Jose Miguel de Barandiarán Ayerbe

Jose Miguel Barandiarán Ayerbe , also called Joxemiel Barandiaran or aita Barandiaran (Barandiaran Father) is a priest, researcher and scientist born on December 31st, 1889 with Ataun in Guipuzcoa, with the Basque Country Spanish and died in 1991. Author of many research in Anthropology, in Linguistic, Archeology and Ethnology, it is regarded as the patriarch of the Basque culture.

Biography

Childhood

Jose Miguel Barandiarán Ayerbe, the last of nine wire of Francisco Antonio Barandiarán and Antonia Ayerbe, were born on December 31st, 1889, in the caserío Perune-Zarre of Ataun, in Guipuzcoa, in the middle of the Euskal Herria rural, in which the traditions and the superstitions were very enracinées.

As at much of others at the time, in Jose María the religious vocation, guided by the lesson of his/her mother grew, María Antonia, which was a woman of a very major faith. At the fourteen years age, it goes in the Preceptoría of Baliarrain, decided to be ordered priest, to pass afterwards to the seminar of Vitoria, while following at the same time careers in Théologie like in the body enseignant.

From 1914 to 1936

It was ordered at the end of 1914 with Burgos, and as from year 1916 begin its research within the framework of the ethnography and the archeology of the Basques. By exploring the castle of San Gregorio in Ataun it finds by chance several Dolmen S prehistoric, this why it is put in liaison with professor T. of Aranzadi, professor of the Université of Barcelona, which carried out research on the dolmens on the Navarrese slope of the mountain of Aralar. This one, in its turn, proposes the Fouille dolmens discovered by Barandiarán, with the geologist and professor Eguren, which begins the summer 1917, and which will give place to collaborations between the three professors until 1936, date on which the beginning of the Guerre of Spain dispersera.
During this time, more concretely during the year 1921, it creates the Société of Eusko Folklore , the review Annuaire of Eusko Folklore and the series of publications Eusko-Folklore. Materials and Questionnaires , which gathers myths and legends. In the same way, during the years 1923 and 1924, the Barandiarán Father will attend the courses of the abbot Breuil, at the request of this last. Also, during this time, the Aita Barandiarán will have problems such as the politization of its work, meeting a strong opposition of its ecclesiastical superiors, and in addition anticlericals mediums, but that was not an obstacle so that its work is recognized in the academic fields and outwards, and that it is named regional owner of the Musée of the Spanish People of Madrid lasting the year 1930, and in 1934 member of the permanent council of the International Congresses of Anthropology and Ethnology of London. Among its disciples at that time appear Julio Caro Baroja, the nephew of Pío Baroja, which required of him that it included it in its research team. At the beginning of the war, the Barandiarán Father will be exiled with the Basque Country French, where it will continue his recherches.

The exile

Since the port of Mutriku, it embarks bound for the port of Sokoa (Ciboure), near to the town of Saint-Jean-with-Luz.

Once on the French soil, since the Seminar of Vitoria, one ordered to him to go to the seminar of Bayonne, to deal with the refugees seminarists. During its exile, it initially fixed its residence at Biarritz, and then, during the year 1941, it settles with Sara, until its return in Spain.

The exile of the Barandiaran Father will last up to 1953, date on which it turned over to Ataún.

The return in Spain

After these adventures, during the year 1953, in October, Aita Barandiaran can finally turn over to its native Ataún. In coincidence with its happy return, is created in the Université of Salamanque, the Chaire of Basque studies " Larramendi" whose Barandiaran Father will be the first invited professor.

During the remainder of its life it will continue to carry out research in this field, and by carrying out an important activity of popularization, until its death on December 21st, 1991, while having been recognized Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Alcala of Madrid, the Université of the Pays Basque and the University of Deusto.

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