Kingdom of Navarre

Berdabio, the Bertsolari Counterfeiter of Navarre

I enjoy listening to podcasts. I usually listen to those about history and stories. Among the Basque language podcasts, I often listen to Kirmen Uribe's New Yorkeko Munduak, Paperezko Itsasoa, La Biblioteca Perdida's Iraganeko Kronikak and Zuzeu Podcast's Euskal Gaizkileak. In fact, a few weeks ago I was listening to the show "Berdabioko Atea" from the Euskal Gaizkileak show. And what the hell, in this story […]

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Queen Joanne's Pau Testons

Reign: Joan III. Queen of Navarre, Joan I. Lady of Béarn Type: Teston Year: 1566 Mint: Pau Mint Edge: Irregular Edge Engraving: ————– Metal: Silver (about 898 thousandths) Diameter: 28 mm Weight: 9.41 gr Quantity: 292,320 testons and half testons between 1564 and 1566 Mintage: Pressed by flywheel, silver rolled by mill Mintmaster: Étienne Bergeron (Land of the Moon)

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Navarre Shall Be the Wonder of the World

“Navarre shall be the wonder of the world”… these words were uttered by the English writer Shakespeare in the play “Love's Lavour's Lost” to King Ferdinand of Navarre. Shakespeare wrote this play in the mid-1590s, and although he named the king of Navarre Ferdinand, the Navarre mentioned in it is the Navarre of Henry III, consisting of Lower Navarre and Bearn, around the end of the 16th century.

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Henry II and Linguae Vasconum Primitiae

Another very important contribution of Henry II was his support for the creation of written Basque literature. After the priest Bernard Etxepare wrote “Linguae vasconum primitiae”, the first book to be printed in Basque, it was published in Bordeaux in 1545, after receiving financial support from Henry. The only known copy of the book Linguae Vasconum Primitiae is kept in the Bibliothèque de France in Paris. The significance of this event

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Henry II – Historical Context – Part 2

The exiled kings of Navarre never renounced their rights to the crown. During the reigns of Francis I of France and Charles I of Spain (in practice, during the viceroyalty of Cardinal Cisneros), between May and August 1516, the Congresses of Noyon were held to discuss the conflicts between the two great kingdoms. After the second reconquest of the Kingdom of Navarre, Catherine of Foix, the new widow of King John III of Labritja,

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GRATIA DEI SVM ID QVOD SVM

Henrike II.a “Zangotzarra-ren” garaian, Nafarroako erregetxeko txanpongintzak erabilitako iruditextu edo lelo berriaren jatorria azalduko dugu ondoren, GRATIA DEI SVM ID QVOD SVM dioarena ain zuzen ere. Latinezko iruditextu hau, “Jainkoaren graziari esker, naizena naiz” moduan itzuli daiteke, baina nondik datoz bere sustraiak eta zergatik ezarri zuen Henrikek? Henrikeren aita-amak, Juan eta Katerinak, eta modu berean

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Henry II – Historical Context – Part 1

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This week marks 495 years since the Navarrese king Henry of Labrite escaped from the fortress of Pavia. This king is of fundamental importance in the history of the Basque language, but the events and anecdotes of his life are worthy of several books and films. In the following entries we will discuss Henry's life and coinage; we will not have time to get bored. Henry of Labrite, Henry

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