Lamia (Basque mythology)
Encyclopedia
{| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 85%; width:275px; margin: 0 0 0.5em 1em; float:right; clear:right;" cellspacing="3"
|+ Lamia
|-
-
The Lamia is a creature of Basque mythology
(plural: lamiak). Lamiak, laminak or amilamiak live in the river. They are very beautiful, and stay at the shore combing their long hair with a golden comb and they charm men. They have duck feet.
In the coast some believed that there were "itsaslamiak" who had fish tail in the sea.
, Lower Navarre
), Azalain (Andoain
, Gipuzkoa), Urkulu (Leintz-Gatzaga
, Gipuzkoa), Liginaga-Astüe, (Labourd
bridges were built at night.
In some places lamias had to go away if the bridge they were building at night was left unfinished at cockcrow. People knew that lamias had left a river if a stone of the bridge was missing. Most lamias disappeared when men built small churches in the forest.
There is a lamia at the other side of the rainbow combing her hair, and when the sun lights her hair the rainbow opens.
In some places male lamias also exist, they are strong and have built dolmen
s at night. Sometimes they can enter a house when its inhabitants are sleeping. They are given different names: Maideak, Mairiak, Mairuak, Intxixuak (in Oiartzun
, (Gipuzkoa), Saindi Maidi (in Lower Navarre
).
Many toponyms are related to lamias: Lamikiz (Markina
, Laminaputzu (in Zeanuri
), Lamitegi (in Bedaio), Lamirain (in Arano
), Lamusin (in Sare
), Lamiñosin (in Ataun
).
|+ Lamia
|-
-
The Lamia is a creature of Basque mythology
Basque mythology
The mythology of the ancient Basques largely did not survive the, albeit late, arrival of Christianity in the Basque Country between the 4th and 12th century AD...
(plural: lamiak). Lamiak, laminak or amilamiak live in the river. They are very beautiful, and stay at the shore combing their long hair with a golden comb and they charm men. They have duck feet.
In the coast some believed that there were "itsaslamiak" who had fish tail in the sea.
Beliefs
Lamiak help those who give them presents by providing them with help at work; if a farmer left them food at the river shore, they would eat it at night and in exchange would finish the work he had left unploughed. In some places, bridges were believed to have been built by lamiak: Ebrain (BidarrayBidarray
Bidarray is a commune of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It is located in the former province of Lower Navarre.-References:* -External links:*...
, Lower Navarre
Lower Navarre
Lower Navarre is a part of the present day Pyrénées Atlantiques département of France. Along with Navarre of Spain, it was once ruled by the Kings of Navarre. Lower Navarre was historically one of the kingdoms of Navarre. Its capital were Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Saint-Palais...
), Azalain (Andoain
Andoain
Andoain is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, in the north of Spain. Nowadays it has a population above 13,000 inhabitants, which has been decreasing since 1981....
, Gipuzkoa), Urkulu (Leintz-Gatzaga
Leintz-Gatzaga
Leintz-Gatzaga is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-Etymology:...
, Gipuzkoa), Liginaga-Astüe, (Labourd
Labourd
Labourd is a former French province and part of the present-day Pyrénées Atlantiques département. It is historically one of the seven provinces of the traditional Basque Country....
bridges were built at night.
In some places lamias had to go away if the bridge they were building at night was left unfinished at cockcrow. People knew that lamias had left a river if a stone of the bridge was missing. Most lamias disappeared when men built small churches in the forest.
There is a lamia at the other side of the rainbow combing her hair, and when the sun lights her hair the rainbow opens.
In some places male lamias also exist, they are strong and have built dolmen
Dolmen
A dolmen—also known as a portal tomb, portal grave, dolmain , cromlech , anta , Hünengrab/Hünenbett , Adamra , Ispun , Hunebed , dös , goindol or quoit—is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of...
s at night. Sometimes they can enter a house when its inhabitants are sleeping. They are given different names: Maideak, Mairiak, Mairuak, Intxixuak (in Oiartzun
Oiartzun
Oiartzun is a town of the Basque Country located in the province of Gipuzkoa lying at the foot of the massif Aiako Harria.The name traces back to the Oiasso or Oiarso of the Roman period, an important town dedicated to mining and marine activities...
, (Gipuzkoa), Saindi Maidi (in Lower Navarre
Lower Navarre
Lower Navarre is a part of the present day Pyrénées Atlantiques département of France. Along with Navarre of Spain, it was once ruled by the Kings of Navarre. Lower Navarre was historically one of the kingdoms of Navarre. Its capital were Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Saint-Palais...
).
Many toponyms are related to lamias: Lamikiz (Markina
Markina-Xemein
Markina-Xemein is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, Bizkaia, in the Basque Autonomous Community, also known as the Basque Country, located in northern Spain. The origin of the town's name lies in its geographic location. The last town in the province of Bizkaia, Markina...
, Laminaputzu (in Zeanuri
Zeanuri
Zeanuri is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:*...
), Lamitegi (in Bedaio), Lamirain (in Arano
Arano
Arano is a village and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain.-External links:*...
), Lamusin (in Sare
Sare
Sare is a village in the traditional Basque province of Labourd, now a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France....
), Lamiñosin (in Ataun
Ataun
Ataun is a town located at the foot of the Aralar Range in the Goierri region of the province of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:* *...
).
See also
- BasajaunBasajaunIn Basque mythology, Basajaun is a huge, hairy creature dwelling in the woods who protects flocks of livestock and teaches skills such as agriculture and ironworking to humans.-References:...
- SorginakSorginakSorginak are the assistants of the goddess Mari in Basque mythology. It is also the Basque name for witches or pagan priestesses , being difficult to discern between the mythological and real ones.Sometimes sorginak are confused with lamiak...
- MariMari (goddess)Mari, Mari Urraca, Anbotoko Mari and the possibly distinct Murumendiko Dama was a goddess — a lamia — of the Basques. She was married to the god Sugaar...