Basque ethnography at a glance

Flock of sheep grazing in Mount Oiz (Bizkaia), 2002. José Ignacio García Muñoz. Labayru Fundazioa Photographic Archive.

It being such a rainy winter in our country, I have been reminded of a legend retold by shepherds in the course of fieldwork conducted in localities bordering Mount Oiz in 1997. Neither too much rain nor too much sun are indeed known to be beneficial to pastures and soils.

Persistent rain, moreover, keeps the flock in the fold, which creates a problem, for one, because the sheep become restless after so long, and for two, because dry feeding is costly.

Crispín Arregi. Garai (Bizkaia), 1997. Luis Manuel Peña. Labayru Fundazioa Photographic Archive.

As Crispín Arregi, a shepherd from Betzuen Farmstead in the neighbourhood of Bernagoitia (Amorebieta-Etxano) established in Arria Farmstead in Garai upon marriage to Justa Oregi, recounted, one year, by the time an excessively rainy month of March was through, a shepherd cursed out: “Marti kakatsu juen dok!” (Shitty March is at last gone!).

Naturally, the following year March returned and exacted vengeance upon the curser by killing all his rams and four sheep.

Another shepherd who cursed at March even with greater harshness, and for good reason, had his entire herd except for the ram destroyed in retaliation, or so they said.

Francisco Etxeberria, one of José Miguel de Barandiaran’s collaborators in ethnographic research, gathered a similar account in Andoain (Gipuzkoa) at the beginning of the 20th century. As legend had it, a local shepherd proudly cried out: “A, martxo, martxo! Jun zera txartxo, baño halare nere ardi txarrenak aixa egiten dio errekari salto” (Ah, you March! Bad as you have been, my worst sheep can still jump with ease across the river). Then March took days from February and April fully intending for all of his flock to drown, and so it happened. That is why —they said— there are fewer days in February than in any other month of the year.

Segundo Oar-Arteta – Etniker Bizkaia – Etniker Euskalerria Groups

Translated by Jaione Bilbao – Language Department – Labayru Fundazioa

Reference for further information: Livestock Farming and Shepherding, part of the Ethnographic Atlas of the Basque Country collection.