Aizkolaritza
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Wood-chopping is a popular form of herri kirol or rural sport in the Basque Country. It is called aizkolaritza in Basque from aizkolari "wood-chopper" plus the noun-forming suffix -tza. The word aizkora "axe" itself is derived from Latin asciola[1]. The sport is very popular and competitions are common at most festivals. It is also known as aizkol jokoa the "axe game". Spanish uses a loanword from Basque, aizcolari and in French the sport is called coupeurs de bûches.
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[edit] Rules
The sections of trunk are usually beech without visible knots from the forests of Nafarroa. For competitions, the trunk sections closest to the roots or branches are used as they are of less value to the wood industry. The trunks are categorised according to their circumference using an old Basque measure called ontza, equivalant to 0.0254m. They commonly are used in the following sizes:
| ontza | Basque name | translation |
| 36 | oinbetekoa | one of a full foot |
| 45 | ||
| 54 | kanaerdikoa | one of half a kana |
| 60 | ||
| 72 | oinbikoa | one of two feet |
| 80 | ||
| 108 | kanakoa | one of one kana |
| 110 |
The oinbetekoa, 80 ontza, kanakoa and bigger ones are often used in wagers; the kanaerdikoa, 60 ontza and oinbikoa most commonly in bigger competitions and arranged in a row, each nailed to planks for stability.
The axes are between 2.4 and 2.8kg heavy with a rounded blade and each aizkolari uses a number of them in a competition. The logs are between 0.5-0.8m long for competitions where one aizkolari stands on the log and between 0.8-1.2m long for competitions where two stand on it.
[edit] Competitions
The competitions are usually a race for the finish by however many individual competitors there are but occasionally they are done txandetan, in relays, where two aizkolaris form a team and relieve the other once a trunk has been chopped through. The focus is more on stamina than speed compared to other wood-chopping events outside the Basque Country and most competitions last half an hour at the very least but normally more than an hour.
They can be held with each aizkolari having two helpers. The botilero (botillero in Spanish) holds the towel and brings new axes. The prestatzaile (enseñador in Spanish) checks the two halves are fully separated (they sometimes appear to have but are still connected), dictates the rhythm and indicates where best to hit next.
In a famous competition held in 1983 in Tolosa, two aizkolaris called Jose Mari Mendizabal and Mikel Mindegi had a wager to chop six 110 ontza trunks and 52 kanaerdikoa (a total of 100 kanaerdi) each in less than 5 hours. Mendizabal won the competition and 2 million Pesetas taking just 4:12hrs, Mindegi 4:29hrs. But the most famous aizkolari was probably a man nicknamed Santa Ageda who competed in an epic event in the bullring of Azpeitia in 1903.
Many aizkolariak compete into high age. In 1900, Augustin Unanue who was aged 75 at the time, famously chopped a log of 1m diameter in 4 hours. Famous competitions often lead to the composition of bertsos in honour of the event.
The most important modern day competition is probably the Urrezko Aizkora, the "golden axe" competition where the best aizkolaris from all over the Basque Country compete against each other individually or in pairs. There are several categories, including two junior competitions for people under the age of 23 and 18. The competitions are held in different places in the Basque Country over a period of twoo months to establish a winner. Held since 1997, it has been held annualy since.
[edit] Variations
Normally the aizkolaris stand on the trunk sections but there are variations where they are required to chop a vertical tree from the top called zutiko enborra or "upright trunk". This is achieved by chopping notches into the trunk into which the aizkolari inserts a plank. He then stands on the plank to reach higher up, working his way around the trunk in a spiral until he can chop the top section. The trunks are up to 6m tall and usually no safety equipment is used up to that height.
There is another variation combining the chopping competition with a race.
[edit] Women and aizkolaritza
Traditionally a male dominated sport, women have begun to take part in aizkolari competitions in recent years as they have in other traditional Basque sports, for example Itziar Goenaga, Kristina Saralegi and Maika Ariztegi.
[edit] History
Wood-chopping as a profession has a long tradition in the Basque Country and has been recorded since medieval times when the profession was important to the local ship-building and charchoal burning industry which later also fed the metal-working industry. This work was carried out by small, intinerant groups of men living in the woods, the youngest and strongest usually felling the trees and the older preparing the felled trees and building the txondorra, the mound for burning charcoal. In these communities, competitions were common to establish who the strongest and fastest aizkolariak were.
The use of large quantities of charcoal as fuel for the many foundries in the Basque Country in the 18th century together with the use of wood for shipbuilding led to large areas of woodland being cut down. In time, those country towns and valleys that were famed for their top wood-cutters turned out to be those that have safeguarded the wealth of their forests.
As popular competitions they were not recorded until the 19th century. Interestingly, the names of the competitors were not recorded but referred to by their place of origin or group, for example "one of Beizama", "the son of the house of Gorrizu", "the group from Nuarbe" or "the one from Beunza farm". To outsiders, the early competitions where known as fiestas Euskaras "Basque fiestas".
[edit] References
- ^ Trask, L. The History of Basque, Routledge 1997
- Department of Culture (in Basque and Spanish)
- Etxegoien, J. Orhipean, Xamar 1996
