HISTORY OF ULTZAMA: "the fourteen are one"
There is somebody in Belate mountain-pass, Saioa, Okolin, Loiketa, Urdanbidegi, Txaruta…mountains around him/her. "Mortua" is called the mount-crown that Ultzama has at its head, and there is somebody in one of the points of the crown. She/he asked to her/himself: which of them was before, the Ultzama valley or the Ultzama river? Perhaps that question is not - geologically- difficult to answer, but it is not necessary to go so back in time to know what in the History of Ultzama just passes away, and what remains.
Ever since somebody lived there down,
right down, in the caves of Abauntz, they have spent 15.000 years. As
Atxaga uses to count, ever since somebody kept there the fire, I mean,
since the grandmother number 270 (more or less) of the grandmother of
a grandmother of Ultzama... we have been about 92000 people from Ultzama,
or "ultzamarrak". More or less half of the inhabitants of Pamplona
city nowadays, just enough to fill the Nou Camp football ground…
But too many to try to compile the names of all us, isn´t it?
2. Compiling all the names that Ultzama
itself has been is not a little work too: Uzama (1057 year), Iozama (1120),
Utzama (1154), Hutçama (1268), Uçama (1366)... Apparently,
it was difficult to transcribe in Romance language that which Basque people
pronounced. But it is clear that in the graphic of documents of the Middle
Age does not appear the 'L' letter in the name. We find it for the first
time in a document of the end of XVI century: Ulçama. Of course,
that first 'L' wasn´t due to a failure of ear of the notary public;
if so, Ultzamar people would not adopt it immediately, would'nt they keep
it until today...
No, History is not something linear, static, monolithic...
3-Even, some menhir, cromlech and other
MEGALITIC MONUMENTS that are in Belate are thousands years old. Whereas
others are not but monoliths and landmarks of many less years age. If
you are not an expert in the matter, and if at front of those stones you
feel the same History, it means that they have deceived to you? That you
have deceived yourself?
I think not -if we don't try to seem experts, of course-.
4- Time ago, when the low waters of the
Ultzama river and the project of the dam of Arraitz (which was going to
submerge the caves) was the talk of the town, somebody told me that ULTZAMÁ
NAME maybe means "ur-zama", something like "great water".
But I don't know it at all! Somewhere I had read that it meants "place
between precipices"; after it, that it comes from the Basque word
"huts", in English "emptiness, desert, naked, cave".
If really it´s so, when the Basque people arrived at Ultzama (about
7000 years ago, according to Barandiaran) they would already have disappeared
the previous inhabitants (therefore, we have been less than 92.000 people...)
Or perhaps no, if it's truth that Ultzama name comes from the word "eultz"
(beehive).
Somewhere else I´ve read: "mysterious form of name".
5- The "euskaldunzarrak" (old
Basque speakers) usually say "uezama" to the milk mother, which
breast-feeds the chest when the mother does can not. It could be the answer?
The last theory says that its origin is the Celtic word "UXAMA",
that it means "wood-head" (just as the Basque name of the contiguous
valley, "Basaburua"). There were three more Uxama, about 2500
years ago, in Bizkaia, Araba and Soria provinces; now they have the name
of Osma. But... before arriving Celtic people the Basque people had not
put him no name?
Or Ultzama was empty (and, therefore, we have been many-many less than
92,000 people...)?
6- Later the Romans arrived. Usually basques
from Ultzama say "Roman Bridge" to the rainbow, by its similarity
with the old roman bridges. There are some rest of old bridges, but they
are not so old, they were not constructed by the Romans. But really there
is the ROAD OF BELATE, and the IRON MINES OF LANTZ, that so important
were. But (as Bertold Brecht said), are they Roman's work? From where
the workers were?
And what were the names of the workers who carried the stones of the road
and the iron of the mines?
7- The first "ultzamarra" which
I have found in the books of History is Fortun Iñiguiz, "of
Uzama" merely, according to a writing of year 1087. The second, Simeno
de Oarriz, a bandit of Arraitz that catched in the year 1297. Don't mistake
him for the famous BANDITS OF BELATE, that assaulted the travellers at
the begining of XIX century. History gives many-many turns, and some old
people from Ultzama still say that the diktator Primo de Rivera (begining
of XX century) catched and executed those bandits.
Some people miss anytime diktator which execute anytime bandits (and vice
versa, some other people, maybe).
8- The motto of Ultzama is "Hamalau
bat", that means, "the fourteen are one". But the villages
of Ultzama do not have been always so united. For example, during a part
of the Middle Age the neighbors of Auza village lived marginalized, because
they had to pay a shameful tax called BEAURDEA. And Ultzama has not been
always one, the valley was divided in two parts, as it appears in a 1366
document. In the called Uçama Suso (or maior, or of above) they
were Arrayz, Berroeta (it was located between Lozen and Orkin villages),
Yraiçoz and Alçoz. In the called Uçama Yuso (or minor,
or of down), they were Eçaburu, Aoynça, Larrainçar,
Goraunz, Luiçasso, Guerendayn, Elsso, Larrazpe and Gulian. As it
can be seen, they have not been always just 14 villages, like nowadays.
