Basque rural sports - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Basque rural sports, known as Herri Kirolak in Basque

Basque language

Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...

, is the term used for a number of sports competitions rooted in the traditional lifestyles of the Basque people

Basque people

The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...

. They are called deporte rural vasco or simply deportes vascos in Spanish

Spanish language

Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

and force basque in French

French language

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

.

Virtually all Basque rural sports have their origin in the two main historical occupations, the baserri
Baserri
A baserri is a traditional type of half-timbered or stone-built farmhouse found in the Basque Country in Northern Spain and Southwestern France. The baserris, with their gently sloping roofs and entrace portals, are highly characteristic of the region and form a vital part in traditional Basque...

tarra (farmer) and arrantzalea (fisher), with a larger percentage hailing from the rural background. The sociological changes

Social change

Social change refers to an alteration in the social order of a society. It may refer to the notion of social progress or sociocultural evolution, the philosophical idea that society moves forward by dialectical or evolutionary means. It may refer to a paradigmatic change in the socio-economic...

in the Basque Country

Basque Country (historical territory)

The Basque Country is the name given to the home of the Basque people in the western Pyrenees that spans the border between France and Spain on the Atlantic coast....

have led many of these becoming technically obsolete in the 19th and 20th century. Few continue to exist as rural or marine activities connected to everyday life and have become rare but many have managed to transform themselves into popular sport

Sport

A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...

s instead, some of which have become extremely popular.

Winners receive a Basque beret

Beret

A beret is a soft, round, flat-crowned hat, designated a "cap", usually of woven, hand-knitted wool, crocheted cotton, or wool felt, or acrylic fiber....

(txapela) as a trophy, hence the Basque word for "champion", txapeldun, literally "one who has a beret".

Betting, both by the competitors and the audience, is very common and popular at such sporting events.

The H18K rural sports

In 2006 the Basque Government

Basque Government

The Basque Government is the governing body of the Basque Autonomous Community of Spain. The head of this government is the lehendakari or Basque president that is appointed by the Basque Parliament every four years...

identified 18 particular rural sports, called H18K, in its Strategic Plan for promotion. These 18 categories are (in alphabetical order):

Aizkora proba (wood chopping)

Literally "axe test", this rural sport more commonly known as aizkolaritza

Aizkolaritza

Aizkolaritza is the Basque name for a type of wood-chopping competition. They are a popular form of herri kirol in the Basque Country...

, from the Basque word for a wood-cutter. This is a very popular sport today but its origins are to be found in the rural wood cutting and charcoal burning communities of earlier periods.

In this competition, the wood cutter has to chop through a number of tree trunks arranged on the ground in rows as quickly as possible while standing on the log to beat his competitors.

This sport is often seen in summer at local festivities and open-air dances, held in towns all over the country.

Giza-abere probak (dragging games)

This sport translates as Human-animal tests and is a collective term for a number of sports in which humans and animals are involved in dragging heavy weights. There are four main categories:

Giza probak (human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...

tests) where people attempt to drag a heavy weight, usually a large rock, across a certain distance
Zaldi probak (horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...

tests) - same as giza probak but with horses
Idi probak
Idi probak
The idi probak are the most popular form of Basque dragging games. It involves oxen, usually a pair, dragging a rock from one side of a square to another...

(ox
Ox
An ox , also known as a bullock in Australia, New Zealand and India, is a bovine trained as a draft animal. Oxen are commonly castrated adult male cattle; castration makes the animals more tractable...

en tests) - same as giza probak but with oxen
Asto probak (donkey
Donkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...

tests) - same as giza probak but with donkeys

These normally take place on specially built trial grounds. The aim is to cover a certain distance within a given time or to cover as many circuits as possible. The idi probak are by far the most popular in this category.

Harri jasotzea (stone lifting)

The lifting of stones is one of the most widely known Basque rural sport outside the Basque Country, largely thanks to the prowess of Iñaki Perurena, a harrijasotzaile (stone-lifter) from Leitza

Leitza

Leitza is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain.-External links:*...

, in Navarre

Navarre

Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...

, the first on record to lift stone over 300 kg.

There are usually two stone-lifters competing in each event, taking turns in one or several attempts, to perform the greatest possible number of lifts. A lift is considered complete when the stone has been properly balanced on the shoulder.

The four types of stone most frequently used are rectangular, cylindrical, spherical and square and were established at the beginning of the 20th century. The stones are traditionally made of granite, their weight normally ranging from 100 kg to 212 kg.

Together with aizkolaritza

Aizkolaritza

Aizkolaritza is the Basque name for a type of wood-chopping competition. They are a popular form of herri kirol in the Basque Country...

(wood chopping), stone lifting is another example a widely performed rural sport at local festivities all over the Basque Country.

