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[[Image:Olentzero Hendaia 2006.JPG|thumb|190px|An effigy of Olentzero in [[Hendaia]]]] |
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{{More citations needed|date=January 2024}} |
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{{Expand Basque|Olentzero|date=January 2024}} |
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'''Olentzero''' ({{IPA-eu|olents̻eɾo}}, sometimes '''Olentzaro''' or '''Olantzaro''') is a character in [[Christmas in the Basque Country|Basque Christmas tradition]]. According to Basque traditions Olentzero comes to town late at night on |
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{{Short description|Character in Basque Christmas tradition}} |
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[[Image:Olentzaro Bagatzako kalean.jpg|thumb|185px|A figure of Olentzero being carried through the streets of [[Barakaldo]]]] |
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⚫ | '''Olentzero''' ({{IPA-eu|olents̻eɾo}}, sometimes '''Olentzaro''' or '''Olantzaro''') is a character in [[Christmas in the Basque Country|Basque Christmas tradition]]. According to Basque traditions, Olentzero comes to town late at night on 24 December to [[Christmas gift-bringer|drop off presents for children]]. In some places he arrives later, for example in [[Ochagavía – Otsagabia]] on the 27th and in [[Ermua]] on the 31st. |
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==The name== |
==The name== |
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The name ''Olentzero'' appears in a number of variations: ''Onenzaro'', ''Onentzaro'', ''Olentzaro'', ''Ononzaro'', ''Orentzago'' and others. The earliest records give the name as ''Onentzaro'' and the name is most likely composed of two elements, ''on'' "good" plus a [[genitive]] [[plural]] ending and the [[suffix]] ''-zaro'' which in Basque denotes a season (compare words like ''haurtzaro'' "childhood"), so "time of the good ones" literally. This suggests a derivation similar to the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] ''[[nochebuena]]'' |
The name ''Olentzero'' appears in a number of variations: ''Onenzaro'', ''Onentzaro'', ''Olentzaro'', ''Ononzaro'', ''Orentzago'' and others. The earliest records give the name as ''Onentzaro'' and the name is most likely composed of two elements, ''on'' "good" plus a [[genitive]] [[plural]] ending and the [[suffix]] ''-zaro'' which in Basque denotes a season (compare words like ''haurtzaro'' "childhood"), so "time of the good ones" literally. This suggests a derivation similar to the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] ''[[nochebuena]]''. |
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Other theories of derivation exist but are not generally accepted:<ref>Agud, M. ''Diccionario Etimológico Vasco VII'', Donostia 1995</ref> |
Other theories of derivation exist but are not generally accepted:<ref>Agud, M. ''Diccionario Etimológico Vasco VII'', Donostia 1995</ref> |
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==The legend== |
==The legend== |
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[[Image: |
[[Image:Olentzero Hendaia 2006.JPG|thumb|190px|An effigy of Olentzero in [[Hendaia]]]] |
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There are many variations to the Olentzero traditions and stories connected to him, sometimes varying from village to village. The first written account of Olentzero is from [[Lope de Isasti]] in the 17th century: ''A la noche de Navidad (llamamos) onenzaro, la sazón de los buenos'' ("To Christmas eve (we call) ''onenzaro'', the season of the good ones". |
There are many variations to the Olentzero traditions and stories connected to him, sometimes varying from village to village. The first written account of Olentzero is from [[Lope de Isasti]] in the 17th century: ''A la noche de Navidad (llamamos) onenzaro, la sazón de los buenos'' ("To Christmas eve (we call) ''onenzaro'', the season of the good ones"). |
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One common version has Olentzero being one of the ''[[ |
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⚫ | One common version has Olentzero being one of the ''[[Jentil|Jentillak]]'', a race of Basque [[giant (mythology)|giants]] living in the [[Pyrenees]]. Legend has it that they observed a glowing cloud in the sky one day. They could not could look at this bright cloud except for a very old, nearly blind man. When asked to examine it, he confirmed their fears and told them that it was a sign that Jesus would be born soon. According to some stories, the old man asked the giants to throw him off a cliff to avoid having to live through Christianisation. Having obliged him, the giants tripped on the way down and died themselves except Olentzero. |
