Sorginak

Sorginak(root form:sorgin,absolutive case (singular):sorgina) are the assistants of the goddessMariinBasque mythology.It is also the Basque name for witches, priests and priestesses, making it difficult to distinguish between the mythological and real ones.

Sometimessorginakare confused withlamiak(similar tonymphs). Along with them, and specially withJentilak,sorginakare said often to have built the localmegaliths.

Sorginakused to participate inAkelarre.Thesemysterieshappened on Friday nights, when Mari andSugaarare said to meet in the locally sacred cave to engender storms.

Etymology

The etymology of the name is disputed. The common suffix-gin(actor,fromegin:to do) is the only agreement.

One theory claims thatsorderives fromsorte(fortune), and hence it would be rendered as fortune-teller. Another states thatsoris the radical ofsor(tu)(to create), and hence sorgin means literally:creator.

Most common references to sorginak

Sorginakare often said to recite the following spell to travel to and back from theakelarre:Under the clouds and over the brambles,or variants of it. In many legends a failed witch (normally a man) says the spell inverted (Under the brambles and over the clouds) and arrives to the akelarre quite bruised.

Sorginakalso chant the following:

Ez geala, ba geala,
Hamalau mila hemen geala

We aren't, we are indeed,
Fourteen thousand here we are

Other variants of this song are also known.

Sorginakoften are said to transform themselves into animals, most commonly cats. These cats are sometimes said to bother pious women that do not wish to go the akelarre. It has also been recorded that they collected monetary fines from the people that did not wish to go to their ecstatic gatherings or those witches that absented themselves from them.

Inquisitorial documents describe horrific practices of witches, like eating children or poisonings. But popular legends do not speak of these practices, instead mentioning kissing "the devil's arse" or an animal's genitals, occasional poisoning of crops, bothering modest women (in the shape of cats or other animals) and anointing their bodies withflying ointment(containingentheogenic,Solanaceousplants) to "fly" to and from the akelarre and perform other supposed feats.

Major persecutions against Basque witches

While in the late Middle Ages there are a handful of references to witchery, they are mostly fines for accusing someone of being one.

This changes in the 16th and 17th centuries with the establishment of theSpanish Inquisitionand the pan-European witch panic that afflicted the EarlyModern Age.Since being conquered by Castile in 1512–21, Navarre (and to a lesser extent areas of the Basque Country) suffered numerous inquisitorial processes, mainly against Jews and Muslims, but occasionally also against Basquesorginak.Particularly important was the 1610 process of Logroño that focused on the akelarre ofZugarramurdi.The previous year, in 1609, French judgePierre de Lancrehad initiated a massive process in Labourd, focusing mainly on Basque women and priests. He was eventually displaced but not without causing many deaths and much suffering. The witch panic extended beyond the frontier and accusations of witchcraft proliferated among the local population until the Spanish Inquisition intervened. The Logroño process ended with 12 people burnt at the stake (five of them symbolically, as they had died under the tortures inflicted in the process) and shattered Pyrennean Navarre and led also to a serious reconsideration of the Inquisition's attitude towards accusations of witchcraft. The Spanish and Italian Inquisition generally approached accusations of sorcery and witchcraft with skepticism and similar processes were rare in comparison to other European countries where no such centralised institution existed.

Places associated with sorginak

Throughout theBasque Countrythere are many places associated with sorginak, often also associated with Mari or other mythological characters. This is an incomplete list of the most famous ones:

Álava

Aramaio:the places of Abadelaueta, Anbotondo and Amezola, as well as an undetermined field at theGorbeamountain are said to have been places ofakelarres.
Maeztu:a woman from this village, Margarita Jauri, was one of the "witches" tried by theInquisitionin the case of theZugarramurdicovenant. Though finally acquitted, she was so traumatised by the detention and torture that she committed suicide soon after her release.
Urizaharra:the field of Urkiza or Urkizo seems to have been the site of the localakelarre.

