Zazpiak Bat
Encyclopedia
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...
explorer Antoine-Thomson d'Abbadie in the nineteenth century, from the 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...
words zazpiak meaning 'the seven' and bat meaning 'one', translates as "the seven [are] one" and refers to the seven Basque Country traditional provinces. The motto is based on a similar one fashioned by the Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
society Real Sociedad Bascongada de Amigos del País
Real Sociedad Bascongada de Amigos del País
The Royal Basque Society of Friends of the Country also known as La Bascongada or Bascongada Society was born in the XVIII century to promote the cientific, cultural and economical development of the Basque Country.The founding members were the...
in 1765, Irurac bat ("the three [are] one", after the provinces currently making up the Basque Autonomous Community), while a like variant was created too in the 19th century known as "Laurak bat" ("the four [are] one", after the four Basque provinces of Spain).
Zazpiak Bat is also a heraldic nickname for the Basque coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
which includes the arms of the seven provinces mentioned, stressing their unity. It was designed by Jean Jaugain in 1897 for the Congrès et Fêtes de la Tradition basque celebrated at Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.Saint-Jean-de-Luz is part of the province Basque of Labourd and the Basque Eurocity Bayonne - San Sebastian .-Geography:...
.
The original Zazpiak Bat features a design of traditional arms of six Basque territories, namely Álava
Álava
Álava is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Álava. Its capital city is Vitoria-Gasteiz which is also the capital of the autonomous community...
, Guipúzcoa, and 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...
(the three which make the Basque Autonomous Community) plus 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...
(both 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 the two that are part of the French department of the Pyrénées Atlantiques - Zuberoa and Lapurdi. The coat of arms of the third traditional province, Lower Navarre
Lower Navarre
Lower Navarre is a part of the present day Pyrénées Atlantiques département of France. Along with Navarre of Spain, it was once ruled by the Kings of Navarre. Lower Navarre was historically one of the kingdoms of Navarre. Its capital were Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Saint-Palais...
, as the version it is of the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Navarre
Kingdom of Navarre
The Kingdom of Navarre , originally the Kingdom of Pamplona, was a European kingdom which occupied lands on either side of the Pyrenees alongside the Atlantic Ocean....
, is omitted and represented by the latter. The modern design is based on the current simplified heraldry of these territories.
Laurak Bat with the four Basque provinces in Spain (Navarre originally included, but blanked with a red field following protests from the Navarrese government and a subsequent court decision for its removal) was adopted as the coat of arms of the Basque autonomous community.