Harri zulaketa (hole drilling)

The rock boring competition involves having to punch holes into a rock. Teams of three compete against each other. They take turns in using a long metal pole (called laztabin) to punch and drill a hole into a large rock upon which they are standing, pouring water onto the working area while the third person gets to rest.

This tradition goes back to the quarrying activities around the Basque Country, in particular in Biscay

Biscay

Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...

. In Spanish it is called barrenadores "drillers" and occasionally barrenatzaileak (drillers, from the Spanish word) in Basque as well.

Ingude altxatzea (anvil lifting)

The lifting of anvils requires competitors to lift an iron anvil or ingude weighing 18 kg 30 cm above the height of their own head as many times as possible in a set time period. The anvil has the shape of an obtuse triangle

Triangle

A triangle is one of the basic shapes of geometry: a polygon with three corners or vertices and three sides or edges which are line segments. A triangle with vertices A, B, and C is denoted ....

with a stump at one point or an elongated T and is traditionally used in shoeing

Horseshoe

A horseshoe, is a fabricated product, normally made of metal, although sometimes made partially or wholly of modern synthetic materials, designed to protect a horse's hoof from wear and tear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall...

horses. Champions manage some 80 lifts in 2 minutes.

In Spanish

Spanish language

this is called alzamiento de yunque and in French

French language

lever d’enclume.

Lasto altxatzea (bale lifting)

Literally hay bale lifting, this sport involves raising a hay-bale with the aid of a pulley.

The competition is usually about lifting the bale as often as possible withint a given period of time, most commonly 2 minutes. The bale weighs 45 kg in the men's competitions and 30 kg in the women's competition.

The most difficult part is to get to bale to the required height for the first time. Once that has been achieved, the competitors allow the bale to drop in free fall, grabbing the rope and jumping up at the appropriate moment to use their own body weight to lift up the bale again when coming down. A lot of skill is needed to avoid rope burn. The visual appearance is not dissimilar to swinging on a church bell rope.

In Spanish

Spanish language

this is called levantamiento de fardo and in French

French language

lever de paille.

Lasto botatzea (bale tossing)

Hay bale tossing is related to lasto altxatzea. Here the hay-bales have to be thrown over a bar set a certain height with the help of a pitchfork. For men the height is normally 7m, for women 5m and the bale has to hit a bell for the toss to be valid.

This sport is very similar to the Scottish sheaf toss

Sheaf toss

The sheaf toss is a traditional Scottish agricultural sport event originally contested at country fairs. A pitchfork is used to hurl a burlap bag stuffed with straw over a horizontal bar above the competitor's head. Typical weight for the bag is 16 pounds . Three chances are given to each...

. In Spanish

Spanish language

this is called lanzamiento de fardo.

Lokotx biltzea (cob gathering)

In cob
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...

gathering competitions, also called buskail biltzea, cobs are placed at 1.25m distances in a line, 25 in a line at the most. The game can be played to 50, 75 or 100 cobs in which case they are placed in sets of 2, 3 or 4. The competitors have to collect these in order (the nearest first) and place them into a basket at one end of the row of cobs.

It is called recogida de mazorcas in Spanish

Spanish language

and course des épis de maïs in French

French language

Ontzi eramatea (churn carrying)

The churn carrying competition usually involves milk-cans and is very similar to the txinga eramatea competition. Competitors have to carry a 41 kg milk-churn in each hand as far as possible. This game is also called esneketariak "milk carrying" or ontziketariak "can carrying".

Orga jokoa (cart game)

The "oxcart game" is a display of strength. Contestants have to lift the back of an ox cart

Cart

A cart is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people...

weighing 360 kg 40 cm above ground. The cart is pivoted to the ground at the front end and competitors must rotate it, trying to go around as many times as possible.

It is also called andartza in Basque. In Spanish

Spanish language

this is called levantamiento de carro and in French

French language

lever de charette.

Sega jokoa (scything)

Literally "scythe game", this sport is also known as segalariak (scythers), sega proba (scythe test), sega apustua (scythe bet) or segalaritza (scything). The earliest record of this sport comes from a bertso dating back to 1880 about a competition in Iturriotz.

In this sport competitors (called segalari) either compete to cut the most grass in a given space of time (usually one hour) or they are each given plots of grass of the same size and the competition is to see who can scythe theirs the fastest. Today the competition usually lasts one hour but two hour competitions also are still held. At the end, the grass is raked, weighed and baled to establish the winner. Traditionally, as with most Basque sports, the competitors would make a profit by betting but monetary prizes have been put up since the 1950s.

