St-Jean-Pied-de-Port

Bronny on top of the world

Ostabat

Pottoks, Pyrenean horse

FRANCE - Walking in the western Pyrenees

The Pays Basque, South West France: History

Go to the Dordogne or the Loire valleys, Brittany or Provence in summer, and you will not go far without hearing the sound of English and other European languages being spoken, or encountering the other big giveaway of the European tourist presence, the foreign numberplate. The Pays Basque, in south west France, is quite different. Once you get away from the Atlantic coast, and in particular, away from the grand old Regency town of Biarritz, favourite of many a crowned head of Europe by the end of the last century, you will only hear French or Basque spoken.

Pays Basque translated from the French, means simply, "the Basque country". It has been the home of a race of people known as the Basques for a very long time - so long in fact that they have no clearly discernible predecessors in the region. Even their language is divorced in its origins and character from all the other living languages of the European continent, including French and Spanish.

The Basque homeland straddles the Pyrenean mountain range, which is the modern frontier between France and Spain and runs roughly west to east from the Atlantic coast. Gentle mountains and foothills enclose the Pays Basque, which is on the French side of the border and stretches about 100 kilometres east from the coast. The sparsely populated countryside is beautiful and the few small towns invariably old and stonebuilt.

Although the maritime climate can be unreliable, it always brings hot summers, good rainfall and a much greener appearance to the area than is found further east, away from the Atlantic. This makes for fertile farming country, although not a lot of wine is produced locally. The nearest major vineyards are a couple of hours drive north, around Bordeaux.

The Basque people still claim the existence of seven provinces, three north of the border in France (Labourd, on the coast, Basse Navarre and Soule), and four south, in Spain, which explains the slogan occasionally painted on local roads, 4+3=1. The present regional administrative structures, created separately by the two countries, are quite different to this and ignore these provinces.

A few radical Basques would like their seven provinces to be recognized once more and wish to become an independent nation, although only a tiny minority of French Basques seems to be interested in independence. In France, unlike in Spain, there has been considerable patriotism shown in times of war. Each village has its own war memorial inscribed with the names of local Basques who died "Pour la patrie" i.e. in defence of the native land, France. Although south of the border, aggressive incidents still occur from time to time between ETA which is the Spanish Basque liberation movement, and the local Spanish law enforcement agencies, such incidents are virtually unknown in the Pays Basque.

The origins of the dispute are complex, as in most longstanding boundary and nationality disputes. In 1451, when the English, who had occupied the area for over one hundred years, were forcibly removed from south west France, three Basque provinces came under French rule. However, in spite of being made part of France in that year, Basques living in those three provinces enjoyed virtual autonomy until the French Revolution. Serfdom had never existed. Most people were small landed proprietors with hunting rights and the right to bear arms. All had access to almost limitless communal pastureland, and local affairs were directed by democratic assemblies. With the advent of the French Revolution in 1789, these autonomous provinces were abolished.

The biggest concentration of Basques on the French side of the border is in the town of Bayonne on the Atlantic coast just north of Biarritz. Rivers draining the western Pyrenees and the adjoining Gascony plains, meet outside the town and contribute to what was, at one time, a good sized port, first developed by the English around six hundred years ago.

Bayonne railway station serves the Pays Basque area and is on the main line between Paris, Madrid and Lisbon. St. Mary's Anglo-Gascon cathedral with its twin spires, dominates the old town, and the nearby winding streets are full of good restaurants, bars and these days, a number of tourist shops. Bayonne has traditionally been, and continues to be, a regional centre of government.

One of the most attractive towns of the Pays Basque, partly on account of its location high up in the hills, is Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. A particularly impressive way of reaching it is via the branch railway line from Bayonne, with the trip, much of which is next to a fast flowing river, taking a little over an hour. The little town, with its lovely river passing through the centre, its old castle and fortified town wall, took its name from the Saint James of New Testament fame. Over one thousand years ago, his remains were allegedly discovered in an area that subsequently grew into Santiago de Compostela in north west Spain. When word of this discovery spread, pilgrims from all over northern Europe made the journey there. This took them through Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and then over the mountains into Spain, en route for the stunning religious destination of Santiago.

Even today, in the summer, fair haired pilgrims from northern Europe can still be seen, dressed exactly as were their forebears, in long brown cloaks and sandals, carrying staves and trudging purposefully down the hot roads, bent on repeating the experience. Most people, however, will probably be quite happy to wander around the little town, watch the passers-by, stroll by the river, and maybe cross the nearby border into Spain for the afternoon.

