Remembered as the nation's founder, he would be referred to as early as the 10th century by the nickname "Arista",[3] coming either from Basque Aritza (Haritza/Aiza, literally 'the oak', meaning 'the resilient') or Latin Aresta ('the considerable').
[7] It has been speculated that he was kin to García Jiménez, who in the late 8th century succeeded his father Jimeno the Strong in resisting Carolingian expansion into Vasconia.
They fought a three-day battle in which the pro-Córdoba faction routed their enemies and killed Velasco, along with García López, kinsman of Alfonso II of Asturias, Sancho "warrior/knight of Pamplona", and pagan warrior "Ṣaltān".
In 824, a Carolingian force led by counts Aeblus and Aznar Sánchez made an expedition against Pamplona, but were defeated in the second battle of Roncesvalles.
In 850, Mūsā again rose in open rebellion, supported by Pamplona,[11] and envoys of Induo (thought to be Íñigo) and Mitio,[b] "Dukes of the Navarrese", were received at the French court.
Íñigo died in the Muslim year 237 A.H., which is late 851 or early 852, and was succeeded by his son García Íñiguez who was already governing the kingdom during his father's long illness prior to his death.
In a letter written to Wiliesind, not only does Eulogius reveal that the Basque leader was a christicola princeps but he provides the names of three monasteries not far from Pamplona: Siresa, St. Zacharias and Leyre.
[13] There is also scholarly debate regarding her derivation, some hypothesizing that she was daughter of Velasco, lord of Pamplona (killed 816), and others making her kinswoman of Aznar I Galíndez.