Culture of the Basque Country
The Basques living in the territory are primarily represented by the symbol of the flag Ikurriña, as well as the Lauburu cross and the Zazpiak Bat coat of arms.
However, Basque has showed a receding trend, and it is nowadays a minority language due mainly to political fragmentation, with higher usage intensity in Biscay, Gipuzkoa, northern-western Navarre, and western sub-Pyrenean areas of the Pyrénées Atlantiques.
[1] Spanish and French remain the most widely used everyday communication languages in their respective administrative districts, with the legal status of Basque varying depending on the area.
However, the coming of the printer allowed for the first glossy Basque literary sprouts to spring up (Bernard Etxepare with Linguae vasconum primitiae, 1545; Joanes Leizarraga) in the mid-16th century.
Much of Basque literature was costumbrismo literature (Garoa by Txomin Agirre, 1912), or Romantic historic novels like Amaya o los vascos en el siglo VIII by Navarro Villoslada (1879) and, especially in Basque, often aimed at Catholic indoctrination up to the Second Republic period, but plays, lyric poems in bertso metre (Bilintx, Joan Batista Elizanburu, the Lore Jokoak festivals), and press articles were also produced.
[4] Meanwhile, Spanish language writers started to stand out in the context of the 1898 crisis, figures such as Unamuno and Pio Baroja (El árbol de la ciencia, 1911), hailing from urban areas like Bilbao and Donostia.
After the barren postwar years, a new generation set an innovative trend along the lines of contemporary European literature, authors like Txillardegi (influenced by existentialism), Ramon Saizarbitoria, Gabriel Aresti in Basque, or works in Spanish like Tiempo de silencio, as well as Ignacio Aldecoa and Blas de Otero (Pido la paz y la palabra, 1955 (1975)) with their social realism.
However, the trend towards diversification in genres and styles was confirmed during the 80s and 90s with the emergence of regional editorial houses, and authors as diverse as Joseba Sarrionandia (Ni ez naiz hemengoa, 1985), Bernardo Atxaga (Obabakoak, 1988), Pako Aristi, Aingeru Epalza (in Basque), or Toti Martinez de Lezea, Miguel Sanchez Ostiz and Espido Freire in Spanish.
The coming of the Enlightenment and the Royal Basque Society saw attempts of establishing an upper status music, e.g. bringing more dignity to the txistu, and technically developing it.
In the early 1960s, the seeds of the Basque music revival were sown at either side of the French-Spanish border with new young figures eager to sing their ideals (Mixel Labeguerie, Benito Lertxundi, etc.
), while many pop-rock bands have confirmed their own paths and even go international, groups as diverse as Gatibu, Barricada, Berri Txarrak, Fito y los Fitipaldis, or La Oreja de Van Gogh.
Basque pelota (especially esku-huska, handball) and rowing races are highly popular, while traditional bowls or hole drilling have remained largely local, limited to occasional events and celebrations.
Other mountaineers with worldwide recognition include Juanito Oiarzabal, Edurne Pasaban, Iñaki Ochoa de Olza, or the brothers Iñurrategi.