Biscay

Anbotopeak is the well established principal home ofMari,also known asAnbotoko Sorgina(Witch of Anboto) andAnbotoko Damie(Lady of Anboto). Her home was said to be specifically in an unreachable cave known as Sorginkoba (witch's cave).
Dima:the farmhouse of Petralanda was the main site of theakelarreofArratiaValley in the 16th century, according to inquisitional records.
Durangowas the center of a medievalBeguineheresy that ended with 13 people burnt at the stake. Later, in the 16th and 17th centuries other inquisitional trials were held in this town.
Mañaria:the cave of Azkondo was the witches' meeting place, according to local legend.José Miguel Barandiaranalso mentions that the cliffs between the field of Akelarre and the cave of Silibranka (a paleolithic site) were the playfield of demons.
Murueta:the place of Etxebartxuko-landa, according to local legend.
Muxika:several places attributed as akelarre-sites are called genericallyeperlanda(partridges' field).
Orozko:local legend points to Garaigorta mountain as site of the localakelarreAlso the cave of Supelegor, in the karstic area ofItxina,is associated with witches and especiallylamiak,and it is even considered one of the mansions of Mari herself.
Zalla:it is called "town of sorcerers"
Zeberio:the local witches went to the akelarre of Petralanda (in Dima) but also met locally at Hereinoza household.

Gipuzkoa

Andoain:an old bridge is said to have been built by witches.
Ataun:the sites of Txabaltxo (near a creek), Iraubeltz (a wood), Mendabiita (a bridge), Zelaun (a plain), a creek near the Artzate farmhouse, the spring of Negarregi and the place of Dantzaleku are all said to have frequented bysorginak.Additionally several local sites bear their name: Sorginiturri (witches' spring), Sorginpelota (witches' ball game), Sorginzulo and Sorgizuloeta (witches' niche and niches respectively).
Azkoitia:the farmhouse of Kimutxo.
Bergara:Itxu mountain was the local site ofakelarres.
Errenteria:a woman from this village (now an industrial town), María Zozoaia, was one of the main accused in the process of Zugarramurdi. According to inquisitional records, they gathered in the field of Matxarena, that they calledAtsegin Soro(pleasure orchard).
Hernani:the cave of Sorgintxulo, as recorded by Barandiaran.
Hondarribia:a local (but none-the-less brutal) series of inquisitorial trials in 1530discoveredthat witches met at Jaizkibel mountain, near the hermitage of St. Barbara. Other sites that the accused declared to be their meeting places were: near the hermitage of St. Philip and St. James, or near the hermitage and castle of St. Telmo. Local popular legend instead says that theakelarreshappened near one of the local bridges: either Mendelo, Puntal or Santa Engracia, during the feast of St. Agatha.
Lezo:Inquisitor Ugarte was supposedly poisoned by the local witches in this village in 1531.
Lizartza:near a fence at Aini mountain.
Mendaro:the house of Silerokua or Silerene once was inhabited by a witch that, typically, transformed herself as cat to bother more chaste women, legend says.
Oiartzun:witches met near the cliffs of Irantzi and Puilegi, according to legend.
Oñati:the cave of Gaiztozulo (evil hole) is said to be one of the main homes of Mari and her court ofsorginak.
Pasaia:local woman Mari Zuloko was imprisoned in St. Sebastian, accused of witchery. Later she was stoned and expelled from her hometown, settling inDonibane-Lohitzune.
Tolosa:it is said that witches used to wash clothes near Ugartebide. They also met in Edar Iturri and Sorginerreka.
Zegamahere goddess Mari, also often considered a witch, is known as Aketigiko Sorgina (witch of Aketegi mountain). It is also believed that she lives in Sorginzulo cave.

Labourd

Lapurdi was particularly shaken by the large-scale trials of 1609 led byPierre de Lancre,who was convinced that most people in the country were witches.

