The first book that was written in Euskara is the 'Linguæ Vasconum Primitiæ' (Firsts of the Vascones language, Bordeaux 1545), which consists of a collection of religious and erotic poems written by the priest Bernard Etxepare (Bernard d'Etchepare). He was born in Sarasketa (a town near Donibane Garazi / Sant-Jean-Pied-de-Port, the capital of Lower Navarre) in 1470 or 1480, and he was a priest. It is no coincidence that the first writer in Euskara was a priest since the clerics had to preach to the people, and it was necessary to cultivate the popular language for this purpose. The language concerned was, in this case, Euskara.

According to the title of this first work, the prologue and some of the verses in the text, it is observed that their author was aware of being the first one that published a work in Euskara. The book consists of a brief prologue and fifteen poems that can be divided into four parts, depending on their subjects: the first and largest one, is of strictly religious subject; the second one is dedicated to the human love and it is probably the most original part, with a warmer breath. The third one is mainly autobiographical, in which the writer makes a profession of his innocence. Finally, the fourth part is a shout of joy due to the irruption of the Basque language into the world of the literary publications. Even in those passages that could be of certain aridity, like the exposition of the Christian doctrine, Etxepare shows to be in a joyful three-dimensional harmony: life, word and rhythm. The writer exposes Christian doctrine, but in the world of the Basque farmers where the servants and the masters live together friendly, although they also require of each other:

 

Ecen iaunec estu nahi mutil gaiçtoa eduqui, eç pagatu soldataric cerbitcatu gaberic

(No master wants a bad servant, nor to pay a wage without being served)

 

Jeanne III d'Albret, queen of Navarre, decided to give explicit support to the Basque language during the Protestant Reformation of Calvinist profile that took place during the second half of the 16th century in her domains, that is to say, the northern Pyrenees and Béarn.

In this context of religious struggles, there could be favourable circumstances that led to the adventurous ex-novo creation of the Basque prose, when the New Testament was fully translated. The writer that carried out the translation of the New Testament into Euskara was Joanes Leizarraga (1506-1601), at the request of the calvinist synod of Pau. He was born in Beskoitze (Labourd), and his work would be titled as 'Iesus Christ gure Jaunaren Testamentu Berria' (The New Testament of our Lord Jesus Christ). The information about his youth is scarce, although we know that he was ordained as a priest and that he converted to the gospel in 1559. His decision resulted in persecution and imprisonment and, as many other protestants, he found asylum under Jeanne III d'Albret. The translation of Leizarraga was carried out conscientiously according to the protestant spirit at the time, which observed exactly the original Greek text. Therefore, he based his translation on the New Testament that was prepared by Erasmus of Rotterdam, the same that Luther used for his translation into German. Leizarraga wrote other books like 'Kalendrera' (Calendar) and 'Abc edo Christinoen instructionea' (Abc or the Christian's instruction). As a writer, Leizarraga is characterised by the use of many cultured terms of Greco-Latin origin in his works.

Pedro Agerre Azpilikueta, better known as Axular, was born in Urdax (Navarre) in 1556. When using this pseudonym in his writings, he perpetuated the name of his family's farmhouse ('etxe'), which still exists today. Axular was priest and was sent to Sara (Labourd) as a parish priest. His most remarkable work is 'Gero' (Future). Axular shows himself as a magnificent ascetic writer, who was influenced with no doubt by the Spanish ascetics like Louis of Granada, but with his own personality. As opposed to Leizarraga, his language is less cultured and therefore, the resulting Euskara is more popular. The work of Axular deals with practise instead of ascetic theory, that is to say, his aim is to reform the customs. In order to achieve this purpose, he shows a spontaneous language, or rather less literary. Nevertheless, yet in the 18th century, Joannes Etxeberri held Axular's style in high esteem and proposed that the writer should be declared as a rule in written Euskara.

