The innovative spirit
The eighteenth century was marked by Bourbon centralism. Most of
the texts produced on the Basque literary scene were still religious
books written by the clergy, which formed the origin and initial
development of Basque prose. The hub of literature in Basque
moved from Labourd to Gipuzkoa, and the new awareness of the
language to be found in Basque writers from Etxepare, was systematised
in grammar books, dictionaries and defences of Basque. The ideas and interests of Manuel de Larramendi made him an
important forerunner of the enlightenment ideas later to be manifested
by the Real Sociedad Bascongada de Amigos del País [Royal
Basque Society of Friends of the Country].
126. The splendour of the Northern Basque Country in the seventeenth
century was eclipsed by the loss of Newfoundland and other
overseas territories in the Treaty of Utrecht (1713), which dealt a
considerable blow to the burgeoning fishing and trading industry of
Labourd. Historical site of Port Royal, in today's Nova Scotia
(Canada), which passed into the possession of the English crown. 127. Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Navarre at the entrance to Port
Royal, the first European settlement north of Florida (1610). 128. Manuel Larramendi (1690-1766), writer, priest, philologist and
historian, was a great champion of Basque language and culture
during the Enlightenment. He was also the first collector of Basque
folklore. In 1729 he published El imposible vencido or Arte de la
Lengua Bascongada [The Impossible Overcome or the Art of the
Basque Language], a grammar book written in Spanish, and his trilingual
dictionary of English, Basque and Latin (1745) was used as
a reference work by his contemporaries. His linguistic interests —
the origin of the language, its relationship with other languages, a
universal language— are typical of the intellectuals of his time. 129. Under the Nueva Planta decrees, Philip V imposed Castilian
Spanish as the general tongue of the public administration. In response,
there was an immediate spirited defence of the ancient liberties
of the Basque Country, and Manuel de Larramendi published
Sobre los fueros de Guipúzcoa (1756-1758) and his project for unification
of the Basque provinces, Provincias Unidas del Pirineo. 130. Agustin de Kardaberaz, from Hernani, Sebastián de Mendiburu,
from Oiartzun and Joaquin Lizarraga, from Elkano, were considered
to be from the school of Larramendi. Under his influence they
wrote their works in Basque and also devoted themselves to preaching. 131. In the eighteenth century, most religious books published in
Basque were translations or adaptations of classics of ascetic literature. 132. It was during the eighteenth century that the "Pastoral" was
developed, a theatrical genre, traditional to Soule, which has survived
to the present day. Its origins can be traced back to the mystery
plays of the Middle Ages which evolved into a rural theatre that told
the stories of the saints, kings and emperors of the Middle Ages.
Sainte Elisabeth de Portugal, written in Eskiula in 1750, is the oldest
manuscript extant. 133. The concerns of physician and writer Joanes Etxeberri (Sara,
1668- 1724) about illiteracy among Basque speakers, and his
defence of the Basque language are typical of the enlightenment
spirit. As well as his Diccionario cuatrilingüe, he also wrote a bilingual
grammar for learning Latin Euscalherriari eta Euscaldun guztiei
escuarazco hatsapenac latin icasteco (1713) and two defences of
the Basque language, Escuararen hatsapenac and LauUrdiri
Gomendiozco Carta edo Guthuna, (1718). 134. The Count of Peñaflorida. 135. In 1764 the Real Sociedad Bascongada de Amigos del País was
founded in Azpeitia, bringing the ideas of the enlightenment to the
Southern Basque Country. It was chaired by Francisco Xavier María
de Munibe e Idiaquez, the Count of Peñaflorida, one of the "Little
Knights of Azkoitia". Its aim was to develop science, and also to
improve and cultivate the Basque language. Peñaflorida himself
composed El borracho burlado (1764), a comic work with dialogues
in Spanish and songs in Basque. His Gabon sariac (1762) and
Pedro Ignacio de Barrutia's Gabonetako ikuskizuna were the first
written texts in the history of Basque theatre. 136. IRURAC BAT (Three in One), the motto of the Real Sociedad
Bascongada de Amigos del Pais. 137. Eighteenth Century Poetry. The manuscript Bertso zahar eta berri
zenbaiten bilduma (1798), contains compositions speaking of the dangers
of the sea and the cod expeditions to Newfoundland: Partida tristea
Ternuara, Itsasoco perillac and Ternuaco penac. In the north, the
influence of French melodies is clear in Othoitce eta Cantica Espiritualac
Çubero Herrico (1734) in Souletin, and Cantica espiritualac, (Bayonne,
1763), in Labourdin. 138. German map from 1730 by Gottfried Hensel, with the opening
verses of the Lord's Prayer in the vernacular languages of the period,
written in the approximate territory of each one. Gure aita cerue tan
aicena... 139. In Navarre, two thirds of the towns spoke Basque in the eighteenth
century and it was spoken as far south as Tafalla. 140. In 1778 the "receptores bascongados" (Basque-speaking judicial
experts) from the Navarrese bishopric contested an attempt to
reduce the number of Basque-speakers and increase the number of
"romançados" (those who spoke Romance, or Spanish). 141. The Newfoundland coast. 142. Musketeer. 143. After the French Revolution (1789), the Basque-speaking territories
of the Pays Basque were incorporated into the common French
regime and the capital and organs of government moved to Pau.
French became the sole language, and Basque was listed as a patois
to be abolished (1794). 144. Castle of Andurain. Maule. 145. Barandiaran has shown that at the end of the eighteenth century,
Basque was spoken in much of Alava, including many towns
in the vicariate of Vitoria. Etxebarri.
