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Since the 1950s, the traditional funeral rite has undergone far-reaching changes in Iparralde (the part of the Basque Country within France) and continues to do so at an ever-increasing rate. Some of them, already irreversible, are above all testament to a social order and a view of the world that are very alien to the new generations. However, a significant part of the rituals survives, but they are often mere “points of reference” and “organisational frames” lingering in people’s people's memory. But for how long?
Since the 1950s, the traditional funeral rite has undergone far-reaching changes in Iparralde (the part of the Basque Country within France) and continues to do so at an ever-increasing rate. Some of them, already irreversible, are above all testament to a social order and a view of the world that are very alien to the new generations. However, a significant part of the rituals survives, but they are often mere “points of reference” and “organisational frames” lingering in people’s people's memory. But for how long?
The coastal strip can be seen to have totally broken away from the inland area. There, death is dealt with outside the context of the home, ''etxe,'' , and of the framework that forms a neighbour-based society. As regards Christians, here more than anywhere else, they have to embrace their faith in the midst of indifference, in the best of cases.
These are the three avenues that we have explored and particularly the first, namely, the state of the current funeral rite in the mountains, the lowland areas inland and the coastal strip. We have focused on painstakingly describing the practices and its versions; we have sought to highlight relations between individuals and between situations (in order to see how the neighbourhood-based society that underpins our culture is expressed, but which today, has not awoken any interest in the ethnology of Iparralde). We have explored the urbanised environment along the coast in its more advanced aspect on the way to “modernisation”. We have here and there noted recent changes, but our intention has always been to portray the world in which our parents still conducted their daily lives; that is the testament that we sought to build, as a solid pillar, and to which we dedicate the summary.
== Presagios y señalesOmens and signs, agonia dying ==
La muerte es el término Death is the natural de una larga vejezend to a long life. El anciano se convierte durante algún tiempo en un tema de preocupaciónOld people would become a cause for concern for some time. El sacerdote viene a visitarle más a menudo, los primeros vecinos se interesan por su saludThe priest would visit them more often, hacen visitasthe immediate neighbours ask about their health and visit them. Todos se preparan para el desenlace Everyone would get ready for the fataloutcome.
De pronto la muerte golpea donde no se la esperaDeath knocks suddenly where it is not expected, en un momento imprevistoat an unforeseen moment. Se evoca aquí una especie de resignaciónA type of resignation, de destino of fate (''jin beharra'', ''gertatu beharra zen'') como si nuestra aventura estuviera ya escritaas if our destiny were already written. Agravando este conceptoExacerbating this concept, la persona que padece la muerte nos muestra que existe algo en nosotros que nos superathe person who dies shows us that there is in something in us that transcends us; así reza ese dicho tan conocidoas captured in that well-known saying: ''odolak baduela hamar idi parek baino indar gehiago''. Finalmente tenemos a Finally, there was ''Herioa,'' quien viene a buscarnos y contra quien luchamosthe grim reaper, who was believed to come and find the dying, but they did not give up the struggle easily: el que se encuentra debilitado caerá fácilmenteanyone who was weak would fall easily. Este combate se sigue con preocupación en la comunidad That fight was followed by the community with concern (sobre todo si el enfermo es jovenparticularly if the ill person was young), que hablará con naturalidad de vencidoand they would speak matter-of-factly of running out of time, de ataqueof fighting, de remisiónof remission, de fuerzaof strength, etc. Al margen de este contextoIn addition to that context, al que el discurso de la iglesia deberá acomodarseto which the discourse of the Church would have to adapt, existe una “lectura de las señales”there was a “reading of the signs”.
Estas últimas son esencialmente de dos tiposThe latter are essentially of two types: 1) eventos incongruentesabnormal, anormales incongruous events (coincidenciascoincidences, “contratiempos” sobre todo por la noche“mishaps” particularly at night); 2) advertencias ofrecidas por la naturaleza misma y más concretamente por los animaleswarning signs by nature and, more specifically, by animals. Las señales alertan a quien sabe entenderlasThe signs warned the people who knew how to read them: ''laster norbait hilen da''. Bajo esta óptica es esencial saber leer la señal del maleficioTherefore, el aojamientoit was essential to know how to read the sign of a curse, the evil eye, ''belhagilea,'', y demás conjurosand other spells, ''konjuratze'', que desean la muerte de tal o cual de entre nosotroswanting the death of so-or-so, ''herioa desiratzea''.
