The cult of death is strongly rooted in the culture Basque.
Death cult since the prehistory.
Dolmens and cromlechs are burials used in certain periods of prehistory including later. The ashes of corpses were buried inside the cromlechs after putting them in urns or vases.
The bodies were buried in the dolmens. Frequently, we find remnants of food and utensils in them. In the Aralar mountain range (Gipuzkoa and Navarre), still in the 19th century, shepherds retained the habit of uncovering themselves and reciting prayers in front of certain dolmens. According to them, the Jentil (see beliefs and rites) buried their dead here.
The names of these sepulchral stones are very significant: Tartaloetxe (house of Tartalo) Zegama (Gipuzkoa), Sorginexte (house of the witches) Arrizala (Alaba), Mairetxe (house of the Moors) Mendive (Lower Navarre), Jentilexte (house of the Jentils ) Ataun (Gipuzkoa)… regarding the dolmens; mairubaratza (Garden of the Moors) Oiartzun (Gipuzkoa), Jentilbaratza (Garden of the Jentils) Arano (Navarre), Mairuilarri (Sepulchral stone of the Moors) Zugarramurdi (Navarre)… for the cromlechs.
The stele funeral.
One of its names is Harrigizona (human stone) and refers to its human form. Funerary steles (hilarriak) are widespread throughout Europe but it is here that we find notable diversity. They reached their peak in the 17th century and disappeared during the 19th century. At the end of the 19th century, practically no one used them anymore. Today, they are coming back. Of those which have a date, the oldest dates from the 16th century but the majority have no information. It was customary to represent the tools of the deceased's trade, also with animals, crosses, sun stars, etc. On some the name of the house appears but generally only a drawing is carved.
the bench (Jarleku).
The interior sepulcher (jarleku) of the church was a burial pit and, at the same time, a place for the lady of the house to sit. It was the place where women made offerings to deceased servants. In addition to the light, they placed food (generally bread – OLATAK –).
In some places these were special breads that had three or four points. Meat was also deposited as in Vera and Lekaroz (Navarra), and in earlier times, animals.
In certain villages of Gipuzkoa, in the 18th century, during the mass of the deceased, an ox had to be left at the entrance to the church. In Oiartzun (Gipuzkoa), still in the 20th century, a calf was taken under the porch.
In Licq (Soule) it was believed that the breads that were on the bench could lose their nutritional powers and in Aretxabaleta (Gipuzkoa) that these breads were lighter after the celebration.
In some villages it was not easy to allow burial outside the church. When the bishop of Bayonne ordained it in 1786, there was much opposition. In Ziburu (Labourd), women threatened to set fire to the convent where the bishop was. Months later, authorities forcibly buried the dead that families were holding in their homes, rejecting doing so outside the sacred enclosure.
Despite everything, the jarleku followed, fulfilling its mission as a place of offerings until the 20th century. Then the duties and pre-eminence of women were lost to the same extent that churches began to put pews as we know them today.
Argizaiola (the board to provide the light).
Among the offerings made to the dead, that of light was the most important. This widespread belief was that in the world of darkness it was indispensable. For this, torches, candles and large, squat candles were used. The latter are called Ezkozigor (wax wand) in Sare (Labourd), Bildumena (stocky) (Bizkaye coast) etc.
The candle frequently appears rolled up in a special board. This board is called ARGIZAIOLA (wax board).
The said plate schematically represents a human figure and, sometimes, it is very elaborate. In the same way as the offerings (which we saw above), these were placed on the seats/graves of the church. About the necessity of light for the dead, this is told in Berastegi (Gipuzkoa).
“Not long ago, a group of miners got stuck in a mine shaft. During this time, the mother of one of them lit the candle every day in the church and then, one day, she was unable to do so. After a few days, the miner was taken out of the basement alive and he told them that only one day he remained without eating, without drinking or without light. By calculating, it turned out that it was precisely the day when his mother had not lit the candle in church.
