Sun ran swiftly after the Moon from new Moon to full Moon through waning, and back to new Moon through waxing. Exhausted and out of breath as she was, the Moon kept riding all the same.

“The evil Sun is drawing closer upon me,” —she told herself— “but he shall not do me ill ever again!”

The Sun rode behind her at full speed, and after twenty eight days of relentless pursuit around the Earth, when she seemed close within reach, the Moon went into hiding. So the Sun overtook her quickly, yet, as the days went by, he saw her before him again.

“Won’t somebody tell me where to find the Moon?”

There was no turning back for the Sun, who continued in his effort to reach to her. He tried his hardest and rode like lightning but needed another twenty eight days to get close to her one more time. And the Moon disappeared once more, hiding herself who knows where.

Even now we see them following one another. The Sun brings the Earth warmth during the day and the Moon covers her with dew in the night.

Juan Manuel Etxebarria – Doctor of Basque

Translated by Jaione Bilbao – Ethnography Department – Labayru Fundazioa

Reference for further information: Gorbeia inguruko etno-ipuin eta esaundak [Ethno-tales and sayings from Gorbeia and environs]. Bilbao, 1995.

Basque version of the text.

Listen to the author telling us the story of the Sun, the Moon and the Earth: https://labur.eus/iretargiaeguzkiamundua