FinalmenteFinally, tenemos algunas razones para creer que para muchos compatriotas nuestros de los “viejos tiempos”, los muertos seguían ejerciendo alguna actividad entre nosotros en forma de almas errantesthere are grounds to believe that the dead continued to be active among many of our compatriots back in “old times” in the form of errant souls, ''arima erratiak''. Verdaderos seres intermediariosReal beings of a middle world, estas ánimas errantesthose still active errant souls, siempre activasdwellers of the shadows, moradoras de las sombras pero también del fugitivo destellobut also of the fugitive flicker, del aliento expirado profundamenteof the deeply exhaled breath, entraban muy difícilmente en la antecámara que la Iglesia les preparaba en espera de ese gran juicio que presuntamente sería el últimowould only enter with great difficulty in the antechamber that the Church prepared for them to wait that great judgement that would presumably by the last. Tenemos algunas razones para creer que aunque los difuntos se marcharanThere was a widespread belief that even though the dead left, no necesariamente desaparecíanthey did not necessarily disappear. En el fondoUltimately, la Iglesia no podía contradecir esta the Church could not contradict this idea, sino recogerla, dándole un sentido especial and would rather embrace it by giving it a special meaning (asíthus, al niño muerto Dios lo convierte en ángelGod converts the dead child into an angel).
La agonía ha dado lugar a prácticas que resaltan el carácter de acontecimiento público que revestía el tiempo de la muerteDying has led to customs that highlight the public status around the death. Aquí en principio es donde interviene un personaje clave de las prácticas que se inscriben al margen del ritual eclesiásticoIn principle, la sacristanathis is where the nun sacristan, ''andere serora'', a key person of the traditions alongside the ecclesiastical ritual, came into play. Ella es quien se encarga del tañido de las campanas de la iglesia y este mensaje tiene un doble sentidoShe was in charge of tolling the church bells and that message had a double meaning, to: 1) avisar a la comunidad de los vivos notify the community of the living (incluyendo a los animales y a la naturaleza que marcan el pasoincluding the animals and nature that marked the passing, “viven al ralent픓they were idling”); 2) ayudar al moribundo “consolándole”help the dying “comforting them”, “ayudándole a marchar”“helping them to leave”. De este modo, el moribundo sabía queThe dying person thus knew that, durante ese tiempoduring that time, él era el centro de todos los desvelos y que las oraciones le sosteníanhe was the centre of all the attention and care and that the prayers were being offered up for him. Nadie muere solo ni abandonadoNobody died alone or abandoned.
== Asistencia cristiana Christian care ==
Bajo esta perspectiva no hay nada There is nothing original, el viático y la extremaunción son prácticas definidas por la Iglesiain this regard as the viaticum and extreme unction are practices defined by the Church. Ambas inauguran para el moribundo el tiempo en que se fundirá con el cuerpo místico de CristoBoth mark the start for the dying person of the time where he will unite with the Mystical Body of Christ, esta solidaridad ininterrumpida que abarca toda la eternidad y se reactiva continuamente mediante el culto de los ancestrosthat uninterrupted solidarity that will last for eternity and be continuously revived by worshipping one's ancestors.
Esta asistencia también significa claramente que ha llegado el momento de poner orden en lo más profundo de nosotros mismos y de sintonizar con otras realidadesThat care also clearly means that that the time has come for each of us to put our deepest thoughts in order and to attune with other realities. Por eso era un momento temido y muy Therefore, it was a menudo se llamaba al sacerdote demasiado tarde; no se quería “asustar” al moribundo confrontándolo a este final temible para todosdreaded moment and the priest was often called too late, as they did not want to “scare” the person who was dying by making him face that terrible end awaiting everyone.