There are few actual records in this sport as it very much depends on the terrain and is thus difficult to compare. But a number of segalari have achieved fame nonetheless, for example the legendary Pedro Maria Otaño Ezeitza, commonly known as Santa Ageda from Beizama who was also an aizkolari and competed up until 1915. Another famed event was the competition of 1925 in Iturriotz when, before a crowd of 6000, Pedro Mendizabal from Aia

Aia

Aia is a small village situated on the slopes of Mount Pagoeta in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa, Spain. It is located 30 km to the west of Donostia-San Sebastián and about 10 km inland from the coastal town of Zarautz. Aia is set amongst rolling green hills and lush green forests, and...

and Jose Arrieta from Urnieta

Urnieta

Urnieta is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:* Information available in Spanish and Basque.* Information available in Spanish...

battled each other. Legend has it that more than 150,000 pesetas

Spanish peseta

The peseta was the currency of Spain between 1869 and 2002. Along with the French franc, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra .- Etymology :...

in bets were placed. Mendizabal won, cutting 4294 kg of grass in two hours against his rival's 3957 kg.

The use of scythes is still widespread today as many pastures are to steep for modern farm machinery so scythes are used to cut grass or bracken. Working scythes have blades between 0.9-0.95m long but competition scythes range from 1.18-1.24m in length. A decent segalari can manage some 5000m2 in a day.

In Spanish

Spanish language

this is simply called siega.

Sokatira (tug-of-war)

Tug-of-war is also traditional in the Basque Country. Usually two teams of eight compete, trying to drag the other team over a line by pulling on the rope.

There are free competitions in which the weight of the competitors is ignored and more structured events where there are weight categories of 525 kg, 560 kg, 640 kg and 720 kg per team. Juvenile teams are always under 560 kg. Three lines are marked on the ground, a middle line and parallel to that at 2m distance two more. The maximum length of the rope is 32m with a circumference between 10-12.5 cm. There are 5 markers on the rope, a red marker in the middle, 2m away from the red marker on either side are white markers and 5m on either side of those are blue markers. The aim is to get the opposing team's blue marker over your own 2m line. Hands must always be on the rope and you may not support it with any other part of your body or let it slacken. Only the last member of the team is allowed to wind the rope around their body.

In Spanish

Spanish language

this is called sogatira and in French

French language

tir à la corde.

Trontza (sawing)

Sawing
Sawing
The execution by sawing was a method of execution used in Europe under the Roman Empire, in the Middle East, and in parts of Asia. Some sources say that the method was probably never used. The condemned were hung upside-down and sawn apart vertically through the middle, starting at the groin...

competitions, also called trontzalaritza or arpana, are seen as a variation of aizkolaritza and involve sawing through pieces of wood. The log is either fixed horizontally on sawhorses at a height of 40 cm or at an angle with one end over the sawhorse and two members of the sawing team sitting on the lower end to stabilise the log, with two other handling the saw. The saw is usually 2m long, the logs vary but can be over 1m in circumference and usually between 10-20 in number.

In Spanish

Spanish language

this is called corte de troncos con tronza or just tronza and in French

French language

scieur de bois.

Txinga eramatea (weight carrying)

In the weight carrying competition weights have to be carried in both hands as far as possible. There usually is no time limit but the weights weigh between 50–100 kg each and may not be put down or supported by any other part of your body. Competitors may only hold them by the rope handles but are not allowed to put their hands through them. It is possible to bring your own, favourite weights but they are checked by judges beforehand. The aim is to complete as many plaza
Plaza
Plaza is a Spanish word related to "field" which describes an open urban public space, such as a city square. All through Spanish America, the plaza mayor of each center of administration held three closely related institutions: the cathedral, the cabildo or administrative center, which might be...

of 28m as possible. You set your own pace and may stop (without putting the weights down) and champions manage between 400-500m.
It is similar to the churn carrying competition.

The word eramatea variously shows up in dialect forms such as erutea or eroatea. In Spanish

Spanish language

this is called prueba de txingas or carreras marmitas.

Zaku eramatea (sack carrying)

The sack carrying, also called zaku lasterketa (sack race) requires participants to have both speed and stamina. It usually takes the form of a relay race

Relay race

During a relay race, members of a team take turns running, orienteering, swimming, cross-country skiing, biathlon, or ice skating parts of a circuit or performing a certain action. Relay races take the form of professional races and amateur games...

in teams of 3 where the runners have to carry heavy sacks across their shoulders. Depending on the area, the sacks contain a variety of things from bread to beans and usually weigh 60 kg, 75 kg or 80 kg.

In Spanish

Spanish language

this is called carreras de contrabandistas ("smugglers' runs") or carrera con saco and in French

French language

course de sac.

Other rural sports

The above categories included in the H18K group aside, there are a number of other rural and traditional Basque sports, some of which are extremely popular both in and outside the Basque Country. Some are indigenous, some also occur in areas adjacent to the Basque country or other cultures around the world.

