Basque ethnography at a glance

Author: Felix Mugurutza.

Bread is one of the most symbolic foods in Basque culture, for sure.

Therefore, several popular beliefs exist around it that have nothing to do with reason or religious faith, even if the latter attempted to accommodate them to its creed.

It must be said that the fact that bread was the food chosen to transubstantiate the body of Christ through the words of consecration in the Eucharist, was a great help. However, the cult of bread predates it, as converting grain is humanity’s great achievement, turning something indigestible by humans into the main food, bread.

However, let’s get back to the popular beliefs around bread, which are not so archaic, since the ones I am going to list have been practiced in my family.

Before cutting the bread, a cross was made (many people still do it) on its lower base with the tip of a knife, before kissing it and then cutting it. Usually, this was performed by the eldest or most representative person in the family, that is, no children or young people.

On another hand, if a piece of bread accidentally fell on the floor, it was picked up and kissed. Then, after wiping away the impurities, it could be eaten.

If it was very dirty, it could not be thrown into the trash, because of its special nature, and that would be interpreted as heresy. It was either given to domestic animals or purified by burning it in the fire.

Also, the loaf was placed on the table, resting on its base, since if it was turned upside down, people believed it would cause the suffering of the souls in purgatory.

Bread of the poor. Source: Felix Mugurutza.

A particularly symbolic value was given to the bread of the winter solstice, the Christmas bread. Christmas Eve dinner began with the ritual of cutting several pieces of bread for the diners. However, the first piece, the (“currusco” in Spanish, “ogi-muturra” in Basque) was kept under the tablecloth. It had to remain there until midnight, at least. The rest of the year, it was stored in a drawer or a closet. They say it did not turn mouldy no matter how long it waited for a year untouched. That miraculous bread was only used to cure a household animal, especially dogs infested with rabies.

In other towns and areas, it was thrown into the sea to calm severe storms, and into rivers that, when swollen, threatened to burst their banks. However, these latter customs are unknown to my family.

The one I have heard about is a curious ritual performed to one of my uncles, who recently passed away. As a child, since he had a speech delay, my grandparents asked a poor man who regularly worked as a beggar in those villages for a crust of bread, trying to remedy his problem. He took it from his bag and made the poor child eat it. As they said, he soon began to speak.

This happened in Laudio, and it would be one of the last known cases because, even back then, it was already an unknown and anecdotal custom. However, in nearby towns like Orozko, its use was more widespread.

To wrap up, I would also like to mention the bread we used to call “jaiko” here at home. It was a triangular-shaped bread with an egg placed on top (with its shell), and was baked for Easter Sunday and the following day. It is a very widespread custom and this Easter loaf has various all along Vasconia: “ranzopil”, (Durruma), “arrazobi” (Agurain), “arraultzopil” (Ganboa), “mokotza” (Gorozika, Zornotza, Arratia), “mokorrotea”, “paskopille” (Bermeo and Busturia), “Cornite” (Santurtzi), “besotakoi” (Zerain), “kaapaxue” (Elosua-Bergara), “karapaixo” (Arrasate, Eskoriatza), “garapaio”, “karrapio”, “Samarko opila” (Oiartzun, in reference to Saint Mark, April 25, the day it was distributed), “morrokua” (Dohozti), “adar-opil” (Bera)… according to the Ethnographic Atlas of Vasconia.

All of this corresponds to the traditional equinox cult festivals that have just passed, that had just passed, when light once again overcame darkness and allowed us prosperity and abundance. A new life cycle well symbolized by the egg… and the bread.

Felix Mugurutza – Researcher