== Creencias relativas a la muerte Beliefs surrounding death ==
Resulta muy difícil pronunciarse sobre este temaIt is very difficult to comment on this theme. Fuera de la lectura cristiana Apart from the Christian (la voluntad de Diosthe will of God, ''Jainkoaren nahia'') o fatalista or fatalist (''azken orena''arena, ''azken ozka''...'')angle, la muerte se “vive” death “lives” as a presence and as a la vez como una presencia y como una partidadeparture. A decir verdadIn fact, se trata de interpretaciones basadas en indiciosthey are interpretations based on signs, en formas de actuar que parecen haber sido compartidas ampliamente en los tiempos “más antiguos”on ways of acting that seem to have been commonplace back in the past.
La presencia se refiere a The presence refers to ''Herioa''. Cuando viene When the grim reaper came to take the person, everyone had to be on guard and the animals would be put in the barn. That arrival could leave a buscar a la persona todo el mundo debe estar en guardia: los animales son llevados al establo. Esta llegada puede dejar como una huella que el fuego borrarámark that fire would delete, purificaráwould purify.
La partida es la del “alma” o del “espíritu”The departure is that of the “soul” or of the “spirit”, ''izpiritua'', ''arima'', que acompaña al último suspiro emitidowhich accompanies the last dying breath, ''azken hatsa''. Bajo esta ópticaAccordingly, a veces se retiraba una teja del tejado y se sigue abriendo la ventana o la puerta de la habitación del que acaba de morirtile would sometimes be taken from the roof and the window or door of the room where someone has just died continues to be opened. El muerto nos ha dejadoThe deceased has left us, ''joan zauku'', pero sus restos mortales no son inofensivos, hay que cerrarle los ojos cuanto antes para evitar que llame but his corpse was not considered to be harmless and the eyes had to be closed as soon as possible to avoid it calling someone. The expressions collected to describe that passing reveal a alguien. En las expresiones utilizadas para describir este último tránsito que se han recogidocomplex, se percibe un mundo complejo, disperso y al mismo tiempo lleno de maticesdisperse world and also full of nuances. NaturalmenteNaturally, la visión cristianathe Christian vision, tal y como la imponía la Iglesiaas imposed by the Church, desempeñaba plenamente su funciónplayed its part fully. Bajo esa ópticaFrom that viewpoint, la muerte era separacióndeath is separation, pero también presentación ante el tribunal supremo y accesobut also being brought before the highest court and access, ciertamente poco garantizadoadmittedly not guaranteed, to a heaven where a un cielo donde reina un Dios que nos pide cuentasGod reigns who holds us accountable.
== El duelo doméstico y familiar Family and household morning ==
Las mujeresWomen, hasta entonces muy presentesuntil relatively recently, se hacen cargo del rito doméstico con la colaboración de los vecinos y especialmente del primerowere entrusted with the household rite, helped by the neighbours and particularly the first neighbour, ''lehen auzoa''. RecogimientoMeditation, silenciosilence, velatorio del muerto y visitas marcan este tiempo en que se inicia el duelothe wake and visits marked that time that was the start of the mourning period.
Al muerto se le lavaThe corpse was washed, se le viste y se le presenta en una camadressed and laid out on a bed, a veces adornadawhich was sometimes decorated. Se acondiciona la habitación tapando los espejosThe room was prepared by covering the mirror, cambiando los candelabros y mantelitoschanging the candleholders and place settings, etc.; en una silla cubierta con una tela especialthe cross that the first neighbour had collected from the church was placed on a seat covered with a special cloth, ''lonjera'', se coloca la cruz que el primer vecino ha ido . A dish with Holy Water and a recoger Palm Sunday palm would be placed on a la iglesiatable to bless the deceased during the visits. En una mesa se dispone un plato con agua bendita y una palma de Ramos para bendecir al difunto durante las visitasA candle would be lit beside a crucifix or and an image of Our Lady on the bedside table. En la mesilla se enciende una vela al lado de un crucifijo o una imagen de la Virgen. La presencia de esta luz es esencial y hemos tenido cuidado en diferenciar los tipos de “cirios” y de luces así como su valor relativo en determinados tiempos y circunstanciasThe presence of that light was essential and we have striven to differentiate between the types of “candles” and lights, along with their relative value at certain times and in different circumstances.
