They have a proverb to
the effect that Satan once lived seven years in Biscay, and then
departed, finding himself unable either to understand or to make
himself understood.
There are few inducements to the study of this language. In the
first place, the acquisition of it is by no means necessary even to
those who reside in the countries where it is spoken; the Spanish
being generally understood throughout the Basque provinces
pertaining to Spain, and the French in those pertaining to France.
In the second place, neither dialect is in possession of any
peculiar literature capable of repaying the toil of the student.
There are various books extant both in French and Spanish Basque,
but these consist entirely of Popish devotion, and are for the most
part translations.
It will, perhaps, here be asked whether the Basques do not possess
popular poetry, like most other nations, however small and
inconsiderable. They have certainly no lack of songs, ballads, and
stanzas, but of a character by no means entitled to the appellation
of poetry. I have noted down from recitation a considerable
portion of what they call their poetry, but the only tolerable
specimen of verse which I ever discovered amongst them was the
following stanza, which, after all, is not entitled to very high
praise:-
"Ichasoa urac aundi,
Estu ondoric agueri -
Pasaco ninsaqueni andic
Maitea icustea gatic."
i.e. "The waters of the sea are vast, and their bottom cannot be
seen: but over them I will pass, that I may behold my love."
The Basques are a singing rather than a poetical people.
Notwithstanding the facility with which their tongue lends itself
to the composition of verse, they have never produced among them a
poet with the slightest pretensions to reputation; but their voices
are singularly sweet, and they are known to excel in musical
composition. It is the opinion of a certain author, the Abbe
D'Ilharce, who has written about them, that they derived the name
Cantabri, by which they were known to the Romans, from Khantor-ber,
signifying sweet singers. They possess much music of their own,
some of which is said to be exceedingly ancient. Of this music
specimens were published at Donostian (San Sebastian) in the year
1826, edited by a certain Juan Ignacio Iztueta. These consist of
wild and thrilling marches, to the sound of which it is believed
that the ancient Basques were in the habit of descending from their
mountains to combat with the Romans, and subsequently with the
Moors. Whilst listening to them it is easy to suppose oneself in
the close vicinity of some desperate encounter. We seem to hear
the charge of cavalry on the sounding plain, the clash of swords,
and the rushing of men down the gorges of hills.