Ahari topeka (ram fighting)

Ram fights, also variously called ahari apustuak (ram bets) and ahari talka (ram bump) are very popular around the Urola

Urola

The Urola is a river and valley in Gipuzkoa , Basque Country, Spain.The river is only 55 kilometres in length, and runs from headwaters in the Aizkorri Mountains, near the town of Legazpi to its outflow into the Cantabrian Sea at the town of Zumaia on the Bay of Biscay...

basin in towns like Azpeitia

Azpeitia

Azpeitia is a town and municipality within the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country of Spain, located on the Urola river a few kilometres east of Azkoitia. Its population is 13,708 . It is located 16 miles southwest of Donostia/San Sebastián.Azpeitia is the birth place of Ignatius of Loyola...

(between October and June) and Arroa. They test the strength and endurance of the rams, using their natural inclination to fight other rams.

The rams are trained and fed on a variety of secret diets involving things like beans, apples, red wine, carrots or egg yolk. A basic fight goes over at least 8 ekintaldi (attacks), also called kintze (from Spanish

Spanish language

quince "15"), with the best of 8 winning. To score a point, a ram has to land a square hit on his opponent's head or horns. If the ram runs away at the start, the owner is allowed to bring him back into the ring once. There are records of bets over 100 attacks but these are rare now.

Although the strongest rams are said to come from the Aralar Mendilerroa mountain range between Gipuzkoa and Navarre

Navarre

Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...

, they are also said to be too placid so the preference is for rams from the region around Urbasa

Urbasa

The Urbasa Range is a mountain range of western Navarre, Spain, part of the Basque Mountains...

, Andia

Andia

The Andia Range is a mountain range of western Navarre, Spain, part of the Basque Mountains...

and Gorbeia

Gorbea

Gorbea or Gorbeia is a mountain and massif, the highest in Biscay and Alava , with a height of 1,481 m AMSL. The massif covers a wide area between the two provinces. The main mountain is a round grass-covered summit where a 20-metre-tall metallic cross has been constructed to reach the altitude of...

.

The Basque Government

Basque Government

controversially banned the Iurreta

Iurreta

Iurreta is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. Iurreta is home to Basque radio and television broadcaster Euskal Telebista....

ahari topekas in 2007 on animal welfare

Animal welfare

Animal welfare is the physical and psychological well-being of animals.The term animal welfare can also mean human concern for animal welfare or a position in a debate on animal ethics and animal rights...

grounds.

This sport is called peleas de carneros in Spanish

Spanish language

Aitzur jaurtiketa (hoe throwing)

A game of throwing hoe

Hoe

Hoe may refer to:* Hoe , a hand tool used in gardening* Hoe , a Korean dish of raw fish* Plymouth Hoe, a public space in Plymouth, England* Hoe, Norfolk, a village in Norfolk, England* USS Hoe , a World War II US submarine...

s.

In Spanish

Spanish language

this is called lanzamiento de azada, in French

French language

as lancer de houe.

Antzar jokoa (goose game)

There are two variations of this game depending on whether it is played at a seaside town or inland. In a seaside town, a long rope is suspended between a pole on the quay and the mast of a boat. A dead goose (previously live geese were used too) is suspended head down in the middle of the rope. Teams now have to row out and a designated person must jump up, grab the goose, hang on to it and try to remove the head before falling off. At the same time, sailors at both ends of the rope try their best to shake the person clinging to the goose off. The team that collects the most heads wins. Inland, the rope is suspended over the ground and the same goal must be achieved from horseback.

The most famous of these is held in Lekeitio

Lekeitio

Lekeitio is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Spanish Autonomous Community of Basque Country, 53 km northeast from Bilbao. The municipality has 7,293 inhabitants and is one of the most important fishing ports of the Basque coast...

on Antzar Eguna (goose day), held between the 1–8 September goes back at least to the year 1877 when it was played only by sailors. It has also been celebrated on other days in other villages, sometimes (for example in Gernika) using chicken instead of geese.

In Spanish

Spanish language

this is called juego de gansos and in French

French language

as jeu d'oie.

Ardi ile moztea (sheep shearing)

Sheep shearing

Sheep shearing, shearing or clipping is the process by which the woollen fleece of a sheep is cut off. The person who removes the sheep's wool is called a shearer. Typically each adult sheep is shorn once each year...

also features in Basque rural sports and works along similar lines as other sheep shearing contests. Ardi ile moztea translates as "the shearing of sheep's wool" and it is also known as ardi moztea "sheep shearing".

Blankolari (shooting)

Shotgun

A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...

shooting is particularly popular in the area around Eibar

Éibar

Eibar is a city and municipality within the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country of Spain. The city was chartered by Alfonso XI of Castile in 1346...

in the Basque Country.

In Spanish

Spanish language

this is called puntería con escopeta, in French

French language

as compétition avec escopette.

