Basajaun

In the Basque Mythology, the Basajaun or Baxajaun (plural: Basajaunak , woman: Basaandere , Based Andere , Basandere ) would indicate an old human race men corpulent, hairy and wild, alive around the area of the the Pyrenees, in particular in the Forêt of Iraty. They would be manufacturers of Mégalithes and would have been informed of the magic. Many people admit that one thus indicates a genius, which in many cases, lives with deepest wood or in caves located in high places. In Basque, Basajaun literally means “the lord of the forest”, or “the wild lord”. By its physical characters and its behaviors, it is one of the " men sauvages" or sylvains , guards of nature and the agro-pastoral activities, known in the majority of the traditional cultures, and more particularly in the mountainous areas (Yéti, Almasty and others…)

Significance of the name

The name Basa jaun means " lord sauvage" , while the name Basa andere means " woman sauvage".

Characteristics

Basajaun would be well built, from approximately 2 to 3 meters height, its hair dark red would reach its knees, it would be very nimble, extremely, hairy, with animal characteristics. Being agricultural engineerings, Basajaunak " voient" above the forests and all wild creatures, and are also regarded as the guards of the herds: if the storm occurs, Basajaun will shout to inform the Berger; they prevent also the Loups from approaching the herds.

In other popular accounts, they would be the first to have cultivated the ground: the human beings obtained the right to cultivate the ground when one day a man (often it is about Saint Martin) won a bet against Basajaun, he would have then stolen the seeds which Basajaun was sowing, and would have returned towards his to teach to them how to produce food. They would also have the appearance of first blacksmiths, of first millers (in each case, an essential secrecy their is concealed by the men). Formerly, they made use of the saw, still unknown by the Basques, the blade had been inspired to them by the notched shape of a sheet of Châtaignier.
They are the prototype of Nice or Jentils, people of before Christianity, holders of secrecies, driven out by the new religion. Basajaun, like about all the mythical creatures, is stopped and loses all to be able in front of the religious signs: the sound of the bells, crosses, vaults…

Habitat

Basajaunak live in the mountains of the Pays Basque. They elect residence in the ground, in kinds of named recesses of the " citernes". In the Basque direction, it is about a gallery which puts in communication the outside world and the underground world. Those are so vast that they make think of immense castles.

Characteristics

Basajaunak are excessively fast with the race. However, they must be pressed on a stick. The prints which they leave in snow are easily recognizable. Indeed, one distinguishes a foot there from man beside a foot of horse. They are sometimes equipped with a single eye, located in the middle of their face: characteristic suitable for the Cyclops (Tarto, Tartaro) with which one gradually assimilated it. Moreover, one often gives to the one and the other the name of Anxo .

The children being born from the union of Basajaun and human name hachkos .

Basaandere

Basaandere, partners of Basajaunak, have as a practice to remain near the entry of the cisterns, or close to the fountains. It spend the hours there to comb their hair, while keeping an eye on their vast treasures. The flight of a gold comb, by a shepherd, is a topic of frequent tale.

It is practically impossible to see closely one of these creatures, because as soon as one approaches some, they disappear as by magic.

How to get rid some?

It is possible two to get rid of one Based jaun:

Is one proposes a riddle, or a play of spirit to him. They adore the enigmas, but their lack of perspicacity the force to be reflected so a long time that their victims have all the time to flee.
Is one breaks Herensugue (the snake with seven heads which protects them). A hare will escape from its belly, and it should be seized by the two ears. Belly of hare flies away a dove which it is necessary to hold until it lays an egg. For this egg, it is necessary to run up against the face of Basajaun so that it collapses with ground, dead. This traditional receipt (the egg in a series of animals imbricated one in another) which is found in a great number of European tales, appears in a tale collected by Jean-François Cerquand

Speculation

According to some, the stories on Basajaunak would draw their origin from the meeting of the proto-Basques, who would have arrived approximately 40.000 years ago, with the last Néandertaliens, then in process of extinction. This is however in contradiction with the fact that Basajaunak would have given agriculture to the Basques, this completely foreign practice state in Néandertaliens and being adopted only with the Neolithic .

See too

Random links: