Soule
Encyclopedia
Soule is a former viscounty and French
province
and part of the present day Pyrénées-Atlantiques
département. It is divided into two cantons of the arrondissement (district) of Oloron-Sainte-Marie (Mauleon-Licharre and Tardets-Sorholus
), and a part of the canton of Saint Palais (arrondissement of Bayonne).
Its provincial capital is Mauléon, which fused with Licharre in 1841 to form "Mauléon-Licharre
", but today is often known as "Mauléon-Soule". Historically, Soule is the smallest province of the Basque Country
(785 km2.). Its population has been decreasing (23,803 in 1901; 16,006 in 1990; 15,535 in 1999).
(Uhaitza in Basque) flowing south to north until it joins the Oloron River
.
Soule borders:
Soule comprises three geographical areas:
There is a tradition of folk musical theatre, the pastoral
: the inhabitants of a village spend the year preparing and rehearsing the play and its dances. Traditionally, the subject of the play was Catholic, but recently pieces of Basque history are also presented. Another event akin to the pastoral beloved of the people of Soule is the maskarada
s. This theatrical performances are put on in many villages of Soule in carnival time through spring. Each year a specific village takes the responsibility of arranging a new performance. It consists of a music band in due carnival outfit surrounded with a group of set carnivalesque characters and dancers parading up and down the main street of the host village; at the end, they stage an informal play usually in the market place or handball court.
Soule is also renowned for its singing tradition, elegant dances and local music instruments, such as xirula
and ttun-ttun
. These instruments are gaining new dynamism thanks to music schools founded to that end by local cultural activists.
for centuries, with the region featuring its own dialect, the Souletin
. Notwithstanding this fact, the neighbouring Béarnais
has been widely understood, even spoken in recent centuries as a lingua franca
. However, both Basque and Béarnese have lost ground to French
with both languages struggling to survive in the next generations. Basque is attested to have been widespread farther east of the territory into the Pyrenees in previous centuries.
The inhabitants call non-Basque speaking foreigners Kaskoinak, while other Basque speaking people (especially when referring to those of the French Basque Country) are dubbed Manexak after a commonplace sheep breed in the area.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
province
Provinces of France
The Kingdom of France was organised into provinces until March 4, 1790, when the establishment of the département system superseded provinces. The provinces of France were roughly equivalent to the historic counties of England...
and part of the present day Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.- History :...
département. It is divided into two cantons of the arrondissement (district) of Oloron-Sainte-Marie (Mauleon-Licharre and Tardets-Sorholus
Tardets-Sorholus
Tardets-Sorholus is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It is located in the former province of Soule.-External links:*...
), and a part of the canton of Saint Palais (arrondissement of Bayonne).
Its provincial capital is Mauléon, which fused with Licharre in 1841 to form "Mauléon-Licharre
Mauléon-Licharre
Mauléon-Licharre or simply Mauléon is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It is the capital of the Soule historical French and Basque province.It is also home to the canvas shoe, the espadrille....
", but today is often known as "Mauléon-Soule". Historically, Soule is the smallest province of the Basque Country
Basque Country (historical territory)
The Basque Country is the name given to the home of the Basque people in the western Pyrenees that spans the border between France and Spain on the Atlantic coast....
(785 km2.). Its population has been decreasing (23,803 in 1901; 16,006 in 1990; 15,535 in 1999).
Geography
The whole territory extends around the axis provided by the Saison RiverSaison River
The Saison or Uhaitz Handia, is a left tributary of the Gave d'Oloron in the French Basque Country, , Southwest of France, with its general south to north direction providing the axis for the former French province of Soule....
(Uhaitza in Basque) flowing south to north until it joins the Oloron River
Gave d'Oloron
The Gave d'Oloron is a river of south-western France near the border with Spain. It takes its name from the city Oloron-Sainte-Marie, where it is formed from the rivers Gave d'Aspe and Gave d'Ossau.It joins the Gave de Pau in Peyrehorade...
.
Soule borders:
- in the north roughly with the Oloron River, which divides it from Béarn
- in the east with the Barétous valley in Béarn
- in the south with the Salazar and Roncal valleys in Navarre
- in the west with Lower NavarreLower NavarreLower 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...
Soule comprises three geographical areas:
- Pettara or La Barhoue or Soule Lowlands in the north
- the forest massif of Arbailles (Arbaila) in the west
- Basabürüa or Soule Highlands in the south, attaining its highest point at 2017 m at the Orhi peak
Culture
After decades of emigration and demographic, social and cultural decay, the territory is showing a strong determination in recovering the lost vitality of centuries ago. Assorted cultural events linked to old traditions bear witness to that dynamism.Pastoral (theatre of Soule)
The pastoral is a traditional kind of play from the Basque Country held in the region of Soule , France. It features a set range of characters and acts repeated on all pieces...
: the inhabitants of a village spend the year preparing and rehearsing the play and its dances. Traditionally, the subject of the play was Catholic, but recently pieces of Basque history are also presented. Another event akin to the pastoral beloved of the people of Soule is the maskarada
Maskarada (carnival of Soule)
The maskarada is a popular set of traditional, theatrical performances that take place annually during the time of carnival in the Basque region of Soule, France...
s. This theatrical performances are put on in many villages of Soule in carnival time through spring. Each year a specific village takes the responsibility of arranging a new performance. It consists of a music band in due carnival outfit surrounded with a group of set carnivalesque characters and dancers parading up and down the main street of the host village; at the end, they stage an informal play usually in the market place or handball court.
Soule is also renowned for its singing tradition, elegant dances and local music instruments, such as xirula
Xirula
The xirula xülüla in Zuberoan Basque; Gascon: flabuta; French: galoubet) is a small three hole flute usually made of wood akin to the Basque txistu or three-hole pipe, but more high pitched and strident, tuned to C and an octave higher than the silbote. The sound that flows from the flute has often...
and ttun-ttun
Psalterium (instrument)
A psalterium , or tambourin à cordes, is a stringed musical instrument, the name of which means the same thing as the one of psaltery. In specific usage, this name denotes a form of long psaltery that is tuned to provide drone chords. Sometimes called a string drum, it is usually used as rhythm...
. These instruments are gaining new dynamism thanks to music schools founded to that end by local cultural activists.
Language
The proper language of Soule has been BasqueBasque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
for centuries, with the region featuring its own dialect, the Souletin
Zuberoan
Souletin , is the Basque dialect spoken in Soule, France.-Name:In English sources, the Basque-based term Zuberoan is sometimes encountered. In Standard Basque, the dialect is known as Zuberera , locally variously as Üskara, Xiberera or Xiberotarra...
. Notwithstanding this fact, the neighbouring Béarnais
Gascon language
Gascon is usually considered as a dialect of Occitan, even though some specialists regularly consider it a separate language. Gascon is mostly spoken in Gascony and Béarn in southwestern France and in the Aran Valley of Spain...
has been widely understood, even spoken in recent centuries as a lingua franca
Lingua franca
A lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.-Characteristics:"Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic...
. However, both Basque and Béarnese have lost ground to French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
with both languages struggling to survive in the next generations. Basque is attested to have been widespread farther east of the territory into the Pyrenees in previous centuries.
The inhabitants call non-Basque speaking foreigners Kaskoinak, while other Basque speaking people (especially when referring to those of the French Basque Country) are dubbed Manexak after a commonplace sheep breed in the area.