[[File:7.262 Argiak ehortzetetan. Armendaritze (BN).png|center|600px|Argiak ehortzetetan. Armendaritze (BN). Fuente: Michel Duvert, Grupos Etniker Euskalerria.]]
== El anuncio The announcement ==
Se le da aviso al primer vecinoThe first neighbour was notified and he would, quien a su vez se encarga de avisar al ayuntamiento y a la parroquiain turn, be entrusted with informing the local council and the parish priest. En principio, suele ser la sacristana quien le entrega la cruz mortuoria que llevará respetuosamente hasta la habitación de su vecinoThe nun sacristan would usually hand the first neighbour the funeral cross and he would respectfully carry it to the room of his neighbour; mientras ella toca la campana para avisar al pueblo y sus alrededoresmeanwhile she would toll the bell to tell the village and surrounding areas. A menudo se sigue un determinado “código” dependiendo de si el difunto es hombrecertain “code” was often followed depending on whether the deceased was a man, mujer o niñowoman or child.
El primer vecino, así como el segundo a vecesThe first neighbour, sometimes along with the second (estos vecinos se encuentran definidos en función de criterios que hemos intentado especificarthose neighbours are defined according to criteria that we have sought to specify) se reúne con la familia y confecciona la lista de parientes que hay que avisar, would meet with the family and draw up the list of relatives to be told. El primer vecino distribuye esta tarea entre sus vecinos cercanos y otros en caso de necesidadThe first neighbour distributed this task among his neighbours and other locals if needed, así investidos de la función de mensajeros de la muertewho thus became death's harbingers, ''hil mezukari''; por su parte, se reserva para él la distancia más largahe would undertake the longest journey. El anuncioThe announcement, ''hil abertitzia'', tiene como finalidad informar del fallecimiento e indicar la fecha del would let people know about the death and indicate the date of the funeral. También se les avisa a algunos animales Some animals (vacascows, ovejassheep, abejasbees, perrosdogs) y de ello se encarga algún miembro de la familiawould also be told of the death and that would be left up to a member of the family. Algunos de estos animales podían estar de luto durante un tiempo más o menos largoSome of those animals could mourn for a considerable length of time, especialmente las abejas y las ovejasparticularly the bees and ewes: se las guardaba encerradasthey were kept in the burn, se impedía el sonido de las esquilas o se les colocaba un trapotheir bells were kept silent or a cloth was placed over them.
Existe finalmente como una especie de eco al anuncio con el toque And finally, the announcement was echoed with the death knell tolled three times a muerto que resuena tres veces al díaday, al amanecerat dawn, al mediodía, y al anochecerat midday and at night: ''argitzian, eguerdian eta , ilhuntzian''.
== Preparativos de la comitiva Preparing the funeral cortege ==
Un nuevo personaje interviene que en muchas localidades sigue siendo el encargado de organizar el A new character, the carpenter, would then be involved and was in charge of organising the funeral, el carpinteroin many places. He would place the deceased with the help of one of his helpers or of the first neighbour in the quickly fashioned coffin. Él es quien coloca al difunto dentro del ataúd, rápidamente fabricadoAs custom would have it, con alguno de sus ayudantes o con el primer vecinothe family did not handle the body or be present as the body left. Según la costumbre, la familia no debe manipular el cuerpo ni asistir The deceased was usually wrapped in a su desaparición. Se suele envolver al fallecido en una mortajashroud, sometimes with its head on a veces con su cabeza apoyada en un pequeño cojínsmall cushion; se le viste con su mejor traje o vestidothe corpse would be dressed in its best suit or dress. Con los pies en sus zapatos y la boina en la cabezaWith shoes on its feet and a beret on its head, se marcha de viajeit was ready to set off. Nos encontramos en la víspera o en la mañana del It was then the eve or the morning of the funeral.
