Basque sailors History of the Basques

basque fishing sites in canada in 16th , 17th centuries



basque warriors in military outfit (1530s)

basques played important role in european ventures atlantic ocean. earliest document mention use of whale oil or blubber basques dates 670. in 1059, whalers lapurdi recorded have presented oil of first whale captured viscount. apparently basques averse taste of whale meat themselves, did successful business selling , blubber french, castilians , flemings.

on heat of 1199–1201 castilian conquests (gipuzkoa, shire of durango, Álava), number of towns founded along coast during next 2 hundred years. towns chartered castilian kings, thrived on fishing , maritime trade (with northern europe), depicted in coat of arms. development of ironworks (water propelled) , shipyards added basque naval effort. basque whalers used longboats or traineras rowed in vicinity of coast or larger ship.

whaling , cod-fishing responsible basque contact both north sea , newfoundland. basques began cod-fishing , later whaling in labrador , newfoundland first half of 16th century.

in europe, rudder seems have been basque invention, judge 3 masted ships depicted in 12th-century fresco in estella (navarre; lizarra in basque), , seals preserved in navarrese , parisian historical archives show similar vessels. first mention of use of rudder referred steering à la navarraise or à la bayonnaise .

magellan s expedition manned on departure 200 sailors, @ least 35 of them basques, , when magellan killed in philippines, basque second-in-command, juan sebastián elcano took ship way spain. 18 crew members completed circumnavigation, 4 of them basques. basques mutinied in christopher columbus expedition, distinctive group reported have erected makeshift camp in american island.

early 17th century international treaties undermined basque whaling across northern atlantic. in 1615, gipuzkoan whalers frequenting iceland decades massacred (32) icelandic force commanded sheriff ari magnusson acting on orders of danish king. act ordering killing of basques revoked in 2015 during basque-icelandic friendship event. however, northern atlantic fishing continued @ least treaty of utrecht (1713), when spanish basques deprived of traditional northern european fishing grounds.