Silvain Pouvreau was born in Bourges (France). Although he was not Basque, he learnt Euskara when he was the secretary of the jansenist abbot of Saint-Cyran. He was ordained as a priest and was appointed parish priest of Bidarte (Bidart, 1640-1644). After some time, he went to Paris. Pouveau translated and adapted several books into Euskara like the Richelieu's work 'L'Instruction du chrétien' (Guiristinoen Dotrina), 'Introduction à la vie dévote' (Philotea), written by St. Francis de Sales as well as Lorenzo Scupoli's 'Combattimento spirituale' (Gudu espirituala).

Arnaud Oihenart, better known as Oihenart (1592-1667), was born in Mauléon (Maule, the capital of Soule) and became a lawyer. He was one of the few non-cleric authors that wrote in Euskara in those early times. Oihenart wrote in Latin 'Notitia utriusque Vasconiæ, tum ibericæ tum aquitanicæ', in which he tells the history of the Basques until the Middle Ages, from a Basque point of view. However, he is best known for his collection of 706 Basque proverbs with French translation and his poems in Euskara. Oihenart is a man that loves the Basque language and works at it even creating neologisms, but at the same time, he keeps himself away from dithyrambs and the historical misunderstandings of some contemporary authors. This caused that Oihenart was sometimes misunderstood and considered a half-hearted man about being Basque.

The Jesuit Bernard Gazteluzar (1619-1701) was born in Ziburu (Ciboure, Labourd). He wrote didactic poetry in his work 'Eguia catholicac. Salvamendu eternalaren eguiteco necessario direnac' (Catholic truths. What it is necessary to do for eternal salvation, 1686).

There were other priests that published their books in Euskara in the 17th century. One of them was Cristobal Harizmendi, with his work 'Ama Birginaren hirur offizioac' (The three tasks of the Virgin Mary, 1660). It was written in verse, and in a dialect that was close to the one spoken in Guipúzcoa. On the other hand, Jean de Tartas, who was the parish priest of Aroa (Arone, Lower Soule), published the following works: 'Onsa hilceco bidia' (The way for a good death, 1666) and ' Arima Penitentaren occupatione debotaq' (Devout occupations of the penitent soul, 1672). Finally, Aranbillaga, who was assigned to the parish of Ziburu (Ciboure, Labourd), published the first translation of 'The Imitation of Christ' that was written by Thomas á Kempis: 'Jesu Christoren Imitationea' (Bayonne, 1684).

The first Basque Grammar arrived thanks to the Jesuist Manuel Larramendi. He was born in Andoain (Guipúzcoa) in 1690, and died in Loiola in 1766. He was professor at the Salamanca University. The books he wrote represent the first Basque Grammar: 'El imposible vencido: arte de la lengua vascongada' (The defeated impossible: the art of the Basque language, Salamanca 1759) and 'El Diccionario Trilingue (Castellano-Vascuence-Latín) in 1745, among other books. He undertook an enormous task with the aim of restoring the image that Euskara had at that time:'rudem et barbaram linguam, cultum abhorrentem' (a rough and Barbarian language, unable to develop itself). With the first book, Larramendi wanted to show that Euskara was not a Barbarian language, but a language that was subject to rules, like the other ones and, according to his point of view, even better than many others. By means of the dictionary, Larramendi tries to show that Euskara has a developed vocabulary, which is able to express everything. In order to support this assertion, he does not hesitate to create neologisms in a correct way, where he uses the derivation by means of the multiple Basque suffixes or the composition, and he avoided the use of Latin words that are present in all the languages, even the ones of non-Latin origin. However, Larramendi did not use the neologisms that he created since their purpose was in fact to silence the scholars that were against the Basque language.

In the wake of Larramendi's work, there appeared several notable writers like Father Agustín Kardaberaz and Father Sebastián Mendiburu.

Agustín Kardaberaz (1703-1770) was born in Hernani (Guipúzcoa) and died in Bologna, in exile. The fame of Father Kardaberaz in the Basque Country was mostly due to his qualities as preacher, but in addition to this, he is a good writer in Euskara. He wrote 'Aita San ignacioren Egercicioen Gañean Afectoac, beren Egemplo, ta Dotrinaquin' (Affections about the Exercises of Father Saint Ignatius, with its examples and doctrines, 1761), which includes three books as a whole. Kardaberaz deals mainly with the spiritual good, although his other book 'Euskeraren Berri Onac' (The good news of Euskara, published as well in 1761), show us his perfect command of the Basque language, in which rules to read, speak and write Euskara correctly are included.

