Índice de contenidos

I. OMENS OF DEATH

Animal-related omens

• Dog howling

• Rooster crowing

• Behaviour of livestock and cats

• Singing or presence of night birds. Le cri de la chouette

• Presence of crows and other birds

• Presence of insects

Omens related with facts and events

• Bells ringing

• Paying, measuring or weighing just enough

• Noises and other coincidences

• Omens resulting from the act of dying

 

II. DEATH THROES AND DEATH

Death throes

• Names

• Physical signs of death throes

• Death tolls

• Caring for the person in their dying moments

• • Care and attention
  • Visiting the dying person
  • Watching over the person in their dying moments
  • Contemporary changes

• Prayers during the death throes

• Other religious practices

• Causes for the death throes dragging on

• • Feuds and grievances
  • Possessed by spirits

• Remedies to stop the death throes dragging on

• • Meza enkomendadua
  • Offering lights and fasts
  • Facilitating the exiting of the soul

The death

• Names

• Physical causes of death

• Extraordinary causes of death

• • Spells
  • Evil eye
  • Death spirits

• Replacing death

 

III. VIATICUM AND EXTREME UNCTION

Receiving the Last Sacraments

• Notifying the priest and doctor

• Preparing the room of the sick person

• • Home altar
  • Decorating the house

• Viaticum

• • Viaticum in the Northern Basque Country (lying within France)
  • Viaticum in Navarra
  • Viaticum in Gipuzkoa
  • Viaticum in Bizkaia
  • Viaticum in Alava

• Extreme Unction

 

IV. BELIEFS ABOUT THE SOUL'S DESTINY

Signs of salvation or damnation

• The countenance of the corpse

• Signs of nature

• Problems when removing the coffin from the house

• Incorrupt bodies

 

V. HOUSEHOLD MOURNING AND HELP FROM NEIGHBOURS

Signs of mourning of the bereaved household

• Concealing the mirrors

• Concealing other belongings

• Covering the walls

• Closing windows

• Signs of mourning outside the house

Role of the neighbours during the mourning period

• The neighbourhood and neighbours with regard to the bereaved household

• • Organisation of the neighbourhood hierarchy
  • The first neighbour
  • Reconciliation and friendship between neighbours

• Help provided by the neighbours

• • Household chores and tasks
  • Primacy of family support
  • Customarily established help

 

VI. COMMUNICATING THE DEATH

Notifications

• Recipients of the notification

• Death announcers

Relatives and neighbours The first settlers Youths Female announcers Messengers and auroros choirs

• Contemporary transitions

Bell ringing

• Names

• Time of the death knell

• Person in charge of ringing the bells

• The language of the tolling of the bells

• • Religious status and sex differences
  • Death knell for children
  • Social categories

• Validity of the death knells

• Death knells in chapels

• Burial bell tolls

Death notices

• Newspaper death notices

• Street death notices

• Antiquity of the death notices

• Radio death notices

Telling domesticated animals of the death

• Telling the bees

• • Survival of the beehive
  • Producing more wax
  • Requesting wax and avoiding the death of the bees
  • The death of the owner
  • The new owner
  • Signs of mourning

• Telling the barn animals

 

VII. SHROUD

ashing and shrouding

• Ways of washing the corpse

• Cleansing the corpse

• Arranging the hands and feet

• Salt on the corpse

• The shroud and its types

• • Cloth shroud
  • Religious habits
  • Festive garments

Objects that accompany the corpse

• Pious symbols

• Death indulgences

• Secular objects

 

VIII. THE WAKE. GAUBELA

The wake

• Daytime vigil

• Reciting the Rosary at dusk

• Night-time vigil

• • Names
  • The wake in the Northern Basque Country (lying within France)
  • The wake in the Southern Basque Country (lying within Spain)
  • Looking after the lamp
  • Meals during the wake

• Validity of the wake

The room with the deceased

• Cross

• Light

• Holy water

Laying out the corpse

• The corpse on the death bed

• The corpse in the main room

• In the death chamber

The coffin

• Names

• Making the coffin

• Classes and types of coffins

• Duties of the carpenter

 

IX. CORPSE WAYS

Corpse ways in localities with a scattered population

• Southern Basque Country

• Northern Basque Country

 

X. TAKING THE CORPSE TO THE CHURCH

The bearers

• Names

• Neighbours as bearers

• • Northern Basque Country
  • Southern Basque Country

• Youth bearers in Álava

• Relatives and neighbours as bearers

• Friends and relatives as bearers

• Bearers nominated by the dying person

• Orientation of the corpse

• Developments in the ways to transport the corpse

• Taking turns in bearing the corpse

Removal of the corpse

• Southern Basque Country

• Northern Basque Country

• Hospitality house

• Mother house or of the patron saint

 

