List of Basque mythological figures
Appearance
The following is a list of gods, goddesses and many other divine and semi-divine figures and creatures from ancient Basque mythology.
Deities
- Aide: a minor goddess of wind and air.
- Eate: a storm god sometimes associated with fire and ice.
- Egoi: a minor wind deity.
- Eki: the solar deity, the daughter of Lurbira.
- Ilargi or Ile are the known names of the Moon, also a daughter of Ama Lur.
- Inguma: god of nightmares
- Mari: a mother goddess and wife of the deity Sugaar.
- Orko: a thunder god.
- Sugaar: a male god associated with storms and thunder, and the husband of Mari.
Spirits and other figures
- Aatxe: or Etsai is a cave-dwelling evil spirit who adopts the form of a young red bull, or a young man.
- Akerbeltz: a demonic spirit in the form of a goat.
- Basajaun: the wild man of the woods. His female counterpart is called basandere.
- Gaueko: an evil spirit that comes out at night.
- Herensuge: a dragon who plays an important role in a few legends.
- Iratxoak: Basque imps, which can be helpful or mischievous depending on how well one treats them
- Jean de l'Ours: a man born to a woman and a bear
- Jentilak: a race of giants, sometimes portrayed throwing rocks at churches.
- Lamiak or laminak: a type of nymph with bird-feet that dwelt in rivers and springs.
- Mairuak or Intxisuak: the male equivalent of lamiak in the Pyrenean region, where they are said to have built up the cromlechs.
- Odei: a nature spirit who personifies storm clouds.
- Olentzero: a jentil, the Basque equivalent of Santa Claus.
- San Martin Txiki: a popular local Christian character, is a trickster.
- Sorginak: handmaidens and assistance of the goddess Mari. The word sorginak is also used to as a term to describe witches.
- Tartalo: the Basque version of the Greco-Roman Cyclops.
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Basque Mythology.