Middle Ages History of the Basques

1 middle ages

1.1 christianization
1.2 middle ages
1.3 high middle ages
1.4 basque sailors
1.5 late middle ages

middle ages
christianization

roman bridge in ascain (azkaine)



medieval stellae collection exhibited @ san telmo museum, donostia

despite christian testimonies , institutional organization, basque christianization slow. basques hung onto own pagan religion , beliefs (later transfigured mythology), , christianized @ par germanic peoples hostile carolingian expansion (8-9th century), such saxons. however, remained slow internal process scholars have extended 15th century.

the christian poet prudentius sings prominent vasconic town of calahorra in work peristephanon (i) written in 5th century, reminding town s one-time pagan vascones of martyrdom gone through in formerly (305). calahorra became episcopal see in 4th century, bishop holding authority on territory extended lands of present-day central rioja (sierra de cameros), bizkaia, Álava, big part of gipuzkoa , navarre. in 5th century, eauze (elusa) attested episcopal see in novempopulania, actual influence of these centres on different domains of society not known.

the collapse of roman empire seems have turned tide. basques not identified anymore roman civilisation , declining urban life after late 5th century, , prevailed on roman urban culture, paganism remained widespread among basques @ least late 7th century , failed mission of saint amandus. however, less century later, no reference made frankish chroniclers basque paganism in frankish assault on basques , aquitanians, despite powerful propaganda value, odo recognised champion of christianity pope.

charlemagne started policy of colonisation in aquitaine , vasconia after submission of both territories in 768-769. enlisting church on side strengthen power in vasconia, restored frankish authority on high pyrenees in 778, divided land between bishops , abbots , began baptize pagan basques of region.

muslim accounts period of umayyad conquest of hispania , beginning of 9th century identify basques magi or pagan wizards , not considered people of book (christians). still in 816, muslim chroniclers attest not far pamplona so-called saltan , knight of pagans , distorted name maybe referring zaldun, literally in basque knight . later muslim historians cite navarrese leaders of 9th century (but not them) holding onto polytheist religious practices , criticize banu qasi allying them.

early middle ages

in 409, vandals, alans, , suevi forced way hispania through western pyrenees, chased closely visigoths in 416 allies of rome, while consequences of advances not clear. in 418 rome gave provinces of aquitania , tarraconensis visigoths, foederati, view defending novempopulana raids of bagaudae. has been argued basque underlying these roving armed hosts, claim far certain. contemporary chronicler hydatius aware of existence of vasconias, not identify bagaudae rebels basque.

while visigoths seem have claimed basque territory date, chronicles point failure subdue it, punctuated sporadic military successes. years between 435 , 450 saw succession of confrontations between bagaudae , romano-gothic troops, best documented of battles of toulouse, araceli, , turiasum. same period, in 449-51, suevi under king rechiar ravaged territories of vascones, looting way through region on way home toulouse. settlements damaged after raids and, while calahorra , pamplona survived, iruña (veleia) seems have been abandoned result.

after 456, visigoths crossed pyrenees twice aquitaine, @ roncesvalles, in effort destroy suevic kingdom of rechiar, chronicle of hydatius, spanish source of period, ends in 469, actual events of visigothic confrontation basques obscure. apart vanished previous tribal boundaries, great development between death of hydatius , events accounted in 580s appearance of basques mountain roaming people , of times depicted posing threat urban life.

the franks displaced visigoths aquitaine in 507, placing basques between 2 warring kingdoms. in 581 or thereabouts both franks , visigoths attacked vasconia (wasconia in gregory of tours), neither success. in 587 franks launched second attack on basques, defeated on plains of aquitaine, implying basque settlement or conquest had begun north of pyrenees. however, theory of basque expansionism in middle ages has been dismissed , not necessary understand historic evolution of region. afterwards, franks , goths created respective marches in order contain basques ̶ duchy of cantabria in south , duchy of vasconia in north (602).

in south-western marches of frankish duchy of vasconia, extending @ periods during 6-8th centuries across pyrenees, cantabria (maybe including biscay , Álava) , pamplona remained out of visigothic rule, latter sticking either self-rule or under frankish suzerainty (councils of toledo unattended between 589 , 684).

after fighting, duchy of vasconia consolidated independent polity between 660 , 678 ruled duke felix, means of personal union duchy of aquitaine established de facto realm detached distant merovingian rule. synergies between ‘roman’, non-frankish urban elites , rural militarised vascon power base enabled strong political entity in south-west gaul. basque-aquitanian realm reached zenith @ time of odo great, muslim invasion of 711, @ time visigoth roderic fighting basques in pamplona, , rise of carolingian dynasty posed new threats state, spurring downfall , breakup.

the duchy of vasconia , neighbouring territories (740)

vasconia s submission franks after odo’s death in 735 interrupted frequent outbreaks of resistance, led latter’s son hunald (735-744) , grandson waifer (+768). in 762, hosts of frankish king pippin crossed loire, attacked bourges , clermont defended basques , ransacked aquitaine. after several military setbacks, basques pledged submission pippin on river garonne (fronsac, c. 769). @ time (7-8th centuries), vasconia mentioned stretching lands of cantabria in south-west way river loire in north pointing not preponderant significant basque presence in aquitaine (i.e. between garonne , loire).