Bola jokoa (bowls)

Basques have also their own variants of dirt-track and lawn bowls. There is a large number of variations of the game but most are similar to skittles

Skittles (sport)

Skittles is an old European lawn game, a variety of bowling, from which ten-pin bowling, duckpin bowling, and candlepin bowling in the United States, and five-pin bowling in Canada are descended. In the United Kingdom, the game remains a popular pub game in England and Wales, though it tends to be...

and centre around a set of pins that must be knocked down with a ball.

Espadrila jaurtiketa (espadrilles tossing)

A game of throwing espadrilles

Espadrilles

Espadrilles are normally casual flat, but sometimes high heeled shoes originating from the Pyrenees. They usually have a canvas or cotton fabric upper and a flexible sole made of rope or rubber material moulded to look like rope. The jute rope sole is the defining characteristic of an espadrille;...

, a kind of shoe with a straw sole.

In Spanish

Spanish language

this is called lanzamiento de alpargata, in French

French language

as lancer d'espadrille .

Estropadak (rowing competitions)

A very popular rowing

Rowing (sport)

Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...

competition all along the coast of the Bay of Biscay

Bay of Biscay

The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...

and the Northern coast of the Iberian Peninsula

Iberian Peninsula

The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...

.

This sport hails back to the days when fishermen had to reach fishing grounds quickly and return to port as quickly as possible to achieve the best price.

The crew is made up of thirteen oarsmen and the cox

Cox

- People :*Cox , for information on the origins of the family name and a list of people with the name- Places :* Cox, Alicante, Spain* Cox, Florida, United States* Cox, Haute-Garonne, France* Cox Island, Nunavut, Canada...

, who faces them at the stern

Stern

The stern is the rear or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite of the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Originally, the term only referred to the aft port section...

. The boats are called traineru (trainera in Spanish

Spanish language

), and are derived from 19th century fishing boats.

The most important competition in the Bay of Biscay in summer takes place the first two Sundays in September: the Kontxako Bandera

Kontxako Bandera

The Kontxako Bandera or "Flag of the Kontxa" is one of the oldest and most famous estropada race along the Bay of Biscay, held annually in the Kontxa, the main bay of San Sebastián. It takes place on the first two weekends in September and regularly draws crowds of more than 100,000 people and...

, where the best teams compete against each other, following a tradition which is over a hundred years old. There is a regatta in almost every seaside town between July and October.

Goitibeherak (soapbox cars)

In the Basque Country the tradition of building soapbox cars

Soapbox (car)

A gravity racer is a motorless vehicle capable of holding a driver built for the purpose of racing or recreation. They are propelled by gravity and can achieve speeds upwards of 112 km/h .-Soapbox cars:...

goes back at least to the early 20th century. The name is a contraction

Morphology (linguistics)

In linguistics, morphology is the identification, analysis and description, in a language, of the structure of morphemes and other linguistic units, such as words, affixes, parts of speech, intonation/stress, or implied context...

of goitik-behera which means "from the top to the bottom". Unlike most European soapbox cars, the goitibeherak are three-wheelers and the early versions simply consisted of a triangular frame on three wheels or even scavenged ball bearings with a plank to sit upon, which children would race down the slopes found in many Basque towns.

The earliest documented races date back to the mid-1970s, when races were held during local festivals. The first Basque national competition was held in 1976, and they are common events all over the Basque Country today. One of the biggest events, the Goitibehera Munduko Txapelketa (World Goitibehera Championship) was first held in 1985 in Pamplona

Pamplona

Pamplona is the historial capital city of Navarre, in Spain, and of the former kingdom of Navarre.The city is famous worldwide for the San Fermín festival, from July 6 to 14, in which the running of the bulls is one of the main attractions...

during the San Fermín

San Fermín

The festival of San Fermín in the city of Pamplona , is a deeply rooted celebration held annually from 12:00, 6 July, when the opening of the fiesta is marked by setting off the pyrotechnic chupinazo, to midnight 14 July, with the singing of the Pobre de Mí...

es and has been held at irregular intervals since, the last time on 28 June 2008 when the IX World Championship was held.

The normal soapbox races are called carreras de cajas de jabón in Spanish

Spanish language

but this version is called goitiberas even in Spanish. They occur in the Basque Country and Uruguay

Uruguay

Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...

to where they were exported by Basque emigrants.

Igel jokoa (frog game)

The frog game is a pub game played both in the Basque Country and outside. In the Basque Country, it is commonly played in Basque sagardotegi

Sagardotegi

A sagardotegi is a type of cider house found in the Basque Country. Modern sagardotegis can broadly be described as a cross between a steakhouse and a cider house....

ak (cider houses) and taverns. The aim of the game is to score as many points as possible by aiming 10 metal disks at the frog chest.