Sebastián Mendiburu (1708-1782) was born in Oiartzun (Guipúzcoa), and died in Bologna in exile, the city where he was forced to go together with the other members of his order, banished by Charles III. According to Carmelo Etxegarai (a notable Biscayan historian of the 19th century), Larramendi could not even compete with Mendiburu in such management of the Basque language. Koldo Mitxelena, the eminent linguists, said that 'Mendiburu is, with no doubt, one of the writers that have most handled the language with such ability and elegance. Only a gift was denied to him: the force' Mendiburu uses a much purer language than Kardaberaz, but he keeps as well a style that is easy to understand. His most representative work is: 'Jesusen Amore-Nequeei dagozten cembait otoitc-gai' (Topics of prayer with respect to the agony of Jesus, 1760).

Juan Antonio Moguel (1745-1788). He was born in Eibar (Guipúzcoa), and his father was a doctor. Moguel was ordained as a priest and was sent to the parish of Xemein (Markina, Biscay), where he lived until his death. As the other contemporaries, he shows a strong interest in the language. In order to prove the possibilities of Euskara, he translated harangues and select sentences of the best Latin authors. However, his best work is certainly 'Peru Abarca' (published in 1881), which was structured as a dialogue between a villager called Peru Abarca (an expert in popular wisdom and with a good command of Euskara) and the barber Maisu Juan (a roguish man with a lesser knowledge of the language). Moguel uses the Biscayan dialect in this work without any purist interest since the protagonist, Peru Abarca, does not like the Castilian terms that have not been assimilated, and likes to use those that he learnt at the 'University of Basarte' (the simile used to explain the origin of his language, that is to say, colloquial Euskara spoken in the city streets).

Joanes Etxeberri (1668-1749) from Sara (Labourd), was a doctor in Bera de Bidasoa (Navarre) and Hondarribia (Guipúzcoa). Later, he moved to Azpeitia (Guipúzcoa) where he lived until his death. He wrote several books like 'Escuararen hatsapenac' (The principles of Euskara), 'Diccionario Cuatrilingue' (The Quadrilingual Dictionary), as well as 'Escual Herri eta Escualdun guztiei escuarazco hatsapenac latin icasteco' (Principles for learning Latin for the Basque Country and for all the Basques).

José María Iparragirre Balerdi (1820-1881) was born in Urretxu (Guipúzcoa) on a summer's day of 1820. His life went on in a transcendental period of our country's political and social configuration, which goes from the crisis of the Old Regime (that would lead to the Carlist War) until the first industrialisation of the Basque Country (that started at the end of the third and last dynastic conflict, which led to the abolition of the foral status in 1876). In the field of the arts, Iparragirre's life coincided with the peak of Romanticism, a cultural movement that was as influential and fertile as elusive in its definition. His contemporary, Charles Baudelaire, called this cultural current 'a way of feeling', a feeling that shows up in a determined aspiration for freedom as a means for the personal and collective fulfillment since the individual identifies with his people, to which he considers endowed with its own spirit. The yearning for freedom as a feeling rather than a thought, as a vital devotedness, as an existential engine and a creative breath rather than the ambition for specific profiles are the guidelines that govern the career of José María Iparragirre and that explain his greatness and misery as well. The old bard was one of the most outstanding figures of the Basque artistic Romanticism, and his hymn called 'Guernicaco Arbola' (The Tree of Gernika) is the maximum exponent of the identity of the Basques, gathered around the Fueros and their age-old symbol. On the basis of all the aspects, we can therefore say that Iparragirre played a similar role to Adam Mickiewcz in Poland or Alessandro Manzoni in Italy. However, unlike those national poets, he did not only cultivate poetry, but also and especially the music, a discipline that achieved a great importance during Romanticism as the ideal vehicle for the new expressivist aesthetics.

Jean Martin Hiribarren (1810-1866) was born in Askaine (Labourd), and was the author of the poem 'Euscaldunac' (Basques). He does not like dithyrambs and recognises the poverty of the spiritual effort of the Basque-speakers and the need for undertaking any task. All the countries must find their guides among their own people. That is why he calls everybody:

 

Euscaldun gucia da egun gombidatcen

has 
dadin içpirituç cerbeiten moldatcen

Iaquin 
deçaten arren gure ondocoec

nolaco 
gaiac çuçten hequin arbasoec

 

(We invite all the Basques today to undertake a spiritual task so that our descendants know the feats that their ancestors carried out)

 

Vicenta Moguel (1782-1854) is the first Basque woman writer. She belonged to a family of writers (Juan Antonio and Juan José), but her stay in Azpeitia (Guipúzcoa) influenced the language she used in her works, due to the dialect spoken there. Her 'Ipui onak' (Good tales) are written in an easy way and with a refined vocabulary. Thanks to her, the arrival of the women in the Basque literature was done successfully.

Txomin Agirre (1864-1920) was a priest from Ondarroa (Biscay) and the author of two great novels: 'Kresala' (Salt) and 'Garoa' (Fern), in which the customs of the fishermen and the farmers are described respectively.

Resurrección María de Azkue (1864-1951) rose to the top a huge work, almost unbelievable if we did not have it in front of us. He was born in Lekeitio (Biscay) and was a priest. Since he never held that post, he devoted his life to Euskara and the music, to which he felt a deep inclination and that served him to better understand the popular culture. Azkue's work is still valid today. His great 'DiccionarioTrilingüe' (Euskara-Spanish-French) is very valuable as a reference book. On the other hand, there is the work 'Euskalerriaren Jakintza' (The wisdom of the Basque Country), which consists of a collection of poems, legends, songs, customs, etc. that are specific of the Basque people and that means an invaluable cultural treasure. Furthermore, he published the book 'Morfología Vasca' (Basque Morphology) in 1925, in which he analyses the Basque suffix and the different parts of the sentence.

Regarding the Basque literature of the 20th century, we find two divergent trends: the popular one and the cultured one. An excellent representative of the first of them was the Biscayan writer Evaristo Bustintza, from the city of Mañaria and better known as Kirikiño (1866-1929). In their works called 'Abarrak' (The remaining ones), he shows Euskara as it is in his town, without any artifices. Therefore, he lays aside the language of 'the future Basques', as he referred to the purists of his time. Kirikiño describes the life of the Basques in an entertaining way, and the people thanked him for it by reading his books.

Esteban Urkiaga, known as Lauaxeta (1905-1937) was born in Laukiz (Biscay), although he settled in Mungia (Biscay). His premature death was due to that he was shot in Vitoria during the Civil War. Lauaxeta has not as good command of Euskara as his contemporary from Guipúzcoa, Lizardi, nor his relaxed gaze at the surrounding nature. On the contrary, Lauaxeta looks into his inward paths. Sometimes, the influence of Lorca is clearly perceived.

 

Zidarrezko bost sastakai nork jasan daikez aldian?

(Who can stand five silver daggers in his flesh?)

 

However, the peak of the Basque poetry is represented by José María Agirre Egaña, better known as Xabier Lizardi. He was born in Zarautz (Guipúzcoa) in 1896. Although he spent his childhood there, his life went on in Tolosa (Guipúzcoa) since his family had to move there due to a work relocation of his father when he was around 10. Lizardi completed his baccalaureate at the Piarists college of that city. In 1913, when he was 17, his father died and therefore, he had to start working as he was the eldest of six brothers. Nevertheless, he did not abandon his wish to study law, a disposition that was already evident during his childhood. Finally, he studied at the Central University of Madrid, where he graduated in 1917. He had his first job in the Bank of Tolosa as an assistant, but in 1923 it was proposed to him the position of Managing Director of the company Perot of Zarautz, a company dedicated to the business of metal nets, where Lizardi performed his tasks until his death. That year and thanks to the security provided by the above-mentioned job, he married Pakita Izagirre (a girl that he met during his visits to Zarautz) and had four children. Lizardi died in 1933 of an incurable disease at that time, when he was only 36.