Arcangues:the people of this village had the fame of all being witches.
Ascain:in the 1609 trials, the priest of this village was burnt at the stake as a witch.
Saint-Jean-de-Luz:Alakoandia field and the bridges that are between this village and Ciboure.
Hendaye:the local beach was the favorite site for theakelarre,specifically in a site then known as Lakua (the lake). In the 1609 trials it was declared by one of the accused that there was as many people in the local akelarreas stars are in the sky.
Lahonce:the apparently many witches of this village met in Sohouta (Soule).
Sare:several legends place witches as living in the houses of Egoainea, Ihartzegaraia and Larraburua. The local akelarre was sometimes celebrated at the Fikozelai field. Many local witches were tried in 1609, including several minors and the lady of Txantokorena household.
Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle:Pierre de Lancre lived here during the witch-hunt of 1609, in the castle of Amou, whose lord had asked for the trials to be initiated. According to the judicial records, the local akelarre took place either in the cemetery, in private houses or even in the castle of Amou itself, while the trial was active. What this means, if the record is true, is that it was done in the sight of de Lancre himself, which is very unlikely. Other unlikely akelarre-sites mentioned in the process are the hotel Barbarenena, on the very night when de Lancre was sleeping there, and in the home ofmaistreSegura, de Lancre's criminal advisor. Many local presumed witches were accused of plotting to kill de Lancre.
Urrugne:two local witches were executed by de Lancre here. Others managed to flee to Lower Navarre.
Ustaritz:in 1576 Marie Txorropike of the Ianetabarta household was burnt at the stake. Forty other supposed witches were also executed. Several people, including minors, were also processed here in 1609. The akelarre was celebrated at a site called Pagola.
Ciboure:a large number of people from this town were processed in 1609, including five priests.

Navarre

Large portions of Navarre were severely affected by an inquisitorial process in 1610, focused in the akelarre of Zurgarramurdi.