The chest can be placed at a number of distances away from the players, usually 8-15 paces. On top of the chest there is an iron frog with an open mouth, a mill and a bridge. Underneath are more empty compartments. In most variants if one manages to hit the frog's mouth, you are awarded 50 points, 25 for getting the disc under the mill, 10 for the bridge and 5 for any of the compartments below. Other score systems also exist.

Some frog chests have obstacles built into the frog, mill and bridge to make the game more difficult. Disks that have hit the mark are collected at the back of the chest via a set of metal tubes.

In Spanish

Spanish language

this game is called juego de la rana in Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

and Chile

Chile

Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

, juego de sapo in Peru

Peru

Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

and Argentina

Argentina

Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

), tiro al sapo in Bolivia

Bolivia

Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...

or just rana in Colombia

Colombia

Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...

. In French

French language

it is referred to as jeu de la grenouille. In England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, it is known as Toad in the hole

Toad in the hole (game)

Toad in the hole is a pub game, involving throwing brass coins at a lead topped table with a hole in the middle. A variation of this game has been played in pubs in East Sussex, UK, the 'hole' being in the centre of the lead which is on top of a wooden table...

Korrika (racing)

Also a popular sport in the Basque country. There are broadly speaking two categories:

races held in bullring
Bullring
A bullring is an arena where bullfighting is performed. Bullrings are often associated with Spain, but they can also be found in neighboring countries and the New World...

s where a circle with a 15m radius
Radius
In classical geometry, a radius of a circle or sphere is any line segment from its center to its perimeter. By extension, the radius of a circle or sphere is the length of any such segment, which is half the diameter. If the object does not have an obvious center, the term may refer to its...

. Competitors try to complete a set number of laps as fast as possible.
cross country races, usually of more than 10 km.

A highly popular race, the Korrika

Korrika

The Korrika, or Running, is an exhibition race held bi-annually in the Basque Country in order to celebrate and support the Basque language....

, is held once a year in aid of Basque schools

Ikastola

An Ikastola is a type of primary and secondary school in the Basque Autonomous Community, Navarre and the French Basque Country in which pupils are taught either entirely or predominantly in the Basque language...

and crosses all parts of the Basque Country.
The goal is not competition, but the raising of funds and awareness.

A variant of the korrika are the ibiltariak (walkers), a fast walking race that was particularly popular in Navarre

Navarre

Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...

in the 19th and 20th century with the walkers wearing the abarketa, a traditional Basque leather shoe, and a hazel stick.

The traditional forms of running korrika have been largely supplanted by modern forms of running

Running

Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...

and racing

Racing

A sport race is a competition of speed, against an objective criterion, usually a clock or to a specific point. The competitors in a race try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time...

Kukaina (yard climbing)

This variant of the Neapolitan

Naples

Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...

greasy pole

Greasy pole

Greasy pole or grease pole refers to a pole that has been made slippery and thus difficult to grip. More specifically, it is the name of several events that involve staying on, climbing up, walking over or otherwise traversing such a pole...

game is usually played on a yard that is suspended horizontally over water. A piece of cloth is attached to the far end of the yard and competitors have to try to reach it and retrieve it.
A variant uses a greased vertical pole.
It can also be spelled kukaña, a word which derives from the Spanish

Spanish language

word cucaña (Cockaigne

Cockaigne

Cockaigne or Cockayne is a medieval mythical land of plenty, an imaginary place of extreme luxury and ease where physical comforts and pleasures are always immediately at hand and where the harshness of medieval peasant life does not exist...

), in French

French language

monter du mât.

Laiariak (laia competitions)

This is a competition involving the laia

Laia (tool)

The laia is a two-pronged type of foot-plough used in the Basque Country. Aside from being a farming implement, it is also used in the associated laia competitions. The people using a laia are referred to as laiariak in Basque.-Etymology:...

, a farming implement that resembles a two-pronged heavy pichtfork with an off-centre handle, either with a long or short handle. Traditionally four or five members of either gender of a baserri

Baserri

A baserri is a traditional type of half-timbered or stone-built farmhouse found in the Basque Country in Northern Spain and Southwestern France. The baserris, with their gently sloping roofs and entrace portals, are highly characteristic of the region and form a vital part in traditional Basque...

family are picked to compete as a team, the task being to turn over a plot of land as quickly as possible.

A variation of this is laia lasterketa, a laia race where the competitors stand on a pair of laiak and race, not dissimilar to a race on stilts.

The laia was a very widespread instrument used to loosen soil. With the advent of modern farming machinery, its use is now restricted to area machines cannot reach, for example on high slopes, and kitchen garden

Kitchen garden

The traditional kitchen garden, also known as a potager, is a space separate from the rest of the residential garden - the ornamental plants and lawn areas...

s.

In Spanish

Spanish language

this is called layadores or layar, in French

French language

as bêcher.