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⚫ | Other versions have the ''jentillak'' simply leaving, with only Olentzero remaining behind to embrace Christianity.<ref>http://gaztea.euskonews.com/0421zbk/gaia42108.html Euskonews on Olentzero</ref> |
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⚫ | Other versions have the ''jentillak'' simply leaving, with only Olentzero remaining behind to embrace Christianity.<ref>http://gaztea.euskonews.com/0421zbk/gaia42108.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303183307/http://gaztea.euskonews.com/0421zbk/gaia42108.html |date=2016-03-03 }} Euskonews on Olentzero</ref> |
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Parts of Olentzero legend are reminiscent of a prehistoric cult rituals surrounding the [[winter solstice]], such as the involvement of ritual "last meals" and sacrifices of rebirth. |
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Other versions of the ''Olentzeroren kondaira'', or "history of Olentzero", tell that as a new born he was abandoned in the woods and was found by a fairy who gave him the name Olentzero, bestowed gifts of strength and kindness on him and handed him to an older childless couple living alone in the woods. He turned into a strong man and [[charcoal burner]] who was also good with his hands, carving wooden toys that he would carry in a big charcoal bag to give to the children of the village. It is said that he died one day saving children from a burning house and that when he died, the fairy who had found him granted him eternal life to continue to bring joy to children and people. |
Other versions of the ''Olentzeroren kondaira'', or "history of Olentzero", tell that as a new born he was abandoned in the woods and was found by a fairy who gave him the name Olentzero, bestowed gifts of strength and kindness on him and handed him to an older childless couple living alone in the woods. He turned into a strong man and [[charcoal burner]] who was also good with his hands, carving wooden toys that he would carry in a big charcoal bag to give to the children of the village. It is said that he died one day saving children from a burning house and that when he died, the fairy who had found him granted him eternal life to continue to bring joy to children and people. |
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==Modern customs and derivation== |
==Modern customs and derivation== |
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[[Image:Noelentzero.jpg|thumb|left|Olentzero alongside other Christmas symbols at the Bilbao-Loiu airport]] |
[[Image:Noelentzero.jpg|thumb|left|Olentzero alongside other Christmas symbols at the Bilbao-Loiu airport]] |
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Around 1952, in [[Francoist Spain]], a group called [[Irrintzi Elkartea]] from [[Zarautz]] began to revive the Olentzero traditions.<ref>http://www.euskonews.com/0421zbk/gaia42101eu.html Euskonews on Basque Christmas traditions</ref> Some of the more gruesome elements were removed to make Olentzero more suitable for young children and to remove elements which were deemed too pagan. From 1956 onwards, the revived Olentzero traditions began to spread outside those parts of [[Gipuzkoa]] where the traditions hailed from. During the 1970s he began to take on further new attributes, such as the bringer of gifts in attempts to find an alternative to the Spanish tradition of the [[Biblical Magi# |
Around 1952, in [[Francoist Spain]], a group called [[Irrintzi Elkartea]] from [[Zarautz]] began to revive the Olentzero traditions.<ref>http://www.euskonews.com/0421zbk/gaia42101eu.html Euskonews on Basque Christmas traditions</ref> Some of the more gruesome elements were removed to make Olentzero more suitable for young children and to remove elements which were deemed too pagan. From 1956 onwards, the revived Olentzero traditions began to spread outside those parts of [[Gipuzkoa]] where the traditions hailed from. During the 1970s he began to take on further new attributes, such as the bringer of gifts in attempts to find an alternative to the Spanish tradition of the [[Biblical Magi#Hispanic customs|Magi]] and the French [[Père Noël]], summed up in the slogan ''Erregeak, españolak'' "the Three Wise Men are Spanish". Today Olentzero is celebrated all over the [[Basque Country (historical territory)|Basque Country]] and coexists with the Magi, Père Noël and [[Father Christmas]], some families choosing to celebrate one or more at the same time. |
