Olentzero: Xmas in Basque Country, Europe

Maiah A., Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells, Wisdom Quarterly; Robert Sepehr; BBC.com

Peasant monk Budai

In Basque Country (Euskal Herria) there is no Santa Claus like there is in the rest of Catalonia, Spain, and France. We have Olentzero, a Basque peasant farmer who serves the role of Budai and Old Saint Nick distributing gifts to kids.

Just as Fat, Happy Budai is neither the Buddha nor Santa, so Olentzero is neither St. Nick nor Jesus. But that doesn't stop him from delivering the gifts and making everyone happy with his generosity and kindness.

First, who are the mysterious Basques or Euskaldunak (Vascos in Spainish)? No one knows. They seem to be one of the oldest groups in Europe judging from their unique language, Euskara.

They live in the Pyrenees between Spain and France. How old are they? They may be the surviving Atlanteans, late arrival Pleiadians (as Billy Meier disclosed), and/or Cro-Magnons of a former science-based human taxonomy.
 

Native European Basques

Rhesus Negative Blood Type Origins

Robert Sepehr

Nestled in the mountains between France and Spain, there is a semi-isolated population of native European people who have long puzzled anthropologists, linguists, and historians. For although they are Caucasoid, they do not fit in with the rest of the European populations. Our rhesus factor is fixed by our genes. If one is rhesus positive (Rh+ positive), a protein (D antigen) is found on the surface of one's red blood cells. If one does not have the D antigen, one is rhesus negative (Rh- negative).

• Robert Sepehr (Atlantean Gardens) is an author, producer, and anthropologist specializing in linguistics, archeology, and paleobiology (archeogenetics).

A Basque Xmas (dedalvs.tumblr.com)

Basque is, allegedly, not related to any other tongue, making it a "language isolate," and it is the oldest in Europe.

Basque Country is next to restive Catalonia, currently an autonomous region on the Mediterranean that is breaking away from Madrid and the former empire.

Second, they are strange. They are mountain folk who keep to themselves. They were once separatists, but Spanish Dictator Franco put the kibosh on that movement and forbade the speaking of the Basque language. Now only 35% of Basques can speak this precious linguistic gem, according to the BBC.

• VIDEO: Basque Xmas (slideplayer.com/4549353)