Saint Palais, the main inland Basque town, is bounded by two rivers, the Nive and the Bidouze and is only half an hour's drive away from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. The museum is well worth a visit, and gives much information on the history of French Basques. In the summer, Basque music is piped around the town and the red and green colours of the Basque flag are much in evidence in local clothing, shopfronts, hoardings and bars. The distinctive accents, berets and tough looking, weatherbeaten faces of the local farmers are particularly visible on market day. As you listen to their talk when they gather early in the little town's hotel bars, you are left in no doubt that this isn't quite the France you would find only a few kilometres further north.

The Basques have survived because of an intense conservatism which has enabled them to retain their own language and individuality. They are not a race apart, however, living in an isolated part of the Pyrenees. If their survival as a tight-knit group had been as a result of geographical conditions, they would be more likely to be found somewhere in the remote central massif than in the gentle valleys and hills of this quiet corner of the Pyrenees.

In the main, Basque customs, arts and crafts have been borrowed from their French and Spanish neighbours, then stamped with the Basque personality, and treasured with a tenacity which has preserved them, long after the original models have disappeared.

Basques have a tendency to be strictly practical and objective. In general, they are laconic, being even more brief and forceful when speaking their own concise language. Three examples of their proverbs taken from the 16th and 17th centuries illustrate this:

A fish and a guest go bad on the third day and must be thrown out.

One eye is sufficient for the merchant, but one hundred are scarcely enough
for the purchaser.

Gold, women and linen should only be chosen by daylight .

One wonders how much these sentiments have changed, several hundred years after they were first recorded!

In summer, the unique Basque culture and character is most easily accessible to the short term visitor to the area, because every village has its own well-advertised and well-attended fête taking up an entire weekend. On Saturday, the fête often starts with a game of "pelote" on the village "fronton" or court. This is a very old game, played between two two-man teams (and they almost always are men) alternately hitting a hard rubber ball against a wall, often with bare hands, powdered so as to provide some sort of protection. The object of the game is to force the other side into making an error. Every village has a team, and of course the home team will be vociferously supported by the locals, as at fêtes throughout the world.

On the Saturday evening there is a communal "mechoui" (pronounced "meshwee") or meal, taken under a marquee. This invariably consists of country vegetable soup with local bread, then lamb chops with accompaniments followed by "gateau Basque," an almond flavoured dessert reminiscent of the English Bakewell tart. This is all washed down with limitless quantities of red vin ordinaire. The whole evening costs about A$16, and better value would be hard to find, in entertainment value alone.

Following on from this comes live music from Basque rock bands which play literally all night. Dancing is encouraged but it takes stamina to stay the course, especially when cows have to be milked at daybreak. In general, the themes of the songs will not be so different from any other pop songs, but a number of them inevitably have a nationalistic theme.

The highlight of Sunday is often "la force Basque". This is basically nothing more than a display of testosterone in a succession of competitions, all of which are a variation on a common theme. For example, how many times can each competitor walk round a pre-determined track carrying two heavy weights, one in each hand? How many times can he carry a haycart round in a circle with its front shaft anchored to the ground? Such unlikely activities entail the donning of a sort of corset, with a view to minimizing the chances of a hernia. There are many other similar events, some of them being individual tests of strength, while others, such as tug-of-war, are team efforts.

Fortunately, visitors are not pressured to participate in any of the events, but they are made welcome with smiles and attempts at conversation. Responses in French, however halting, are well received. It's worth having a go if at all possible, because there are few things more satisfying than being understood in an alien tongue. The reaction of the locals will inevitably be positive, and volleys of French will follow from all sides. At this point you are on your own!!

France is uniquely fortunate among European countries in its geography. It fronts onto three seas - the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and La Manche (or the English Channel, depending on your point of view!) There are huge areas of virgin forest, any number of gorgeous rivers, a low population density, at least for Europe, and the French would say the world's top cuisine and wine. The choice of holiday destinations within the country is vast, but most head for the tried and trusted locations, once they have gorged themselves on and in Paris. If it's mountains you're after, you have a choice of the Alps, or the Pyrenees. The Pays Basque, at the west end of the Pyrenees, is as yet unspoilt and just that little bit different.

Print Friendly Page: Pays Basque History