Legends and Popular Tales of the Basque People: The Folk Stories, Myths and Ballads of the Basque Country

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The myths and legends of the Basque peoples are lively adventures which shed insight on the ancient culture and spiritual traditions unique to the Basque country.

Historically, the legends of the Basque region were treated as insignificant by scholars of literature and readers. Yet Mariana Monteiro, in presenting them anew for the English reader, makes a passionate case for their inclusion in the pantheon of great myths: though their narrations are simple in comparison to other legends, this is but camouflage for the deeply meaningful lessons they impart. That the Basque peoples have existed through centuries, largely escaping European wars and their devastation, is a sign that their culture remains unblemished by successive upheavals; a bulwark of the old, existing with strength against history’s odds.

Such is how the author frames these legends, rich in their poetic imagination and imbued by a culture that endures. The symbolism of the vivid creatures in these stories, and the apt portrayal of human nature in the narrations, are delivered amid the backdrop of the beautiful rolling hills and plains of the Basque country, its lush forests, and its mountainous fissures. The reader will be appreciative, and perhaps enchanted, by the age-old stories that emerged from this valuable corner of the Earth.