Forests of Oiartzun
Where the hunter received his punishment.
The Protector of Animals
Basandere punishes those who cause needless pain
Quick facts
- • Place:Bosques de Oiartzun, Gipuzkoa
- • Nombre en euskera:Animalien zaindaria
- • Seres implicados:Basandere, cazadores
- • Motivos:protección, castigo, equilibrio, caza
- • Cronología:Tradición oral rural
The legend
Basandere is the guardian of every creature of the forest. Deer, boars, foxes and even the smallest mice fall under her eternal protection. She permits fair hunting, the kind carried out from necessity, but punishes without mercy those who kill for pleasure alone.
A hunter from the Oiartzun area was known throughout the region for his extreme cruelty. It was not enough for him to kill; he enjoyed making animals suffer before finishing them off, prolonging their agony for amusement. One night, while he slept in his cabin, he felt a presence beside his bed.
He opened his eyes and saw a woman of terrible beauty, with eyes shining in the dark like those of a starving wolf. "You have caused needless pain," she whispered in a voice that froze the blood. "Now you will know the pain you have inflicted."
From that fateful night onward, the hunter felt in his own body every wound he dealt to any animal. A mere scratch to a hare caused him unbearable suffering. He never died, but he lived the rest of his days unable to harm any living creature, turned into a lesson for everyone around him.
Associated places
Protected forests
Territories under the watch of Basandere.
Basajaun as the undisputed guardian of the flock
In the rich and complex web of relations that Basque shepherds maintained with the Lord of the Forest, one of the best documented is his protection of the flock. Despite his intimidating appearance and rough temper, Basajaun spontaneously served as the night guardian of domestic animals while their shepherds slept.
The wolves that frequented the same pastures systematically withdrew whenever Basajaun moved around the flock?s perimeter. His presence, though never seen directly, was revealed by the whistle he gave when detecting predators and by the nervous motion of the animals that announced him before he appeared.
Dawn milk as payment for the invisible guardian
Dawn milk as payment for the invisible guardian
The wisest shepherds knew that this service was not free, though it was never openly requested. Leaving each morning a portion of the first milk at the appointed place, without looking to see whether it was taken and without speaking of it to strangers, kept the agreement alive without any verbal negotiation.
