Basque Flag History

By Eugine Rodgers


In the 1st century AD, Strabo wrote that the northern parts of what are now Navarre (Nafarroa in Basque) and Aragon were inhabited by the Vascones. Despite the evident etymological connection between Vascones and the modern denomination Basque, there is no proof that the Vascones were the modern Basques' ancestors or spoke the language that has evolved into modern Basque, although this is strongly suggested both by the historically consistent toponymy of the area and by a few personal names on tombstones dating from the Roman period. The Basque flag was created in 1894 by Sabino Arana (founder of Basque nationalism). The name of the flag is ikurrina (in Italian ikurrigna). Although the meaning of this word is a flag, it is actually used only for the Basque flag; Basque people prefer to use the Spanish word Bandera for other flags (when they are speaking in Basque, of course).

The ikurrina was initially made just for Bizkaia, however, it turned out to be extremely well-known and the Basque localities acknowledged it as the banner for all of Euskadi. First the Basque Nationalist Party used it. In 1936, the Basque Autonomous Government was made and the ikurrina was proclaimed, by law, the Basque banner.

After the Spanish war, the dictatorship declared the ikurrina illegal, and it was completely forbidden and declared as a separatist symbol. During the 2nd World War, there was a Basque brigade in the French free army, and the ikurrina of the brigade was decorated ( because of the battle of Point de Grave, near Bordeaux). After the last Spanish dictatorship, and with the approval of the Basque autonomy, the ikurrina was declared again by law as the official Basque flag.

In the Basque-French nation, it has dependably been permitted and after World War II it was formally used as a part of the town lobbies together with the French banner. Generally, the banner of Bizkaia was red. At the point when Sabino Arana made the ikurrina, he needed to give it the significance Bizkaia, autonomy, and God, so the red shade of the field means Bizkaia or Euskadi, the green St. Andrew's cross stands for the freedom, of the Basque Country. It is green since it likewise symbolizes the oak tree of Gernika, the image of Basque flexibility. The white cross is for God.

In the Middles Ages (year 867), there was a battle between the Basques and the Spaniards in a place called Padura. This battle was on St. Andrew's day. The stones of the place were stained with blood and since that day, that place has been called Arrigorriaga (Place of red stones).

It is not clear if this fight is recorded or unbelievable, however, the St. Andrew's cross has regularly been used as a part of Basque banners, similar to those of the Consulate of Bilbao, The Naval banner of Biscay, and in some Carlists banners amid the Carlists wars. For the special events, the Flag Company Inc invented beautiful decals and flags for the history support.




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