Due to epidemics and other reasons, some of them are DESOLATED PLACES
that were vacated (Berroeta, Arrayn, Malain, UDOZ, with its monastery...)
Some old farmhouses, on the contrary, after becomed villages: Urriçola,
Suarve, Ilarregi...)
Some people thinks maybe we need a new village, the 15th, where youth
people of Ultzama can build their home, and build together the future
of Ultzama.
9- By the way, at the thread of that motto
it would seem (as usually it happens in the small villages) that in each
page of History an one and only "ultzamarra" is outstanding.
In the Middle Age many women were indicated as WITCHES in the Highland
of Navarre, being the most famous those from Zugarramurdi. In Ultzama
one is known, Maria Grace of Beunza, from Urritzola village. And also
there were men, one of them Sancho de Iraizoz, from Lizaso.
But surely there were more alleged witches and wizards between whom the
Inquisición processed and burned during the Process of Anotzibar.
10- In the XII century also they appeared,
without nobody knows from where, the AGOTS. They are very famous those
of the district called Bozate, of Arizkun village. In Ultzama there was
one (at least), Martín de Sola, of Alkotz village, involved in
a judgment, at year 1720, after some neighbors brutally threw out him
from the church because he had seated in a bank destined to "normal
citizens".
As it can be seen, the names of those agots, witches, bandits... and other
normal and anormal citizens, notice from where they came by birth: from
what village, house or family...
11- That person who is in a mount of Belate,
watching towards Ultzama, call to mind another motto: "Ultzama, the
Navarrese Switzerland". It is said by the landscape, apparently,
but on the other hand: it´s truth that conservative Ultzama always
has customary to stay neutral in Historic conflicts? In the days of the
conquest of Navarre, the BATTLE OF BELATE happened. As reward of the king
of Castile, the canyons of Belate were included in the coat of arms of
Gipuzkoa (I think that they already remove them, because it was not a
so heroic action). And some reward also received the shepherd who -as
legend says- guided the troops of Castile through the mountain-pass. But
it seem that the guides from Gipuzkoa captured the 12 abandoned canyons.
After the fall of Amaiur/Maya castle, the king of Castile would grant
the pardon to most of the defenders of Navarre, except a few, among them
the prior of the BELATE MONASTERY.
12- Another wrong idea linked to the motto
"Navarrese Switzerland" is that Ultzama always has been rolling
in money and wealth. It is truth that nowadays is noticeable a high standard
of life, and that also in XVIII century, when the borders and customs
of Navarre relaxed, stood out the MERCHANTS FROM ULTZAMA. But it is significant
that more of them went to Pamplona-Iruñea city. And on the other
hand, that after Navarre becomed a mere province of Spain in 1841, there
were very few county councillors of origin from Ultzama. Also, in the
year 1964 they put LIZASO FOR SALE, so black the mayor of Lizaso village
saw the future... The year 1900 Ultzama had 2369 inhabitants, and in year
1970 just 1673... And now even less, see the GRAPICS OF POPULATION.
Previous to the war they are the GALTZALASOREN BERTSOAK ("Verses
of Slack-trousers"), reflection of the hard times.
13- During the XIX century Navarre suffered
numerous wars and conflicts (against the French, Carlist Wars...), and
Ultzama and "ultzamar" people taked part too, and suffered the
visits of the troops too. We will remember here the ELTZABURU BATTLE,
but there was more, in Larraintzar, Orokieta... And among the combatants,
we have the GUERRILLA ESAIN, of Larraintzar.
Members of the Esain carlist family will stand out until the Civil War
of 1936, as defenders of the Basque language.
14- They say that in the days of the Second
Republic there was just one red in Ultzama. Later, among those that in
the CIVIL WAR died shot just one remains in the memory, THE BISHOP IRURITA,
of Larraintzar. But Juan Bautista Iriarte, of Arraitz, being masterful
in Ituren village, was arrested and later shotted in Pamplona, being nationalistic.
It would be interesting to compare the RESULTS OF THE ELECTIONS of the
past and the present times.
Borges says that the Basque people is the unique one in the world that
has not given any noticeable intellectual. It is not true, of course;
but it would be possible to think that among the Basque people, we the
ultzamar people are those that less noticleable intellectuals have. There
has been a writer in euskara (Basque language), FATHER POLICARPO OF IRAIZOTZ.
Or two, if it is certain that SANCHO OF ELSO was the author of first Doctrina
in euskara, in 1561. A bertsolari (verse improviser) Jose Mari Mutuberria.
A pelotari (pelota player)? Julian Lajos. A soccer player? Kuko Ziganda...
Just one in each field. Please, don´t think so.
Throughout XX century we have been about 5500 "ultzamarra" people,
half of the population of Tafalla town. Nowadays how many we are? About
2300, counting those which live outside (the characteristics of ultzamar
people are so strong). But don´t lose sight of the future History
of Ultzama!