Abaurregaina:there's a localnatural bridgenamed Sorginzubi (witches' bridge).
Altsasu:local legend states that Mari lives in the cave of Odabe, having by main servant asorgina.
Araitz:the local witches met at Urrizola slope beforeflyingto theakelarre.
Arantza:the cliff of Arrutxipi is said to have been the living place ofsorginakin the past.
Areso:the cave of Uli, at Ulizar mountain, was the favorite site for theakelarre.
Auritz:the sites of Basajaunberro (probably modern Patxaranberro), near Ortzanzurieta mountain and Sorginarizaga, nearRoncesvalles.Two witch-hunts affected this municipality: in 1525–27 and in 1575.
Bargota:Local priest Juanis de Bargota was also a famous witch. He had special relationship with a female witch of Biana, Endregoto (Lady Goto inBasque). Both were processed by the Inquisition in 1610 but, while Endregoto was burned at the stake, Juanis de Bargota avoided punishment by showing extreme repentance.
Baztan:Abbot Aranibar of Urdazubi made many people confess guilty of witchery by means of torture in 1610, including many children. In 1612 a civil process was initiated against 7 local women. The tortures inflicted in the towers of Jauregizar and Jauregizuri were so brutal that the accused women claimed insistently to be moved toLogroño,to be judged by the Inquisition itself, as a lesser evil. It seems that the site of Dutxuketa (in Elbetea) might have been a meeting place for the witches. There is also a dolmen called Sorginetxe (witch's home).
Bera:the local witches met apparently onLarrunmountain, along with their colleagues of Sara and Azkaine.
Bertizarana:according to the inquisitorial records, witches met at Nabarte village. In 1611, also impelled by Abbot Aranibar, there was a witch-hunt in Legasa. Graciana de Maribertizena and her daughter were tortured brutally andconfessedto all asked.
Biana:a hill near the Las Cañas lagoon was apparently the site of the local akelarres, to which people came also fromLogroño.Biana was also the hometown of Endregoto, the partner of famous male witch Juanis de Bargota, burnt at the stake in 1610.
Burgi:according to an inquisitorial process of 1569, witches met in Larraionoa and Los Linares, as well as on a barrage at the river.
Ergoiena:Arleze cave is said to have been used by witches. Putxerri cave (also Putterri or Bueitarri), in theAralarrange is said to be inhabited by genii that show themselves as animals, now red, now black, now white; another legend says it is a mansion of Mari and her sorginak, called in the areaPutxerriko Damea(Lady of Putxerri).
Esparza:Inquisitor Avellaneda tells how he tried to dismiss the incipient belief in witchery contacted local witches here and was initiated by anointing theirmagic oilon all them. He then believed to have seen his partners to have done unbelievable feats. After that experience he retook his inquisitorial duties with even greater dedication. The processes that shattered theSalazarvalley in 1532 and 1539 record a place calledSoto de Tarragona,impossible to locate, as site of the localakelarre.Sometimes the hermit of St. Tirso has been named as place of sabbats as well.
Etxalarwas also affected by the 1610 process. In the process, the field of Aranduriaretxa (also Urristilde or Sarueta) and the site of Larbure, were named asakelarrelocations.
Garaioa:in 1525, local Martin Lizuain was burnt at the stake in Auritz. In 1577, accused by a 5-year-old boy, seven women were processed and acquitted. Two of them died during the tortures.
Hiriberri:the mountain of Petxuberro (also Petiriberro) is said to have been the site of the akelarre of theAezkoaValley.
Izaba:a possibleakelarreis said to have taken place in Berin-pikua.
Ituren:the localakelarreapparently used to take place on the heights of Mendaur mountain, near the summit. The processes of 1525 and 1610 affected this village.
Itza:the peak of Oskia or Arkaitz is said to be meeting place for witches here.
Larraun:in Alli cave a nearby, where the dolmen of Akelar is located. Also in the field of Urrizolaegia.
Lerga:the site of Campoluengo.
Lesaka:in the process of 1610 was said that the localakelarretook place in the field of Kolunba.
Miranda de Arga:field of Baiona.
Otxagabia:Legend says thatJoan I of Navarrewas killed by theblack magicof theBishop of Troyes(who was effectively accused of witchery in 1308–13); since then this queen's ghost dwells in theIrati forest,seeking revenge. The local akelarre apparently took place in the main plaza of the village, though sometimes took place in Aboddibidea, deep in the mountains.
Pamplona:the capital of Navarre was affected by the trial of 1527.
Piedramillera:near Dos Hermanas twin peaks.
Erronkari:Bedagin-pikoa was the site of the local akelarre. The valley was affected by the persecution of 1532.
Ultzama:the mountains of Aldaun, Xuxurro, Urbilaga and Elizamendia have been said to be sabbatic sites.
Urdazubi:In the 1609 witch-hunt of Labourd, several accused declared to have celebrated the sabbat inside the church of this village. According to Barandiaran, all neighbours of Alkerdi, where there is an important Paleolithic cave-site, as considered to be witches.
Ziordi:Bekatu-Larre (field of sins) was apparently the site of local akelarres. This village was affected by inquisitorial processes in 1575–76 and 1610.
Zugarramurdi:Akelarrenlezea (cave of the akelarre) is just 500 meters away from the village. Actually witches met in the field of Berroskoberro outside the caves. This village was the focus of the largest and more infamous inquisitorial process, that took place in 1610 in Logroño. Seven people were burnt at the stake and other five were burnt symbolically, along with their remains (they had died during the process). A local legend says that all women of Azkar are witches.

Lower Navarre

Bidarray:Ebrain bridge, known also asInfenuko zubia(Hell's bridge) is said to have been built bylamiakorsorginakin a single night.
Saint-Michel:the people of this village have been traditionally considered witches as a whole. In other time they were nicknamedakelartarrak(akelarreans).
Iholdy:the local witches apparently washed clothes at Oxarti creek.

Soule

Alçay-Alçabéhéty-Sunharette:Arlegiko Kutxia (Arlegi's cross) is a place that was said that witches made appearances. Another site ofakelarresis Artegaina. Near this place there's a cave namedErtzagainako karbia,where legend says a dragon once dwelt.
Chéraute:the witches of this village and that of Lahuntza met a some field nearMauléon.

References

Guía del Akelarre Vasco,José Dueso, ROGER Ed. 2001.ISBN 84-8490-001-0