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In the modern version, Olentzero is depicted as a lovable character, widely attributed to being overweight, having a huge appetite and thirst. He is depicted as a Basque peasant wearing a Basque beret, a farmer's attire with traditional ''abarketa'' shoes |
In the modern version, Olentzero is depicted as a lovable character, widely attributed to being overweight, having a huge appetite and thirst. He is depicted as a Basque peasant wearing a Basque beret, a farmer's attire with traditional ''abarketa'' shoes, smoking a pipe, carrying eggs and a bottle of wine. Whether he has a beard or not is not yet an established tradition. Sometimes his face is stained with charcoal, as a sign of his trade as a charcoal-burner. On Christmas Eve, groups of people or children carry effigies of Olentzero around on a chair through the streets, singing Olentzero carols and collecting food or sweets (not unlike the American [[trick or treat]]) and the traditions surrounding the holiday of [[Agatha of Sicily|Santa Ageda]] in the [[Basque Country (historical territory)|Basque Country]] where ''oles egitea'' "asking for alms" is practised. At the end, it is customary in some places to burn the Olentzero, for example in [[Lesaka]]. |
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Variation is still common, both regionally and culturally depending on whether the pagan or Christian aspects of Olentzaro are being emphasised. Near the sea, he is usually takes on more marine attributes, inland he remains thoroughly rural in nature. |
Variation is still common, both regionally and culturally depending on whether the pagan or Christian aspects of Olentzaro are being emphasised. Near the sea, he is usually takes on more marine attributes, inland he remains thoroughly rural in nature. |
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[[File:Olentzero mari domingi 0001.jpg|thumb|Olentzero and Mari Domingi in Tolosa, 2012.|alt=A night scene. A woman in white with an elaborate headdress walks hand-in-hand with a man in a dark Basque farmer outfit.]] |
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Since 1994,<ref name="El Diario">{{cite news |last1=Ferreira |first1=Maialen |title=Una campaña empodera a Mari Domingi y la iguala con Olentzero en el reparto de regalos en Navidad |url=https://www.eldiario.es/euskadi/campana-empodera-mari-domingi-iguala-olentzero-reparto-regalos-navidad_1_8597309.html |access-date=28 December 2021 |work=ElDiario.es |date=20 December 2021 |language=es}}</ref> he has started to be accompanied by [[Mari Domingi]],<ref name="Tolosa">{{cite web |title=Who are the Olentzero and Mari Domingi? |url=https://turismoa.tolosa.eus/en/blog/who-are-olentzero-and-mari-domingi |website=turismoa.tolosa.eus |publisher=Tolosa Turismoa |access-date=28 December 2021 |location=Tolosa |language=en |date=23 December 2019}}</ref> a character previously mentioned in a Basque Christmas carol.<ref name="Songbook">{{cite web |title=Horra Mari Domingi - Basque Songbook |url=https://www.eusko-ikaskuntza.eus/en/documentary-collection/basque-songbook/ab-4966/ |website=www.eusko-ikaskuntza.eus |publisher=Erein |access-date=28 December 2021 |location=Donostia |language=en |date=2000}}</ref> |
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Mari Domingi is depicted as a woman in medieval Basque dress. |
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Her addition brings [[gender parity]] to Basque Christmas gift-bringing.<ref name="Vitoria">{{cite web |title=Olentzero y Mari Domingi |url=https://www.vitoria-gasteiz.org/docs/wb021/contenidosEstaticos/adjuntos/es/70/18/77018.pdf |publisher=Ayuntamiento de Vitoria-Gasteiz |access-date=28 December 2021 |language=es-ES}}</ref> |
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==Olentzero songs== |
==Olentzero songs== |
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:''ikatz egitera.'' |
:''ikatz egitera.'' |
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:''Aditu duenean'' |
:''Aditu duenean'' |
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:'' |
:''Jesus jaio dela'' |
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:''lasterka etorri da'' |
:''lasterka etorri da'' |
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:''berri ematera.'' |
:''berri ematera.'' |
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===Olentzero buru handia=== |
