The Basques—Picturesque and Baffling People

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 234, 2 October 1937, Page 7 (Supplement)

The Basques—Picturesque and Baffling People

Passion for Freedom ana Reckless in Allegiance

UP "• *• Bawjueof Where Ad Tf they originate? How did they _ *""0 •ettle on both sides of the Pyrenees} These an only some of the many questions which have caused endless disensstan, and added many volumes to national libraries;

at any bibliography shows that an 7 ol tho book, conccntrate on Un « n *«* Anthropologists And tho Basques a •onnected with .at ° ne Philologist to ± hcj could not «Ml> Other. M to t-vf® the< >ries which carry «wno plannbility until another authoR.J,™? 1 ** 6 * iU blunders. One says S«LV?T l of P« la «olithk ™ n ;"° t J, er i that they migrated from MS?**"™?' mt , * * ime the pr ° Vl^ ed . •tePPing stones ** w " aid that all T eed 0,1 one P° int > T l J Basques were in the ££! b€,ore th . e Al T* ns reached Ertremo variations in height, form, colour of eyes and hair prove that aPe n °t a pure race, with distinctive and dominant characteristics. Students agree that some are longheaded and some broad-headed, but it is impossible to oay which type was anterior to the other. Undated to Any OUer Tongue. Tho Basque language la e*lled Eskuara, which means "clearly speaking, and is regarded by them as a model of clmplkity. Nobody else seems It easy, for it is said to contain j P Towete and 38 consonants, and of these 51 phonetic elements we must odd six diphthong vowels and the aapirato{l consonants." It seems to stand unrelated to any other language. The Basques hare * favourite story to the effect that God, wishing to punish the dcrfl for tempting Eve, sent him to the Bssqus with tho command to remain then till'ho had mastered the lanpaga. At tho end of seven years God relented and called tho devil back.

| No sooner had he erossed the bridge of Gastolondo than he found he had forgotten all that he had so hardly learned. Pure and Simple People. What is called the Basque country includes seven provinces, of which three are French and four Spanish, and these each precent complete independence of laws and customs, though ready to unite agaimt a common foe. The three French provinces no. longer exist as separate provinces, as they were absorbed in the great French department of the Basque Pyrenees. Of the four Spanish provinces two are on the Gulf of Gaecony, and the other two, Alava and Navarre, are in the interior. Miae Elener, in her admirable work on the romance of the Basque country, saya that the. Basques in the Spanish provinces were known «us Vascous, and in the sixth century many of them migrated from the plains of Navarre into Aquitaine, and a portion of it became known as Gaeconia. The Spanish provinces are mountainous, but the French are undulating and fruitful.

The Basques' support of the Oarlfets In 1833 and 1872 cost them their ancient and distinctive privileges, and conscription and the same taxation destroyed their ancient nationality. Two centuries ago they were chiefly sailors, but to-day they are farmers. In spite of attachment to Catholicism, they still ding to some superstitions, but they are morally a pure anl simple people, and their proud boast is that both Ignatius Loyola and Francis Xavier were Basques. Marshal Foch was a Basque of the French contingent* Peculiar Customs.

TOiey are extremely fond of dancing and handball (pelota). The distinctive dance is the Mutchiko, or Basque dance, reserved for men alone. They sing much, mostly in a minor key, and one of their most outstanding institutions fe the drama, usually preceded by a promenade of the whole troupe through the Tillage, and the play itself may last seven or eight hours. These plays are never printed, but are learned by word of

mouth. Historical in character, they are conspicuous for anachronisms. Some of the marriage customs are peculiar. In one county it is the rule that if a woman marries into another village she has to pay a tax, which is ■usually spent on feasting. Burials of feudal lords were serious affairs, and lasted sometimes for two years. One of them drew up every detail to be

observed at Ms funeral ceremonies, where his widow was to sit in church, what she was to wear, how many ladies were to attend her, and how they were to be dressed. At one funeral mass 200 priests and 400 clerks officiated. Medieval Raiders. Medieval historians describe a mountain people called Vascoua as murderous, cruel anl unrestrained, and speaking an on known tongue. No doubt their ancestors had plundered the rearguard of the Frankish army and slain the Roland of Romance. In 1179 the Basques and Navarreße were excommunicated for ci leltiea and ravages upon Christians. In 1212 the kings of Navarre, Aragon and Castile overthrew the Moors, and trophies of the victory may be seen in the churches of Pampeluna and Roncevaux. Miss Eisner says Bilbao is one of the most important commercial towns on the coast of Spain. The older part is crowded up against wooded hills, and ™ famous for its metal work, and especially for chains. The word for fet-

ters in the Middle Ages was "bilbai." The new town is larger than the old one, and the river between them has five bridges. All the streets are planted with trees, and wagons drawn by creamcoloured oxen mingle with motor cars and gaily caparisoned mules. Music from guitars and short flutes adds to the delight of the town, which is both a port and a frontier settlement. In view of its great iron works, Bilbao has been called the Pittsburg of Spain, and has a population of about 100.000. It has been canalised from the city to the Bay of Biscay, eight miles distant, and ships are constantly loading for Newcastle and Rotterdam. It is a ship-builjling centre, and has actually constructed cruisers. Its people are fond of cafes and theatres. I

Holy Town" of Spanish Basques. A Basque house in the country has generally a ground floor in which steers, pigs and chickens are kept, while the family lives upstairs. The men are the leading athletes in Spain, and hold contests in wood chopping and stone drilling. This latter competition sometimes lasts for two hours, and is very exhausting. In dancing, intricate movements are carried on simultaneously with feet, body, arms and even fingers. , e forms followed are chiefly retreating and advancing. Travellers who know Spain cay it ha« 49 provinces, and they are inclined to believe the same number of languages, costumes and dances.

Guernica, 11 miles from Bilbao, is the Town" of the Spanish Basques. It possesses the historical oak tree raider which all national tova were sworn." It is dead, hut its trunk is preserved in a frame of glass and iron, and another tree planted near the town hall takes its place. Under tho old tree the rulers met every two years to administer the laws of the nation. The song of the tree of Guernica, written by the Basque poet, Iparraguirri, is the national anthem of the Basques. To its strains, played after the 'Marseillaise/ the Basque regiments, part of the very backbone of the French' Army, went 'over the top' in the late war singing the wild, passionate refrain, * Tree of Guernica, we adore thee; holy tree.'" Their thought was of that tree, symbol of liberty planted centuries ago. Gnernica was practically destroyed by the rebels recently $nd Bilbao has also fallen and been partly destroyed.

Love of Independence. Taking the Basques all in all, they are a proud and noble race, serious, deeply religious, capable of high enthusi-asms--and equal hate, and are reckless often in their allegiance to causes not always worthy. Whether on the one side or the other of the Pyrenees, their crowning glory has alwaya been thenpassionate love of independences Their song is "There is no country to compare with mine; in my eyes it resembles an ancient oak which, partly uprooted, is ever young and verdant."—HlT.