Makil tira (stick pulling)

In this game two players sit on the ground with their feet touching, separated by a plank. Both players also hold onto a makila

Makila

The makila is a traditional Basque walking stick, and is notable as both a practical tool and a cultural symbol of authority and strength.-Etymology:...

and the aim is to lift your opponent to their feet.

In Spanish

Spanish language

this is called Tiro del palo, in French

French language

as tir au bâton.

Oilar jokoa (chicken game)

This term in Basque covers two sorts of chicken games:

cockfighting, which was outlawed in 1926.
a game where a chicken is buried to the neck and blindfolded. Competitors, themselves blindfolded too, have to locate the chicken guided by the music of a txistu
Txistu
The txistu or chistu is a kind of fipple flute that became a symbol for the Basque folk revival. The name may stem from the general Basque word ziztu "to whistle" with palatalisation of the z...

lari or drummer. In the old days the goal was to remove the head from the chicken once it was located but when played today, it is sufficient to touch the head. The most famous oilar jokoa is held in Legazpi
Legazpi, Spain
Legazpi is a city in the Gipuzkoa province of the Autonomous Community of Basque Country, northern Spain.Legazpi is a town of about 9000 inhabitants located on top of Urola valley, in Guipuzcoa...

in June today but the game used to be more widespread.

Palanka jaurtiketa (metal bar throwing)

The throwing of a metal bar was once one of the most popular and widespread of Basque sports. Its popularity waned during the 19th century. Having died out in most areas, it survived the longest in parts of Gipuzkoa until its ultimate demise in the 20th century.

The palankari (thrower) throws a palanka, a traditional mining tool weighing between 8–25 kg as far as possible. Various throwing techniques were employed, most involving the palankari twisting around before launching the palanka. Some techniques by name are:

bueltaerdiz "with half a turn"
bularretik "from the chest"
hankartetik "from between the legs"

The origins of this sport are in the mining industry where the palanka was traditionally used to prepare the holes into which explosives were then placed from the 15th century onwards. As a pastime, the miners would see who could throw the heavy tool the furthest in their breaks.

Curiously, the Spanish athlete Miguel de la Quadra-Salcedo used a javelin

Javelin

A Javelin is a light spear intended for throwing. It is commonly known from the modern athletic discipline, the Javelin throw.Javelin may also refer to:-Aviation:* ATG Javelin, an American-Israeli civil jet aircraft, under development...

throwing technique based on the Basque techniques of throwing the palanka at the 1960 Summer Olympics

1960 Summer Olympics

The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...

in Rome

Rome

Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

. Initially breaking the world record in javelin throwing, his record was later annulled when the IAAF

International Association of Athletics Federations

The International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. It was founded in 1912 at its first congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation...

amended its rules to exclude techniques that at any point in time involve the athlete or the javelin face or point towards the audience.

In Spanish

Spanish language

this is called lanzamiento de barra or barra vasca and in French

French language

lancement de bar de mine.

Pegarra lasterketa (pitcher race)

This sport involves a pitcher variously called pegarra, bera, pedarra and kantarue in Basque. It is a traditional ceramic pitcher that resembles a fat teapot, with a diameter at the base of around 20 cm, a lid on the top with about 10 cm diameter and about 30 cm tall and a fairly large spout. It can either be glazed or unglazed, with one or three handles (if it was designed to be hung) that was traditionally used to carry water.

It is carried on a head cushion called burutea and the aim of a race is to get to the finish line without dropping the pegarra. It is difficult to ascertain how old the sport is but one of the earliest records of the pegarra being used to carry water on the head dates back to a Dutch book from 1603 called Theatrum Orbis Terrarum by Abraham Ortelius which has an illustration of a Basque woman carrying a pegarra.

In Spanish

Spanish language

this is called carrera de pedarras and in French

French language

course de pedarras.

Esku Pilota (Basque pelota)

The Basque sport best known outside the Basque Country is Basque pelota. It is a Basque version of the family of ball game

Ball game

In American English, ball game refers specifically to either a game of basketball, baseball or American football. In British English ball game refers to any sport played with a ball....

s that covers squash

Squash (sport)

Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...

, tennis

Tennis

Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...

, and real tennis

Real tennis

Real tennis – one of several games sometimes called "the sport of kings" – is the original indoor racquet sport from which the modern game of lawn tennis , is descended...

, all of them thought to derive from the Jeu de paume

Jeu de paume

Jeu de paume is a ball-and-court game that originated in France. It was an indoor precursor of tennis played without racquets, though these were eventually introduced. It is a former Olympic sport, and has the oldest ongoing annual world championship in sport, first established over 250 years ago...

and hence a relative of Valencian pilota

Valencian pilota

Valencian pilota is a traditional handball sport played in the Valencian Community. Its origins are not known, but seems to be related to the French Jeu de paume....