===Olentzero buru handia=== |
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The title translates as "Olentzero big head". An ''arroba'' is an old measure equivalent to just over 11 kg. |
The title translates as "Olentzero big head". An ''arroba'' is an old measure equivalent to 25 lbs. or just over 11 kg. |
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{| |
{| |
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:''Olentzero buru handia |
:''Olentzero buru handia'' |
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:''entendimentuz jantzia |
:''entendimentuz jantzia'' |
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:''bart arratsean edan omen du |
:''bart arratsean edan omen du'' |
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:''hamar arroako zahagia. |
:''hamar arroako zahagia.'' |
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:''Ai urde tripahandia! |
:''Ai urde tripahandia!'' |
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:''Tralaralala, tralaralala. |
:''Tralaralala, tralaralala.'' |
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:''Ai urde tripahandia! |
:''Ai urde tripahandia!'' |
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:''Tralaralala, tralaralala. |
:''Tralaralala, tralaralala.'' |
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:Olentzero big head |
:Olentzero big head |
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*Barandiaran, J ''Dictionnaire Illustré de Mythologie Basque'', Donostia 1994 |
*Barandiaran, J ''Dictionnaire Illustré de Mythologie Basque'', Donostia 1994 |
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*Etxegoien, J. ''Orhipean'', Xamar 1996 |
*Etxegoien, J. ''Orhipean'', Xamar 1996 |
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*[http://www.elcorreodigital.com/vizcaya/20071223/vizcaya/olentzero-20071223.html Article in the Correo Digital] |
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080106112250/http://www.elcorreodigital.com/vizcaya/20071223/vizcaya/olentzero-20071223.html Article in the Correo Digital] |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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*{{Commonscat-inline|Olentzero}} |
*{{Commonscat-inline|Olentzero}} |
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* [http://www.olentzero.net Olentzero.net], Olentzero's official website of [[Pamplona|Pamplona-Iruña]], [[Lesaka]], [[Bayonne|Baiona-Bayonne]], among many other locations. |
* [http://www.olentzero.net Olentzero.net], Olentzero's official website of [[Pamplona|Pamplona-Iruña]], [[Lesaka]], [[Bayonne|Baiona-Bayonne]], among many other locations. |
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{{Christmas}} |
{{Christmas}} |
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[[Category:Basque giants]] |
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[[Category:Basque legendary creatures]] |
[[Category:Basque legendary creatures]] |
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[[Category:Christmas characters]] |
[[Category:Christmas characters]] |
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[[Category:Christmas gift-bringers]] |
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[[Category:Christmas in Spain]] |
[[Category:Christmas in Spain]] |
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[[Category:Basque |
[[Category:Fictional Basque people]] |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this articlebyadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Basque. (January 2024) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
Content in this edit is translated from the existing Basque Wikipedia article at [[:eu:Olentzero]]; see its history for attribution. {{Translated|eu|Olentzero}} to the talk page. |
Olentzero (Basque pronunciation: [olents̻eɾo], sometimes OlentzaroorOlantzaro) is a character in Basque Christmas tradition. According to Basque traditions, Olentzero comes to town late at night on 24 December to drop off presents for children. In some places he arrives later, for example in Ochagavía – Otsagabia on the 27th and in Ermua on the 31st.
The name Olentzero appears in a number of variations: Onenzaro, Onentzaro, Olentzaro, Ononzaro, Orentzago and others. The earliest records give the name as Onentzaro and the name is most likely composed of two elements, on "good" plus a genitive plural ending and the suffix -zaro which in Basque denotes a season (compare words like haurtzaro "childhood"), so "time of the good ones" literally. This suggests a derivation similar to the Spanish nochebuena.
