EuSKal Herria
Ancient Origins
 Archeological evidence shows basque people evolved from cromagnons 40,000 years ago
 1937 discovery of Rh factor- Basque people have the highest
incidence of Rh negative blood of any people in the entire world.
(common among cro-magnon areas)
 Basque also have the highest concentration of type O blood in the
world (50 percent)
 27 percent of basque people have O Rh negative blood.
 Rh negative blood in a pregnant woman can fatally poison a fetus
that has posotivce blood- Rate of miscarriages and stillborn births
among the basque througout history has been extremely high.
 One theory claims that they were actually the lost thirteenth tribe
of Israel, and others have concluded the Basques are, in reality,
the survivors of Atlantis
Survival
 According to popular myth, their rugged, mountainous
territory was unconquerable.
 Long before the Romans gave the basques a name, a
large number of people tried to invade basqueland.
 Invaders were aloud to pass through on their path to
the conquest of Iberia. But if they tried to settle in the
northern mountains they were met by a fierce enemy
 Proved to be valued mercenaries throughout the
Mediterranean.
 Pre-Roman boundaries are unknown
 Coexisted with the Romans and culture, language and
legal traditions were preserved
 Whaling and the discovery of
America in the Bay Of
Viscay? When explorers
arrived they found tribes that
spoke Basque
 French Revolution marked
beginning of hostility between
the Basques and Spanish.
French controlled the Basque
country, but Spain later won it
back at the peace table
 Madrid began to become
hostile to traditional basque
rights and the Fueros
The Basque language
 The basque language pre-dates the Indo-European
invasions, and is likely the oldest living European
language. However there are no written records until
1545.
 Theories employ that Adam and Eve spoke Basque.
The name Eve according to this theory comes from ezbai “no-yes” in Basque???
 Absolutely no linguistic relative, it is an orphan non
Indo-European language.
 Remarkable because once the Indo-Europeans began
their Bronze Age sweep from Asia across Europe,
virtually no group was left untouched.
 Baina nire aitaren
etxhe defendituko
dut- house of my
father
 Eskuak ebakiko
dizkidate- they will
cut off my hands
 Sarbaldik gabewithout shoulders
Pintxos and Food
Basque Sports
Aizkolari Soka-Tira