Agustin Xaho

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Agustin Xaho (also Agosti Xaho, in French Joseph-Augustin Chaho) was one of the most important Romantic Basque writers. He was born in Tardets, Basses-Pyrénées, France in 10 October 1811 and died in Bayonne, Basses-Pyrénées 23 October 1858. He studied in France with Charles Nodier. He wrote Travel to Navarre during the insurrection of the Basques (1830-1835) (1836, in French, on his experiences in the First Carlist War, which he interprets as an ethnic war of Basques against Spain), The Legend of Aitor (in which he invented a national creation myth, that had great acceptance for some time) and Azti-Begia (The Soothsayer's Eye in Souletin Basque).

He was a republican supporter, and became councillor in Bayonne and the Basses-Pyrénées. He headed the revolution of 1848 in Bayonne. After the Bonapartist coup of 1851, he escaped to Vitoria, Spain.