XI. THE FUNERAL CORTEGE

Composition of the funeral cortege

• Names

• Head of the procession

• The funeral cortege in Alava

• The funeral cortege in Bizkaia

• The funeral cortege in Gipuzkoa

• The funeral cortege in Navarra

• The funeral cortege in the Northern Basque Country

A child's burial

• Names

• Northern Basque Country

• Southern Basque Country

• The godparents at a child's burial

The mourners

• Historical documentation

• Ethnographic sources

• Crying and wailing

 

XII. ATTIRE IN THE FUNERAL CORTEGE

Old mourning attire

• The cape

• The shawl

 

XIII. OFFERING BEARERS IN THE CORTEGE

The bearer of the offering. Names

• The bread offering

• The light offering

Floral wreaths and flowers in the funeral cortege

• Flowers at the start of the century

• Artificial wreaths and flowers

• Homemade crosses and wreaths

• Prevalence of flowers and wreaths

• Attributed meanings

• Position in the cortege

 

XIV. OBSEQUIES

The corpse during the obsequies

• The coffin in the gateway

• Burial prior to the funeral service

• The catafalque or burial mound

• The funeral with the body present

Arrangement of the family mourners in the church

• Male mourners

• Family mourners

• Family mourners today

The funeral mass

• Names

• Types of funeral

• Satires on the types of funeral

• The social standing of the funeral

• Burial mass and Funeral rites

• «A tiempo» masses (concelebrated by different priests)

• Infant funerals

Appendix: Obsequies according to the Roman Ritual

• Processions from the church to the house of the deceased

• Forming the funeral cortege

• Removal of the corpse and procession to the church

• Receiving the corpse at the church

• Office for the Dead

• Requiem Mass

• Absolution, sprinkling and incensation of the corpse

• Procession to the grave

• Blessing of the grave

 

XV. OBSEQUIAL DAYS

Novena

• Names

• The novena in the Twenties

• Persistence and transformation of the novena

• The novena in the Northern Basque Country

• Reciting the rosary during the novena

Anniversary Mass

• Names

• Southern Basque Country

• Northern Basque Country

Mass offerings

• Names

• Northern Basque Country

• Southern Basque Country

• Gregorian masses

Appendix: Burial costs

• Outside contributions

• Payments in kind

 

XVI. GRAVES IN CHURCHES. PITS

Validity of the symbolic graves

• Household grave

• Collective grave

• Abolition of the graves

Burial goods

• Cloth or tablecloth

• Light holders

• • Woodcutter
  • Grave. Pit
  • Argizaiola
  • Candlestick

• Match

• Candle decorations

• Making candles and matches by hand

• Hamper of offerings

• Kneeler

• Custody of the belongings

Activation of the grave

• Primacy of the lady of the house

• Sister's involvement

• Duties of the sister on the day of the obsequies

 

XVII. OFFERINGS AND SUFFRAGES AT THE GRAVE

Light offering

• Beliefs

• Light offering at the obsequies

• • Gipuzkoa
  • Navarra
  • Alava
  • Bizkaia
  • Northern Basque Country

• Light offerings during the mourning period

• • Gipuzkoa
  • Navarra
  • Alava
  • Bizkaia
  • Northern Basque Country

Bread offering

• Extent and validity of the bread offering

• Types of bread, number and weight

• Names

• Offerings and recipients

• Offering ritual at the obsequies

• Bread offering at the novena

• Offerings during the year of mourning

• Offerings at the anniversary mass

• Offerings on certain days

• Distribution of the offering bread

Money offerings at the grave

• Names

• The responsories of the day of the burial

• Responsories during the period of mourning

• • On feast days
  • Ordinary days

• Responsories on certain days of the year

• Evolution of the stipend of the responsories

Animal offerings in the past

• Historical sources

• Ethnographic sources

 

XVIII. ACT OF BURIAL

Attending the burial act

• Ex officio attendees

• Women not attending

• Bereavement after the burial

• Cortege to the limes

• Direct cortege to the cemetery

• Large procession

• The burial today

Rituals in the cemetery

• Retrieval of religious symbols

• Throwing a handful of earth

Orientation of the tomb

• In the church and in its surroundings

• In the cemetery

• • Orientation with respect to the Sun
  • Orientation with respect to the church
  • Orientation with respect to the floor plan of the cemetery
  • Random distribution

 

XIX. RETURNING TO THE HOUSE OF THE DECEASED AND FUNERAL FEAST

Return of the cortege to the house of the deceased

• Northern Basque Country

• Southern Basque Country

Feast and refreshments for the attendees

• The «goodwill» in Alava

• Karidadea in Gipuzkoa

• Other refreshments

Gifts to the participants in the obsequies

• To the priests

• To the coffin bearers

• To children

• To the auroros choirs

• Alms to the poor

The burial meal

• Names

• Place of the meal

• • At the house of the deceased
  • In inns and taverns
  • Preparing the room and the meal

• Diners

• • Relatives
  • Neighbours
  • Mezakoak
  • Other guests
  • Top table
  • Prayers