.

But the main innovation of Basque pilota is that players share a common playground and throw the ball to a wall, making it an indirect game, while the other games in this family are generally direct games where the players face each other in two separate fields separated by a net or line on the ground. The Basques began playing pelota indirectly during the middle of the 19th century. For the different variations of Basque pelota, see the main article on Basque pelota.

While most of the best world players are Basque (in either the Spanish or the French federations), it is by no means limited to the Basque Country and is also played in Castile

Castile (historical region)

A former kingdom, Castile gradually merged with its neighbours to become the Crown of Castile and later the Kingdom of Spain when united with the Crown of Aragon and the Kingdom of Navarre...

, Rioja

La Rioja (Spain)

La Rioja is an autonomous community and a province of northern Spain. Its capital is Logroño. Other cities and towns in the province include Calahorra, Arnedo, Alfaro, Haro, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, and Nájera.-History:...

and places where Basques have emigrated to such as Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

(home of frontenis

Frontenis

Frontenis is a Basque pelota speciality that is played in a 30 meters pelota court using rackets...

), Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

and the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

.

As such it has been an Olympic exhibition sport in Paris

Basque pelota at the 1900 Summer Olympics

At the 1900 Summer Olympics, a Basque pelota tournament was contested. Only two teams competed, so only one match was played. The score is unknown. The competition was held on 14 June....

, Mexico and Barcelona.

It is called pelota vasca in Spanish

Spanish language

and pelote basque in French

French language

Pulsolariak (arm wrestling)

Basque arm wrestling

Arm wrestling

Arm wrestling is a sport with two participants. Each participant places one arm on a surface with their elbows bent and touching the surface, and they grip each other's hand...

follows broadly the same rules as anywhere else.

Soka-muturra (bull-herding)

The name of this sport literally translates as "snout rope" (soka "rope" and mutur "snout").
It is vaquillas ("calves") in Spanish.
It derives from a tradition where cattle destined for slaughter were led through the town on long ropes regularly on a particular day of the week (which varies from town to town). Occasionally a bull would break free on run wild, an event called karrera egitea (to make a run), while the crowds made sport of the bulls. From the 14th century onwards bulls were increasingly let loose on purpose, ultimately leading to the tradition of running the bulls. It's also known as soka-mutilen jokoa, the game of the rope boys.

Sometimes this would happen at night, with lights attached to the bulls, the most likely forerunner of the zezen-suzko or "fire bull". In the zezen-suzko, a contraption of fireworks is strapped to a bull and lit at night.

Today this is sometimes also practised in bullrings, either temporary or permanent, using calves rather.
If fully grown bulls are used it is as a prelude for a bullfight, which is a regular feature of the Running of the Bulls in Iruñea/Pamplona

Pamplona

Toka

This is game involves throwing small objects like pebbles, balls or coins across a distance, trying to hit the target, a vertical metal pole.

It is called juego de la raya in Spanish

Spanish language

and jeu de la raie in French

French language

Txakur probak (sheepdog trials)

Sheepdog trial

A Sheepdog trial is a competitive dog sport in which herding dog breeds move sheep around a field, fences, gates, or enclosures as directed by their handlers. Such events are particularly associated with hill farming areas, where sheep range widely on largely unfenced land...

s are another lively example of the Basque traditional pastoral lifestyle. They're also called artzain txakurren trebetasun lehiaketak or "shepherd dogs skill competitions".

Sheepdog trials in the Basque Country are very similar to those held in other countries and involves a sheepdog having to herd a flock of ewes into a fold. Traditionally the euskal artzain txakurra or Basque shepherd dog

Basque Shepherd Dog

The Basque Shepherd Dog is a breed of dog originating in the Basque Country and traditionally used by the local shepherds to help them take care of their cattle and sheep....

is kept but border collies

Border Collie

The Border Collie is a herding dog breed developed in the Anglo-Scottish border region for herding livestock, especially sheep. It is the most widespread of the collie breeds....

are also increasingly popular. Identifying the best dogs for breeding is an important part to these competitions. A major Basque sheepog trial event is held in Oñati

Oñati

Oñati is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, in the north of Spain. It has a population of approximately 10,500 and lies in a valley in the center of the Basque country. It lies about 40 km south of the Bay of Biscay and is about 236 m...

in September.

In Spanish

Spanish language

this is called concursos de perro pastor and in French

French language

concours de chien de berger.

External links

EKE (in Basque, Spanish and French)
http://www.force-basque.org/Napurra, a Basque sports organisation from the Northern Basque Country
Northern Basque Country
The French Basque Country or Northern Basque Country situated within the western part of the French department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques constitutes the north-eastern part of the Basque Country....

]
Basque sports on Donquijote.org

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.