Olentzero is Coming!
Map of Basque Country. Courtesy of The Basque Cultural Institute.
Situated on both sides of the border between southwestern France and northeastern Spain is Basque country, called Euskal herria in the Basque language and le pays basque in French. The Basque people and culture were mentioned by Greek and Roman writers and evidence of human settlement dates to Paleolithic times. While numerous tribes and the Roman empire asserted power over regions where Basque populations lived, Basque culture and identity has persisted. Basque groups have promoted varying degrees of autonomy within both France and Spain over the course of their respective histories regarding nation-building and nationalism. Spain officially recognized the Basque Autonomous Community in 1936 and again in 1979 whereas the Basque region of France does not have an official self-governing status.
The strength of Basque identity and culture, however, is apparent throughout Basque country in both France and Spain and joyfully evident during the month of December. Well before the tradition of St. Nicholas began, Basque children and families eagerly awaited the arrival of Olentzero, a figure rooted in pagan celebrations of the winter solstice. There are several versions of the origins of Olentzero. An account written in the 16th century tells the story of mythic Basque giants known as jentilak, who lived in the forests of the Pyrenees mountains. The appearance of a radiantly glowing cloud in the sky one day was feared to be the harbinger of the birth of Jesus, which would bring significant changes to the world. The only person who was able to view the cloud was an old, nearly blind man who confirmed the jentilaks’ fears and was subsequently thrown to his death from the top of a cliff. While descending from the heights, all of the giants but one tripped and fell to their own deaths as well. The survivor, Olentzero, became a disgruntled, hard-drinking loner who would go on a rampage before each Christmas, using his sickle to slash villagers he deemed to have eaten too much.
Olentzero and Mari Domingi. Image credit: realjab, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
A more benign tale characterizes Olentzero as an orphaned baby left in the woods. A fairy found the baby and took him to a childless couple who lovingly raised him to be a kind-hearted charcoal maker. He carved toys from wood and brought them to villages to share with children, staying to play with them and witness their happiness. One day, Olentzero arrived in a village where children were trapped in a burning house. He rescued them but was caught inside the house when it collapsed and killed him. At that moment, a bright flash shot up from the house into the sky. It was the fairy who had returned to grant Olentzero eternal life so that he could continue to bring toys and joy to children every winter.
It is no coincidence that this story of Olentzero is reminiscent of the practices that emerged with the expansion of Christianity and the St. Nicholas tradition of bringing gifts to children. Unlike Santa Claus, Olentzero is humbly dressed in a Basque beret, peasant’s clothing, and traditional shoes called abarkak. He often has a black beard and his face is streaked with charcoal as he arrives on foot or by donkey, carrying a staff, pipe, and bag of gifts for children. Olentzero’s charcoal is dirty and dark but symbolizes the light and warmth of the fire that it can create, just as his arrival signals the promise of longer days to come after the solstice.
Not far from Bilbao in Spain, Olentzero’s house, Landetxo Goikoa, is the oldest farmhouse in Biscay and now serves as a center of Basque mythology that is open to the public. Whether Olentzero was real, his message of generosity and light and his place in Basque culture certainly is.
Activité de français
The Christmas hymn ‘Gabriel’s Message’ is based on a medieval Basque carol called ‘Birjina gaztettobat zegoen’. Click below to hear the original carol sung in Basque by Zuberoa Aznárez.
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