• Composition of the meal

• The burial meal at different places

• • Beskoitze (L)
  • Izpura (BN)
  • Ezpeize-Ündüreiñe (Z)
  • Basabüria (Haute Soule)
  • Aria (N)
  • Allo (N)
  • Mezkiriz (N)
  • Berastegi (G)
  • Elosua (G)
  • Abadiano (B)
  • Zeanuri (B)
  • Ribera Alta (A)
  • Salvatierra (A)

• Anniversary and funeral rites meals

• Current valuations

 

XX. THE MOURNING

Restrictions during the mourning period

• Attending dances and parties

• Presence in bars and public establishments

• Household celebrations

• Noisy activities

Mourning apparel

• Women's mourning apparel

• • Mourning veil
  • Mantalina
  • Shawl
  • Mantaleta
  • Kaputxina

• Men's mourning apparel

• • Kapa
  • Kapa ttipia and taulerra

• Children's mourning apparel

• Less rigorous mourning

• Home dying of garments for the mourning

Signs of mourning on the outside of the house

• Drapery

• Concealing the coats-of-arms

 

XXI. COMMEMORATION OF THE DEAD

1 November All Saints' Day

• Offerings at the church

• Visiting the cemetery

• • Southern Basque Country
  • Northern Basque Country

2 November Commemoration of the Faithful Departed or All Souls' Day

• Offerings at the church

• Visits to the cemetery

• Novena for the Spirits in Purgatory

• Distribution of the offerings to children

• Indulgences for the deceased

 

XXII. ASSOCIATIONS AROUND DEATH

Neighbourhood brotherhoods in Bizkaia

• Brotherhood of San Miguel de Alzusta in Zeanuri

• Brotherhood of San Adrián de Argiñeta in Elorrio

Appendix

• Charter of the Brotherhood of the Holy True Cross of the village of Villanueva de Valdegovia

• Book of the Brotherhood of the Holy Rosary of this town of S. Román

• Rules and Charter of the Brotherhood of Spirits. Llodio

• Statuts ou Règlements des Confrères de la Confrérie de Saint-Blaise du quartier d'Amots, en la Paroisse de St-Pé, du 14 fevrier 1779

• Reformed Rules of the Brotherhood of the Nativity of Our Lady of the Reverend Priests of Aramayona Valley, Province of Alava, Diocese of Vitoria

• «Bakartasuna» Brotherhood of the Dead (Solitude). Zeanuri

• Rules of the Brotherhood of the True Cross, founded in Alonsótegui in 1882

 

XXIII. BURIAL PLACES AND METHODS

The cemetery

• Names

• Location of the cemetery

• • Next to the place of worship
  • Cemeteries around chapels
  • Cemeteries in the outskirts

• Distribution of the cemetery area

• Right of internment in the grave

• Burial methods

• • The burial mound
  • Grave in the ground with flagstone
  • The pantheon
  • The crypt

• Headstone

• • Crosses
  • Stelae

• Unconsecrated ground

• • Limbo
  • Area for people who have committed suicide and non-believers
  • Specific cases
  • Civil burials

 

XXIV. GHOSTS AND WANDERING SPIRITS

Types of spirit apparitions

• Sonidos y ruidos extraños. Herotsegileak

• Luces y resplandores. Argi-egileak

• Sombras. Gerixetiak

• Olores. Arimen usaina

• Forma corpórea

• Otras formas de aparición

Escenarios de aparición

• La casa y el fuego del hogar

• Caminos y encrucijadas

• Moradas de ánimas

Comportamientos ante apariciones

• Prevenciones

• Normas y fórmulas dialogadas. Zer arrangura duk?

• Cautelas y acreditaciones. Atzamarren erreunea

• Modos de ahuyentar

• Peticiones de las ánimas

• • Misas
  • Oraciones
  • Satisfacción de deudas
  • Cumplimiento de promesas

Presentimientos y temores a apariciones

• Prohibición de dar vueltas al cementerio

• Miedo a lugares de enterramiento

Narraciones de aparecidos tradicionalizadas

• El cura-cazador errante. Abade-txakurrak

• El cura a falta de una misa. Gauerdiko meza

• Sirvienta por deudora. Zorrak pagatu arte neskato

Apéndice: Relatos de aparecidos

• Herotsegilea. Anima tonante

• Argi-egilea. Anima luminosa

• Atzamarren erreunea. Huella de fuego

• Txarri-elia. La piara de cerdos

• Zazpi estatuz ez ondoratu. Alejarse siete estadios

• Mallabiko abadea. El cura-cazador errante

• Gauerdiko meza. El cura a falta de una misa

• Zorrak pagatu arte neskato. Sirvienta por deudora

• Arima herratua (âme errante) qui écrit sur un papier un

• Arima korotik gora joan. Aparición en iglesia

• Kuadrilea kantaren-kantaren. Grupo de ánimas junto al cementerio

• Gaitzerua eta ezkoa. La candela bajo el celemín