Graffiti from the archives

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Some old photos of writings or drawings on different walls, not really worth being called murals, but still. The first one is from Donostia/San Sebastián with the lines pintar algo por lo menos ‘at least paint something’ and euskarak egiten gaitu euskaldun ‘it’s the Basque language that makes us Basque’:IMG_9848

This one is from the church in Azpeitia: Se prohibe jugar a la pelota bajo la multa de 2 pesetas ‘pilota playing is forbidden under the penalty of 2 pesetas’:

 

IMG_9676Somewhere in the forests between Orio and Zarautz, this stencil of Lenin had been sprayed on a small building:

lenin

And in Zarautz, at a playground by Lapurdi Kalea close to the railway station, someone had written Jokin inor bezla maite izan zaitudala ‘Jokin, I’ve never loved anyone like you’_

jokin

Finally, two photos from the cathedral in Köln (Cologne). Not the Basque Contury, but still Basque graffiti, the first one saying EH [Euskal Herria] Basque Country, Baskenland, frei, free, libre, aske (‘free’ in German, Spanish and Basque) and depicting an ikurrina:

baskenland

The other one says Gora Bermio eta Lekitxo! (Euskal Herria) ‘Go Bermeo and Lekeitio! (Basque Country)’, using the nicknames for the two towns by the coast of Bizkaia:bermioetalekitxo

Ikurrina

Posted on by basquemurals

The red, white and green Basque flag, flying above by the harbour in Hondarribia (Gipuzkoa, Spain) with houses in Hendaia (Lapurdi, France) in the background, is referred to as ikurrina in Basque. It was designed in 1894 by the brothers Luis and Sabino Arana (founder of the Basque nationalist party EAJ-PNV). It came into official use during the Spanish Civil War 1936–1937, but was banned thereafter til 1977. In 1979 it was officially adapted as the flag of the Basque Autonomous Community, but it can also be seen in other parts of the Basque Country, for example in this small mural in Hendaia:

It is also almost compulsory at fronton walls for playing pilota, for example on this one in Zarautz:

Also the flags at the top of this blog is from a fronton wall.

Zarautz 2018

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A few new photos from Zarautz, starting with the 2017 SKAPA mural (painted during the neighbourhood festival of Santa Klara, Azken Portu & Aritzbatalde):

This one is from Zelai Azpibidea, replacing the sun-bleached drawing earlier featured in this entry:

And finally just a smiley from the east end of Mendilauta Kalea:

The prisoners once more

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presoak, garazi

Two more murals concerning the ETA prisoners. The one above is from Donibane Garazi in Lower Navarre (Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France), calling for Euskal presoak Euskal Herrira ‘the Basque prisoners to the Basque Country’.

The one below, half-covered with greenery, is from Maule-Lextarre (Mauléon-Licharre) in Zuberoa and (probably) says Euskal [presoak] etx[era] ‘the Basque prisoners home’:

presoak, maule

Beret bearers in Bayonne

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txapelduna1

In Bayonne in the south west of France (or Baiona in the north of the Basque province Lapurdi), this awe-inspiring man looks down from a facade, wearing a traditional Basque beret. The beret is called txapela in Basque and apart from being used in traditional folk costumes, it is also awarded as a trophy in various sports, for example herri kirolak, pilota and cycling. The champion is then called txapeldun ‘the one who has the beret’.

txapelduna2

Close by there is a café with these two fishermen txapelduns:

peita

And in the old town, one can find this beagle boy. No beret there, just a cap, but still.

beagle boy

Cultural tunnel

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Here are some pictures from a subway in Azpeitia, Gipuzkoa, listing different cultural activities. Arkeologia, artea, dantza, musika and zinema aren’t too difficult to understand, but it could be mentioned that antzerkia means ‘theatre’.

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