El ataúd se presenta entonces en un edículo formado por lienzos decorados con ramasThe coffin was an aedicula made up of canvases decorated with branches. En Baja NavarraIn Lower Navarre, el carpintero ha edificado en el vestíbulothe carpenter built in the hall, ''eskaratze'', contra la puerta de entradaagainst the main door, una pequeña capilla con lienzos que las vecinas adornan con ramos verdes a small chapel with canvases that the female neighbours decorated with green branches (bojboxwood, laurelbay). El lienzo del fondo es especialThe background canvas, se denomina known as ''hil mihisia'', was special. El carpintero coloca el ataúd sobre dos sillas en el centro de este espacio cerradoThe carpenter places the coffin on two chairs in the centre of this closed space. En cada lado dispone cirios en candelabros proporcionados por la familia o recogidos en la vecindad Candles in holders provided by the family or borrowed from the neighbours (cada casa inscribe su nombre en la each homestead wrote its name on the base para recuperarlo luegoto then get it back later)were placed on each site. Dos objetos simbólicos cobran importanciaTwo symbolic items were important: un crucifijo de mármol comprado por el primer vecino a marble crucifix bought by the first neighbour (que se colocará en el monumento funerariowhich would be placed on the funeral monument), así como el along with the house's ''ezko'' de la casa (cirio de luto utilizado en la iglesia durante las misas de honrasmourning candle used in the church during the funeral masses).
GeneralmenteIn general, la primera vecinathe first neighbour wife, acompañada por su maridoaccompanied by her husband, recibe a los visitantes a la entrada del vestíbulowelcomed the visitors at the entrance to the hallway. Lleva a los parientes a la cocina donde se encuentran los moradores de la casaShe took the relatives to the kitchen where the residents of the house would be.
La hora del As the time of the funeral se acerca; las vecinas visten a las mujeres con sus pesadas capasapproached, ayudan a los hombres a sujetar las capas de lutothe women neighbours would help the women to put on their heavy capes, a anudar las corbatasand would help the men to fasten the mourning capes and with their ties.
== El cortejo fúnebre The funeral cortege ==
El carpintero pone orden en la comitiva que sale de la casa, repartiendo cirios y floresThe carpenter would organise the cortege as it left the house and handed out candles and flowers. El primer vecino suele ser quien encabeza el cortejoThe male first neighbour would usually lead the cortege, llevando la cruz funeraria de la iglesiacarrying the funeral cross from the church. Le sigue el clero y luego el muertoHe was followed by the priest and then the corpse, que llevan sus cuatro “primeros vecinos”carried by its four “first neighbours”. Las mujeres van detrás de la primera vecina que actúa como portadora de la luzThe women were behind the female first neighbour who carried the light, ''argizaina'', en Baja Navarrain Lower Navarre, llevando los cirios de los primeros vecinos en un gran cesto redondowith the candles of the first neighbours in a large round basked.
El cortejo fúnebre forma generalmente una única filaThe funeral cortege was usually in a single file, con la familia siguiendo al fallecidowith the family following the deceased, hombres y mujeres por separadowith the men separate from the women. El resto de los asistentes puede unirse a la comitiva a lo largo de su trayectoDuring the journey to the church, colocándose al final sin seguir ningún orden especialother mourners would join the cortege at the end in no special order.
Todo el mundo utiliza el camino mortuorioEverybody used the corpse way, ''hil bidia''; este es un camino propio de la casa que la vincula con la iglesia, which was the path from the house to the church.
== Composición del cortejo y orden Make up of the cortege and order ==
En este campo reina una extrema variedad que volvemos a encontrar hasta cierto punto en el tipo mismo de traje funerario y en la manera de llevarloThere was great variety in this regard and which could even be found in the funeral attire and the way of wearing it. Este último aspecto es particularmente evidente en el caso del hombreThis last point was particularly obvious in the case of men, que es sin embargo el elemento más pasivowhich is however, por no decir el más insignificantethe most passive aspect, dentro del if not the most insignificant, within the ritual.
