Galtzagorriak: Stories Inspired by Basque Folklore

By Caryn Larrinaga

From creation stories and explanations of natural phenomena to fables and cautionary tales, ancient Basque mythology has endured for centuries thanks to a strong oral tradition and, quite simply, love of a good story. In this unique collection, Basque-American author Caryn Larrinaga explores and expands upon the rich, traditional folklore from her family's homeland. Dive into stories about love, loss, greed, and revenge. Meet creatures like the mischievous Galtzagorriak, the deadly Gaueko, the beautiful Lamiak, the legendary Erensuge, and the wicked Sorginak. The captivating tales in Galtzagorriak and Other Creatures are lovingly illustrated by artist Carina Barajas, and are sure to delight the whole family. Whether you're already familiar with the Basque Country or this is your first introduction, you don't want to miss this collection.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Twisted Tree Press
• Release date: Jul 16, 2017
• ISBN: 9798986445502

Book preview

Galtzagorriak and Other Creatures

GALTZAGORRIAK AND OTHER CREATURES

Stories Inspired by Basque Folklore

CARYN LARRINAGA

Illustrated by

CARINA BARAJAS

Twisted Tree Press

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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Copyright © 2017 Caryn Larrinaga

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Cover Art by Carina Barajas

carinabart.weebly.com

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Cover Layout by Gene Burt

genekellydesigns.com

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All rights reserved.

Twisted Tree Press Logo

A Twisted Tree Press Publication

Salt Lake City, UT

www.TwistedTreePress.com

For Amuma.

CONTENTS

Introduction

A Note on Basque Language and Pronunciation

Acknowledgments

1. Galtzagorriak

2. Gaueko

3. Lamia

4. Erensuge

5. Sorginak eta Katua

Glossary of Basque Words

Also by Caryn Larrinaga

About the Author

About the Illustrator

Introduction

There’s a conversation that starts whenever someone sees my last name, usually while checking my ID or helping me with legal paperwork.

Larrinaga? they ask. What kind of last name is that?

Well, I say, resisting the urge to rub my hands together with glee, "Let me tell you."

Cue a quick geography lesson (My family is from the Basque Country, which is a group of seven provinces that straddle the border between Spain and France) and a brief pronunciation guide ("Larr-in-ah-ga). If I’m lucky, they’ll ask me to share a few fun words in the Basque language. I usually cap it off by encouraging them to plan a trip to the Basque Country (The food is incredible; you won’t regret going!"). Then, with a sweep of my cape, I dart away into the night, off to trick someone else into asking about my name. Muah-ha-ha-ha!

When I got married, I chose to keep my maiden name because I love so much about it. I love how easy it is for other Basques to recognize, how I share it with so many amazing people in my family, and how I leave a little piece of Basque culture on every paper I sign, every email I send, and every book and story I publish.

Spreading awareness of Basque culture has become deeply important to me in recent years. Maybe it’s something about getting older, or about the people around me getting older too, but I’ve been spending more time thinking about my heritage and its impact on my everyday life. It’s weird—and awesome—to travel to the Basque Country and sit around a dinner table with my extended family. Despite not getting to see them as often as I’d like, we share so many common traits: a tendency to burst into song at the slightest provocation, a habit of always keeping and caring for animals, and a love for a good story or a dirty joke.

Our cultures shape us. I think it’s important to know where you come from and to celebrate the things that make us different as much as we do the things we have in common. And while I love explaining what Basque means, I also sort of wish I didn’t have to. I wish it was well-known enough that when I say, I’m Basque, the other person is already aware of what that is (and doesn’t think I’m mispronouncing the name of a common ocean fish).

And that’s where this collection comes in.

After being invited to submit a story based on my roots to an anthology, I thought back to my very first trip to the Basque Country. We visited for Christmas when I was eight years old, and I loved seeing Olentzero (Basque Santa) in the parade on Christmas Eve. I started there, researching the source of the Olentzero figure and looking for other examples of Basque folklore. To my pleasant surprise, I found dozens of resources—both online and off—where I could dive into myths and legends from the Basque Country. The majority of those stories were fairly short, sometimes only a few paragraphs describing a particular deity or creature. Because of that, each one was like a writing prompt; the vagueness was an invitation for my mind to fill in the blanks and create a longer narrative.

And I ran into a problem: one story just wasn’t going to cut it.

At first, I thought I’d write a few tales, pick the best one, and submit it to the anthology. But the more I researched, the more I wrote… the more I realized I couldn’t separate these stories from one another.

And so I present these five stories, each inspired by myths and monsters from the Basque Country. If you’re Basque and already familiar with the original legends, I hope you enjoy these re-imagined tales. If this is your first introduction to anything Basque, I hope