In 1923, the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera silenced the Basque nationalist movement that was emerging in Euskal Herria. However, the nationalist project revived around 1927 and the association called Euskaltzaleak (enthusiasts of the Basque language and culture) arose in Mondragón (Guipúzcoa). It was in that period when José María Agirre made himself known as 'Xabier Lizardi', while his leadership was of capital importance in the constitution process of the association where he became its president between the years 1928-1930. During his presidency, there were drafted the guidelines for the association activity at that time: 'Euskal Egunkaria' (The Basque Newspaper), 'Kirikiño Saria' (Kirikiño Award), 'Aur Egunak' (The Children's days), Ikastolak (Basque schools), 'Errenteriako Olerti Eguna' (The lyric day of Rentería), among other activities.

In addition to the cultural dynamics, Lizardi also committed to politics and became the secretary of the 'Gipuzko Buru Batzar' (provincial demarcation of Guipúzcoa) of the Basque Nationalist Party in the period in which it was celebrated the first 'Aberri Eguna' (Basque Homeland Day) of 1932 as well as the Statute of Estella. Xabier Lizardi worked in different fields of literature: poetry, theatre plays and journalism. However, it was poetry what made him famous with no doubt, considering that all the critics expressed unanimously that his poetic work was the summit of the modern Basque lyrical poetry.

The best of that poetic work is shown in the poems of 'Biotz-begietan' (In the kind eyes, 1932). After his death, the society 'Euskaltzaleak' published the book 'Umezurtz Olerkiak' (Poems of Orphanhood), in which the poems that were written after the former publication were included.

The subject of Lizardi's poems deals with the being, life and death, homeland, Euskara and the Basque tradition. Concerning the style of his work, it is characterised by a compact and elegant expression, where his modernity and originality clearly shone among his contemporaries. Regarding his theatre production, there are three published works: 'Laño ta izar' (Clouds and stars), which is a poetic dramatization of a children's story. 'Bi aizpak' (The two sisters), which is a Basque version of a French comedy. Finally, there is the work 'Ezkondu ezin zitekeen mutilla' (The boy that could not get married), a customs comedy that shows a criticism of the social traditions, which is based on his own anecdotes throughout his life.

Lizardi was also a journalist. In fact, it was this gender which made him known with his literary name. His numerous journal articles were the most direct expression of his tireless activity in cultural, literary and political subjects. The society 'Euskaltzaleak' published in 1934 a selection of articles from more than one hundred that were written between the years 1927-1933. This work was titled 'Itz-Lauz' (With simple words). Thanks to this book as well as the complete collection that has been published more recently, we can know the wide range of subjects shown in his articles written in both languages, Euskara and Castilian: Basque journalism, Basque schools, Basque culture and literature, as well as literary controversy and criticism. Elegance, correction and irony are also outstanding features of the style of his journalistic works. Furthermore, the registers of Lizardi's prose can be seen clearly outlined. He knew how to fit them to his wish: sometimes as a cultured, elegant and stylised prose; others, on the contrary, with the simple, direct and vigorous language that is daily spoken.

Bernardo Atxaga, whose real name is José Iratzu Garmendia, was born in Asteasu (Guipúzcoa), in 27th July, 1951. He holds a degree in Economics, as well as in Philosophy and Letters from the University of Barcelona. He wrote his first works in Euskara under the pseudonym of Bernardo Atxaga. He is the author of several poems, tales and novels as well as about twenty books for the children. Atxaga was awarded the 'Xabier Lizardi' in 1983 for his book 'Sugeak txoriari begiratzen dionean' (When the snake looks at the bird). Later in 1989, he won the 'National Literature Award' for his work 'Obabakoak' (Stories of Obaba), which has been translated into more than ten languages and brought to the big screen by the film director Montxo Armendariz through the film 'Obaba', nominated for an Oscar in the category of Best Foreing Language Film.

 

 

 

 

 

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