The Basque country : a cultural history / Paddy Woodworth.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Woodworth, Paddy, 1951-

Series:

Landscapes of the imagination.

Landscapes of the imagination

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

País Vasco (Spain).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xxviii, 290 pages) : illustrations, maps

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2008.

Summary:

The Basque Country is a land of fascinating paradoxes and enigmas. Home to one of Europe's oldest peoples and most mysterious languages, with a living folklore rich in archaic rituals and dances, it also boasts a dynamic modern energy, with the reinvention of Bilbao creating a model for the twenty-first-century city. In The Basque Country, Paddy Woodworth takes us on a sweeping tour of this enchanting land. We discover a small territory which abounds in big contrasts, ranging from moist green valleys to semi-desert badlands, from snowy sierras to sandy beaches, from harsh industrial landscapes

Contents:

Land of stone, iron, glass : land of the Basques

Wherixe are we, exactly?, and what will we call this place?

A short version of a long history : from the Stone Age to the Civil War

Bai, bai, Urdaibai : cave paintings, painted trees, tree of Gernika

The fronton at the heart of life : the power and beauty of pelota

Cinco villas : Pio Baroja, flying Mari, sword dances, and sorcery

Gastronomy : some answers to the most urgent Basque question

Wow, Bilbao! : the transformation of a tough city

From the music of labour, to music as a labour of love

Obaba in Asteasu : the Basque village as a literary universe

Serious fun : fiestas in Laguardia

Don't mention the war : the dark side of Basque and Spanish politics

Bay of Biscay : whales, Belle Epoque, decapitated geese, sexual politics

Navaree, heartland or hinterland?

Mountain high : pleasure and penitence and pagan gods

Iparralde : the Basques on the other side of the mountains.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Description based upon print version of record.

ISBN:

0-19-988689-X

1-908493-23-2

1-283-11324-4

9786613113245

0-19-804394-5

OCLC:

726735450