Esta temática reviste un grado elevado de complejidad ya que corresponde a realidades de paísThis theme is highly complex as it reflects local practicalities: existen procederes que encontramos por todo there were rituals found throughout Zuberoa, otrosand other very motley ones turned Lower Navarre into a patchwork of particularities. However, muy abigarradosthe neighbours were the backdrop everywhere to the pomp of the funeral cortege, hacen de Baja Navarra un mosaico de particularidades. No obstante, por todas partes la vecindad constituye el trasfondo where the Church clearly had a partir del cual se organiza y despliega el fasto de esta comitiva dentro de la cual la Iglesia ocupa un lugarplace, cierto, pero únicamente el suyobut only its own. Esta hermosa escenificación del This beautiful staging of the drama y del dolor vividos conjuntamente en comunidad evoca los fastos de los siglos XVII y XVIIIand pain experienced jointly as a community evoked the pomp of the 17th and 18th centuries.
== El The funeral ==
A la salida de la casaOn leaving the house, por lo menos en Baja Navarra''etxe'', the carpenter organised the cortege, el carpintero organiza el cortejoat least in Lower Navarre. En la entrada del temploOn entering the church, la the ''andere serora'', lo recibewould meet it. El primero representa The former represented a una comunidad que celebra la muerte de uno de los suyos y la segunda community marking the death of one of its own and the latter that same community who received it in a esta misma comunidad quien lo acoge en un lugar dondeplace where, mediante la liturgiaby means of the liturgy, la Iglesia dará su verdadero sentido a la muerte y por tanto a la vidathe Church would give its real meaning to death and therefore to life.
La misa de There was little variety in the funeral ofrece poca variedadmass. Sus rasgos más notables pertenecen Its most notable traits belonged to a una especie de religión “doméstica”type of “domestic” religion. Aparecen con claridad en los siguientes aspectosThey clearly appeared in the following aspects: 1) Importancia de la sacristana que ejerce como “maestra de ceremonia”Importance of the nun sacristan who was the “mistress of ceremony”; 2) Papel y presencia activa de la primera vecinaRole and active presence of the female first neighbour; 3) Colocación de la gente y especialmente de las mujeres en la tradición más antiguaSeating of the people and particularly the women in the oldest tradition; 4) Manipulación de los tipos de lucesUse of lights, según su propia naturaleza according to their different types (''ezko'', ''xirio'').
== Ofrendas Offerings ==
En este apartado cabe mencionar primeramente la compensación entre vecinosThis section has to first mention the trade-off between neighbours, ''ordaina''. Se ofrecen misas para el difuntoMasses were said for the deceased; cada casa lo hace, así como cada pariente cercanoeach home along with each close relative would do so. Esta ofrenda suele adecuarse al grado de parentescoThat offering would usually be in keeping with the degree of kinship, al grado de riqueza de quien ha hecho el obsequiowith the wealth of the person making the gift, así como as well as being on a reciprocal basis reflecting the importance of a gift make by the family of the deceased on a la importancia del obsequio hecho en una ocasión similaroccasion. Thus, por la casa del muerto a la nuestra. De este modosolidary was expressed by this offering that was usually collected by the first neighbour or, la solidaridad se expresa mediante esta ofrenda que suele recoger el primer vecinoas applicable, o en su caso el carpintero o el maestro the carpenter or the master cantor, ''chantrechanter''.
La lista de las personas y de las casas que dan una ofrenda se hace pública al colocarse en la puerta de la iglesiaThe list of people and homesteads making an offering was published on the church door. AntañoIn earlier times, la leía el sacerdote desde el púlpitothe priest would read it from the pulpit.
Ya hemos hablado de las ofrendas de lucesThe light offerings have already been mentioned. PosteriormenteSubsequently, los difuntos de la casa se honrarán con regularidad y de manera colectiva por medio de ofrendas de misasthe family's dead would be regularly and collectively remembered by masses being said, sobre todo presentadas por las mujeresparticularly those offered by women.
== El entierro The burial ==
Parece ser que la costumbre más antigua requería que sólo el primer vecinoIt seems that the oldest custom only required the first neighbour, junto con los demás vecinos portadores del ataúd along with the other coffin bearers (los mismos que generalmente habían abierto la fosawho usually would have dug the grave) acompañara al sacerdote y realizase el entierro, to accompany the priest and be present at the burial. Luego de cerrar la fosaOnce the grave was closed, el primer vecino iba a buscar a la familia y al cortejo para llevarlos sobre la tumbathe first neighbour would go and find the family and the cortege to take them to the graveside. Se producía un último momento de oración y la gente se dispersabaA final prayer would be said and the people would leave.
