Basque ethnography at a glance

Saint Roch, silent witness to the dance that bears his name, 2017/08/16. Author: E. X. Dueñas.

According to historians, Saint Roch was born in Montpellier (France). However, the date, and even the century, is a mystery: several hypotheses place him between the 13th and 14th centuries.

In any case, this saint dedicated his life to curing those affected by the plague, also known as the bubonic plague and the Black Death, which spread throughout Europe starting in the 14th century. It was in the 16th century that the walled city of Deba served as a passage for travellers and merchants on their way to Santiago (the route known as the “Northern Way”). Due to this serious general situation, the villa decided to close its gates, which meant that the local crossing point was the neighbourhood outside the walls of Artzabal.

The residents of Artzabal, faced with the possibility of contamination by outside pedestrians, agreed to carry the image of Saint Roch in a procession every year, as a protective measure. Over time, mainly and almost exclusively the male residents of the neighbourhood took on the responsibility of carrying the image on their shoulders, maintaining the rituality that the ceremony itself provides.

The path up and down to the hermitage carries the additional risk when carrying the saint on their shoulders. Author: E. X. Dueñas.

The procession takes place on August 16, the most important day of the patron saint’s feast. The streets display the typical colourful flags. There are still a few late stragglers from the night and the early morning that have breakfast with the early birds. A contrast that is now common in many “traditional” celebrations.

The procession takes place after mass outside the Gothic-Renaissance church of Santa María la Real, in the Old Square (Plaza Vieja). The statue, carried by four men on their backs, is approached by a group of dancers, tied with coloured sticks and decorated with ribbons (red and blue) around their bodies. To the rhythm of a large group of txistularis (Basque fipple flute players), they perform the Saint Roch Dance for the first time. The dance was mentioned in the press by the end of the 19th century.

Once the dance is over, they walk through the streets (dancing in a walking motion), which first take them to a small chapel on Gurutze Kalea and finally to the Saint Roch chapel, located on a hill.

The captain twirling his staff outside the chapel. Author: E. X. Dueñas.

After mass, in the small open space of the chapel and again in front of the image of the saint, they will dance again, and then return to the town centre, where the dancers will continue dancing through the streets of the centre.

The procession ends at the Town Hall, but the festivities, and even less the dance, do not end there. In the Plaza de los Fueros, converted into a bullring during these days (with its own arena and stands), the mandatory Aurresku (dance) is the highlight of the morning’s events.

The Saint Roch festivities in Deba, despite their differences from other festivals that have emerged in the town since the 20th century, remain the town’s main event. On some days, white clothes and red scarves become the colourful hallmarks of the population, and, perhaps giving up the original meaning of the story or legend, they take to the streets for entertainment.

Emilio Xabier Dueñas — Folklorist and ethnographer