Basque ethnography at a glance
Opening of the hermitage, July 31, 1949. Source: Juan Martin Iriondo.
It is a meadow under the hill of Belatxikieta, which had a small, damp, nice beech forest. Very close to it, seven sheep barns remain from the times when animal husbandry was strong. The place was chosen by the locals due to its excellent opportunities for this profession. From the Middle Ages the area was full of meadowlands, shelters, small streams, and mounds and herds full of wet grass for the cattle to graze.
On the other hand, the surrounding area was home to quite a few harmful beasts. To deal with them the pastors from Mugarra to Aramotz joined together in assemblies (azeri-batzarrak) to deal with the problem. These assemblies were held one year in Mugarra and the following year in Belatxikieta. In one of those assemblies, Don Emiliano Zuloaga, who was the new landowner in the vicinity of Zazpitxaboleta, joined together, as he saw that these pastors were concerned that there was no hermitage in the area. We must remember the strength of the Christian faith at the moment.
Bowling alley in Eskolunbe. Kuartango (Araba). Author: Bea Gallego.
They say boredom is good, that our brain appreciates it, because it allows us to reflect, organize our ideas, or reconnect with our real needs.
It may be true, then, that boredom is good. However, from a cultural point of view, what is truly interesting is the other side of the coin, which is the entertainment we use to mock boredom. Probably, because of the boredom caused by long hours of rain, winter darkness, or the sight of slow herds, to name but a few examples, by all the materials (textiles, wood, metal, leather, stone, vegetable fiber, etc.) that have contributed from generation to generation to the professional and domestic sphere, the most beautiful exhibits of traditional craftsmanship. Not forgetting, of course, other examples of creativity related to orality, music, or dance, in which tangible elements did not necessarily have to intervene.
Author: Sergio González Ahedo.
Between the end of June and the beginning of July, white spots appear in the Basque mountains, because when the chestnut blossoms, it wears white. Given the importance of chestnut in our culture, this is a very important time of the year. All you have to do is ask those who work with bees. Proof of this is the testimony of Ignacio Abella collected in Galicia: it seems that when the chestnut blossoms, the ram breed the sheep. It is the last blossom before the intense heat of summer, which determines multiple labours of the rural world.
Saint John’s day in Gaztelugatxe, 2023. Labayru Foundation Photographic Archive.
With the arrival of summer, festivals are celebrated in all corners of our geography. During this time, apart from patron saint festivals of towns and cities, numerous festivals are also celebrated in the neighbourhood hermitages. In Bizkaia there are around 800 classified hermitages. It is true that not all of those that existed back in the day are preserved, and in many others, the celebrations have varied considerably. Ecclesiastical celebrations are maintained in 459 hermitages, 30 are deteriorated, another 7 are used for civil tasks, and the rest have disappeared. In the last century, society underwent profound changes and transformations that forced the hermitages themselves to adapt to the new needs of society.
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
