Urtzi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Urtzi, Ortzi, Ost and similar forms are the old Basque words for "sky". Currently the Latinate zeru (from caelum) is used and Urtzi is used as a person name or in compounds like osteguna ("Thursday") , oskorri ("day break", literally "red sky") and ostadar/ortzadar ("rainbow", literally "Ost/Ortzi's horn").

The medieval pilgrim Aymericus Picaudus notes that the Basque word for the Christian God is Urcia.^[1]

In the mythology of the ancient Basques and Iberians,^{[dubious – discuss]} Ostri was the god of the sky. The term "Ostri" was also used to refer to the heaven of ancient Iberian religion. When the Basques became Christianized, Ostri was associated with the Christian God. Ostri is represented symbolically by the lauburu ("four heads"),^{[dubious – discuss]} a swastika like pictogram. He was known by various names among different Iberian tribes, including Ost, Ortz, Ortzi, Ortze, Urci and Urtzi. Certain minor spirits of Basque mythology are also referred to as "Ostri".

[edit] As a person name

Urtzi Given Name
Gender	Male
Meaning	sky
Region of Origin	Basque Country
Origin	Basque mythology
Wikipedia articles	All pages beginning with Urtzi

With the modern interest in Basque names it has been used as a male name:

• Francisco Letamendía Belzunce "Ortzi", Basque nationalist politician.
• Urtzi Urrutikoetxea, Basque writer.

[edit] Sources

• Encyclopedia Mythica

1. ^ Codex Calixtinus cited by Koldo Mitxelena, Textos Arcaicos Vascos, Madrid, 1960, page 49.

[edit] External links

• Spanish-language Auñamendi Encyclopedia
  • Ortzi, by José Miguel de Barandiarán.
  • Urtzi