Other theories of derivation exist but are not generally accepted:[1]
In parts of Navarre this holiday is called xubilaroorsubilaro from subil, the word for a Yule log plus the suffix -zaro. In parts of Lower Navarre the word suklaro is used, a contraction of sekularo. Sekularo has no clear etymology but is likely to be related to Latin saecularis.[2]
There are many variations to the Olentzero traditions and stories connected to him, sometimes varying from village to village. The first written account of Olentzero is from Lope de Isasti in the 17th century: A la noche de Navidad (llamamos) onenzaro, la sazón de los buenos ("To Christmas eve (we call) onenzaro, the season of the good ones").
One common version has Olentzero being one of the Jentillak, a race of Basque giants living in the Pyrenees. Legend has it that they observed a glowing cloud in the sky one day. They could not could look at this bright cloud except for a very old, nearly blind man. When asked to examine it, he confirmed their fears and told them that it was a sign that Jesus would be born soon. According to some stories, the old man asked the giants to throw him off a cliff to avoid having to live through Christianisation. Having obliged him, the giants tripped on the way down and died themselves except Olentzero.
Other versions have the jentillak simply leaving, with only Olentzero remaining behind to embrace Christianity.[3]
Other versions of the Olentzeroren kondaira, or "history of Olentzero", tell that as a new born he was abandoned in the woods and was found by a fairy who gave him the name Olentzero, bestowed gifts of strength and kindness on him and handed him to an older childless couple living alone in the woods. He turned into a strong man and charcoal burner who was also good with his hands, carving wooden toys that he would carry in a big charcoal bag to give to the children of the village. It is said that he died one day saving children from a burning house and that when he died, the fairy who had found him granted him eternal life to continue to bring joy to children and people.
Other variations of the legend, customs and the character include:
Around 1952, in Francoist Spain, a group called Irrintzi Elkartea from Zarautz began to revive the Olentzero traditions.[4] Some of the more gruesome elements were removed to make Olentzero more suitable for young children and to remove elements which were deemed too pagan. From 1956 onwards, the revived Olentzero traditions began to spread outside those parts of Gipuzkoa where the traditions hailed from. During the 1970s he began to take on further new attributes, such as the bringer of gifts in attempts to find an alternative to the Spanish tradition of the Magi and the French Père Noël, summed up in the slogan Erregeak, españolak "the Three Wise Men are Spanish". Today Olentzero is celebrated all over the Basque Country and coexists with the Magi, Père Noël and Father Christmas, some families choosing to celebrate one or more at the same time.
In the modern version, Olentzero is depicted as a lovable character, widely attributed to being overweight, having a huge appetite and thirst. He is depicted as a Basque peasant wearing a Basque beret, a farmer's attire with traditional abarketa shoes, smoking a pipe, carrying eggs and a bottle of wine. Whether he has a beard or not is not yet an established tradition. Sometimes his face is stained with charcoal, as a sign of his trade as a charcoal-burner. On Christmas Eve, groups of people or children carry effigies of Olentzero around on a chair through the streets, singing Olentzero carols and collecting food or sweets (not unlike the American trick or treat) and the traditions surrounding the holiday of Santa Ageda in the Basque Country where oles egitea "asking for alms" is practised. At the end, it is customary in some places to burn the Olentzero, for example in Lesaka.
Variation is still common, both regionally and culturally depending on whether the pagan or Christian aspects of Olentzaro are being emphasised. Near the sea, he is usually takes on more marine attributes, inland he remains thoroughly rural in nature.
Since 1994,[5] he has started to be accompanied by Mari Domingi,[6] a character previously mentioned in a Basque Christmas carol.[7] Mari Domingi is depicted as a woman in medieval Basque dress. Her addition brings gender parity to Basque Christmas gift-bringing.[8]
Similar to European Christmas carols, there are Olentzero kantak. Two very common ones are:
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The title translates as "Olentzero big head". An arroba is an old measure equivalent to 25 lbs. or just over 11 kg.
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