duchy of vasconia , both sides of pyrenees (760)

vasconia’s newly suppressed resistance cleared way frankish army deal charlemagne’s interests in spanish marches (siege of zaragoza). after pulling down walls of pamplona, roland s rear guard headed north , defeated in first battle of roncevaux (778) treacherous basques, put frankish chroniclers, suggesting basques overall , duke lupus backed down on 769 allegiance vow. after 781, tired of basque uprisings, charlemagne appointed no more dukes, instead opting direct rule creating kingdom of aquitaine.

the basque-muslim state of banu qasi (meaning heirs of cassius in arabic), founded c. 800 near tudela (tutera in basque), acted buffer state between basques , cordovan umayyads helped consolidate independent kingdom of pamplona after second battle of roncevaux, when frankish expedition led counts eblus , aznar (sometimes identified local frankish vassal toppled in aragon 10 years earlier) defeated pamplonese , maybe banu qasi, after crossing pyrenees, in wake of basque rebellions north of pyrenees. in west fringes of basque territory, Álava arose first in history attacked asturian , cordovan hosts , comprising blur territory held duchy of cantabria (current cantabria, biscay, Álava, la rioja , burgos).

after battle, enecco arista (basque eneko aritza, i.e. eneko oak), re-asserted power in pamplona c. 824, basques managing thereafter fend off frankish rule south of western pyrenees. line of aristas ruled pamplona side side banu qasi of tudela decline of both dynasties (early 10th century). when sancho garces rose prominence in 905, pamplonese allegiances switched neighbour christian realms, new royal lineage starting expansion south territory of former allies.

in 844, vikings sailed garonne bordeaux , toulouse , raided countryside on either bank of river, killing duke of basques sigwinum ii (recorded sihiminum too, maybe semeno) in bordeaux. took on bayonne, , attacked pamplona (859), taking king garcia prisoner, released in exchange hefty ransom. overcome in 982 basque duke william ii sanchez of gascony, made way pamplona fight north of bayonne , put term viking incursions, allowing monasteries spring on gascony thereafter, first of 1 of saint-sever, caput vasconiae.

william started policy of rapprochement pamplona, establishing dynastic ties rulers. despite newly found strength, 10th century territory of vasconia (to become gascony , stripped 11th–12th centuries of original ethnic sense) fragmented different feudal regions, example, viscountcies of soule , labourd out of former tribal systems , minor realms (county of vasconia), while south of pyrenees kingdom of castile, kingdom of pamplona , pyrenean counties of aragon, sobrarbe, ribagorza (later merged kingdom of aragon) , pallars arose main regional powers basque population in 9th century.

high middle ages


the kingdom of pamplone in 10th century



the navarrese territories circa 1179

under sancho iii great, pamplona controlled entire southern basque country. actually, power extended burgos , santander northern aragon. through marriage sancho became acting earl of castile , held protectorate on gascony , león. however, in 1058, former vasconia turned gascony, merged personal union aquitaine (william viii). william viii intervened on dynastic struggles taking place in aragón , other peninsular kingdoms, gascony progressively moved away basque political sphere, own ethnic make-up: basque people increasingly turned gascon on plains north of central , west pyrenees.

following sancho iii s death, castile , aragon became separate kingdoms ruled sons, responsible first partitioning of pamplona (1076). pamplona, main basque kingdom (to renamed navarre), absorbed , dwindled benefit of aragón. kingdom of aragón expanded pyrenean stronghold ebro valley (saragossa , tudela conquered in 1118), shifting power base lowlands , urban areas, basque language , culture receding @ pressure of stronger urban population , latin (and arabic) civilization s prestige encountered @ ebro valley. basque ceased main language of communication in many areas of central pyrenees, , romance, navarro-aragonese, took on instead. colonizers of lands conquered andalusian kingdoms brought new language along, , not basque.

the kingdom of navarre restored in 1157 under garcía ramírez restorer, fought castile control on western lands of realm (la rioja, Álava, , parts of old castile; see map). in mid-12th century, navarrese kings sancho wise , successor sancho vii asserted navarrese authority on central Álava in contest castile granting various town charters, i.e. treviño (1161), laguardia (1164), vitoria-gasteiz (1181), bernedo, antoñana (1182), la puebla de arganzón (1191). peace treaty signed in 1179 ceded la rioja , northeastern part of present-day old castile castilian crown. in return, pact acknowledged central Álava, biscay , gipuzkoa belonged navarre.

in 1199, while navarre s king sancho vi wise away on diplomatic mission in tlemcen, castile invaded , annexed western basque country, leaving navarre landlocked. king alfonso viii of castile promised give durangaldea, gipuzkoa , Álava back, did not happen. however, castilian king went on ratify navarrese rights , garner loyalty. managed retain large degree of self-government , native laws, castilian (and later, spanish) monarchs, or viceroys, swear uphold on oath until 19th century. during following decades, castilian kings reinforced position on navarre s borders , secured new commercial routes, notably tunnel route, chartering new towns, e.g. treviño (1254, rechartered), agurain, campezo/kanpezu, corres, contrasta, segura, tolosa, orduña (rechartered), mondragon (arrasate; 1260, rechartered), bergara (1268, rechartered), villafranca (1268), artziniega (1272), etc.

basque sailors


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.

late middle ages

the basque country in late middle ages ravaged war of bands, bitter partisan wars between local ruling families. in navarre these conflicts became polarised in violent struggle between agramont , beaumont parties. in biscay, 2 major warring factions named oñaz , gamboa (cf. guelphs , ghibellines in italy). high defensive structures called dorretxeak ( tower houses ) built local noble families, few of survive today, razed fire, royal decree.