== La casa y el “banquete funerario” The homestead and the “funeral feast” ==
En Baja NavarraIn Lower Navarre, puede producirseas the cortege returned to the house, durante la vuelta the people would pause by a casafire lit in front of the door, un momento de pausa ante un fuego encendido delante de la puerta: en círculo, la gente reza una oraciónwhere the people would stand in a circle and say a prayer. La comida fúnebre tiene lugar en el The funeral repast was held in the ''eskaratze'' acondicionado por el carpinteroset up by the carpenter, quien se encarga de repartir el panwho was in charge with handing out bread, el vino y en su caso el caféwine and sometimes coffee. De hechoIn fact, that meal could be simple, esta comida puede ser modesta pero también asemejarse but could also be similar to a un verdadero banquetereal feast.
Generalmente la comida se termina con la oraciónGenerally, iniciada por el maestro the meal ended with a prayer, said by the master cantor o el primer vecinoor the first neighbour, incluso el sacerdote si está invitadoor even the priest if invited. Puede dedicarse sólo al difunto pero también se le pueden asociar los demás muertos de su casaThe prayer could be only dedicated to the deceased but the other dead of the home were sometimes included, ''etxetik atera diren arimentzat'', así como el primero de la asistencia que va along with the first of the people present who would be going to die. Those last two cases clearly expressed solidarity and a fallecer. En estos dos últimos casos, vemos claramente cómo se expresan tanto una solidaridad como un vínculo entre el aquí y ahora por un lado y este otro lugar que acoge nuestras almaslink between the here and now and that other place that welcomes our souls.
Todo ello se producía en la casaThat all occurred at the homestead, cerrándose así un ciclothus bringing the cycle to an end.
== El luto Mourning ==
En el periodo de luto las convenciones sociales de la época pesaban mucho e imponían la manera de comportarseThe social conventions of the time were very important during the mourning period and established the way of behaving. El periodo de luto se señalaba mediante signos exteriores que se iban abandonando paulatinamente The mourning period was marked by external signs that would gradually fall into disuse (salvo en el caso de las abuelasexcept in the case of our grandmothers, ''amatxi'', que siempre hemos conocido vestidas de negrowho wore black as long as we could remember); la duración de este periodo y su intensidad dependían sobre todo de la naturaleza del difunto the length of that period and its intensity particularly depended on the nature of the deceased (niñochild, adultoadult) y del vínculo que unía a éland the link with them.
Parece que los primeros tiempos del luto estaban marcados por ceremonias organizadas por mujeresThe earliest periods of mourning seemed to involve ceremonies organised by women. Existieron también “misas de vecinos” cuyo recuerdo apenas se vislumbraThere were also “neighbours' masses”, which the people surveyed could barely be remembered. Estas ceremonias se hacían menos frecuentes a partir de Those ceremonies were less frequent from ''urthe buruko meza'', la clásica “misa de cabo de año”the traditional “year-end mass”.
== Leyendas en torno a la muerte Legends around death ==
No existen “leyendas sobre la muerte” propiamente dichas en este territorioThere are no “legends” about death as such in this territory, a lo sumoand at best, algunas historias estereotipadas sobre just some stereotypical stories about ''arima erratiak'' así como tópicos y prácticas alejadas de cualquier racionalidad, along with clichés and practices beyond any seeming rationality. Es raro que It was unusual for ''Herioa'' se perciba como una entidad y que algún informante la describato be seen as an entity and for one of the people interviewed to describe it as such. Un A deep-rooted and structured funeral ritual funerario arraigado y estructurado hace que se asimile el momento makes the fatalmoment is equivalent to the passing of the home, y el paso de la casa a la morada eterna''etxea'', to the eternal abode.{{DISPLAYTITLE: XXV. LOS RITOS FUNERARIOS EN IPARRALDEFUNERAL RITES IN THE NORTHERN BASQUE COUNTRY}} {{#bookTitle:Ritos Funerarios en Vasconia Funeral Rites in the Basque Country| Ritos_funerarios_en_vasconia/en}}