I (an Englishman) married a basque woman in 2016, we have two children and live in the town of Hondarribia, both our kids are learning and speaking euskera as well as English and French. Proud to be helping keep this wonderful culture alive.
Most Basques have R1b Y-chromosome (R-S116) with close relatives residing in Ireland and Gascony (France) while Basque autosomal chromosomes are close to the rest of Spaniards. I get the part about Basque unique language and culture. But, under the skin they are just run-of-the-mill Europeans unlike say Finnish or Hungarian.
Based on what I see in the news, it sounds like it won’t be long before you will have some racial/cultural diversity forced upon you (like the rest of Europe) and your community admixture gets decidedly more African/Arabian…
I know this is a nosy question, but are they rh- ?, are they super smart ? Have super athletic ability like ability to throw exceptionally well?. I've been studying the history of rh- negative ppl and originates in basque region. You don't have to give excessive detail, and I know all parents think their kids are super, but rh- ppl are very different and special biologically, and the euskera ppl have to be old testament flood survivors, they say neanderthal was like ancestral caveman but I think the imagery is all wrong I think they were more intelligent more resilient stronger, a race of biblical ppl from before the flood.
My high school Spanish teacher in the 80’s was Basque and was very proud to share his cultural and heritage as part of the curriculum, even in the mid-late 80’s they knew they had something unique before all the DNA sequencing was done
The Basque people are truly a living link to Europe’s ancient past! Their unique language, mysterious origins, and cultural resilience make their story absolutely fascinating. Thanks for shedding light on this incredible heritage!
@@knlazar08 So are the Etruscan people but they are completely gone! Because they drove Rome and dissolved into it. They basically had to leave the Mediterranean due to flood by land sinking under it's on weight below sea level. They were still wailing about it by the end of the Greek era but diminished with the rise of the romans
I’m Basque from my father. My great grandfather came from the basque region of France in 1882. Work at a family dairy farm outside San Francisco. Was delivery milk during the great quake. Dead at 101. I was exposed to my heritage as a young man was wasn’t aware on how special it is to be basque until adulthood. After spending 3 weeks there with my son, both of us embrace with pride being Basque
@@mikemondo2106 San Francisco was founded by a Basque named Juan De Anza. He was a basque and Native American, born in New Navarre, New Spain (modern Sonora, Mexico). Father Junipero Serra was also basque. Integral in the founding of cities and missions in California.
@@mikemondo2106 many basque people in northern Mexico and the US southwest, since the 1500s. The founder of New Mexico was also Basque, Juan de Onate. Founded New Mexico since the 1500s. Long, long presence of Spanish people in the US southwest. We have a really cool history.
LOL if your ONLY connection to the Basques is your GREAT grandfather? Buddy, you’re American and have no cultural, linguistic or ethnic connection to the Basques except for a tiny fraction of your DNA😂Your fathers father was born and raised here😂
My father was Basque, and this video helped me feel connected to that part of his family since he himself is no longer with us. I’m delighted to carry a bit of that ancient DNA with me.
My mother was Welsh. She told me when she was young in the 1920s she was not allowed to speak Welsh in schools. Pupils would be punished if they did. Welsh was reserved for within the family at home. This has changed now as Welsh is being taught at school. The Welsh wish to preserve their cultural heritage, and quite rightly so. So there is hope for the Basques. ❤
@mrstinkabell123: Ironically, you and I may have common ancestors. My mother was Uruguayan 🇺🇾 with 75% of her ancestors being Basque. The remainder included her British ancestors from Liverpool. After she had a stroke, I became a taxi driver in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Two weekends in a row, I transported British visitors who were here because one of their relatives was marrying an American. I told both wedding parties about my last British ancestor from Liverpool, as I didn't know which British ethnic group he belonged to -- both said that he was likely Welsh. If the English and the Irish can agree that my Liverpudlian ancestors were likely Welsh, then I think that's a safe conclusion to draw. 😁
Compulsory learning of the official language has been the practice of many countries around the world, which has caused many challenges for cultural minorities. This was a common problem around the world. In this day and age, however, most democratic countries have begun supporting minority language training for children and thereby making minority languages more sustainable.
The Saami people in Northern Norway were also denied to speak their own languages in school( they had a few different variants) But that was fixed and they learn their own language and culture in school now.:)
Much like the Basques the Welsh have been heavily suppressed. It is sad but true that all the “English Stories” we think of were simply stolen from Welsh and Celtic populations.
I grew up on a farm in California. Our Basque neighbors were some of the hardest working, generous, friendly people I've ever met. Truely an asset to any community. Very sad day when they decided to move back to Spain.
Ever since I was a teen I have been fascinated by this topic. In 2023 I finally got to visit the region and it was wonderful - the people, the food, the landscapes. I didn't want to leave.
A Canadian here. We visited Spain a couple of years ago and went north instead of south. Basque country is so different from the rest, physically, culturally and linguistically. We were in Bilbo, Donostia and St-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Loved the signage in two languages, although Basque was impenetrable. Good luck, Euskadi.
My Grandfather was a Basque descendant, born in El Salvador. I have never been to the homeland but I have studied the language and history extensively. It seems obvious to me but others ignore, deny, even challenge me on the point. The Basque Language of Euskara is nearly identical to ancient Levantine Sumerian. The People of Sumer explored north and colonized many areas. They left at the end of the bronze age, and were replaced by Akkadian (semitic) speaking populations from the Sinai. This transition marked the rise of the Akkadian Empire which preserved the Sumerian Cuneiform Writing system and enshrined ancient Sumerian Language as a sort of secret liturgical script reserved for high level scribes, generals and priests. As a result we have a complete picture of Sumerian language and history. Heres the point: the Sumerian Language and Euskara share over 200 words and more than 1000 root sounds. Either the language evolved as it moved West into Europe, or one population split into two regions. Either way Basque was a key to translating Sumerian Cuneiform, and its existence seems to prove the connection is real.
I once had a relationship with a beautiful woman who often spoke of her Basque lineage. After a time we separated, but 15 years later, I still think of her. Watching this video brings her mystery to light.
I'm a Native American of some European ancestry and I found one Basque ancestor in my DNA whom I later discovered in genealogy. It was a fascinating rabbit hole to go down.
My understanding is that Basque fishermen were landing on the east coast of North America by the early 1500s. Apparently there is some evidence that an Algonquin-Basque pidgin developed, which to me suggests some intermarriage occurred.
My ancestors left the lower Navarre in like 1600ish and headed to New Spain and New Orleans just as the anti-Basque sentiments in France were ramping up, and still haven't fully cooled today!
@@lanmarknetworking3034 How do you know where your ancestors were back so long ago? I'm trying to figure out where mine were to see if I have a connection to the Basque Country but I hit a dead end in Portugal in the late 1800s...
@@lanmarknetworking3034How do you know where your ancestors were back so long ago? I'm trying to figure out where mine were to see if I have a connection to the Basque Country but I hit a dead end in Portugal in the late 1800s...
I have read some crazy theories about the Cross of Hendaye, What is your understanding of it's symbolism and origin?. If you have any insight or knowledge of it's origin please give me a locals opinion.
A wonderful place to live and vacation. Thank you so much for highlighting the region! In the Pyrenees town called Pau where I lived, Chateau de Pau was kept as a holiday home for Emperor Napoleon and Empress Josephine! Lots of his allies in government held family seats or territories in this thriving place. Hidden gem history: In 1944, All Black 761st Tank Battalion liberated the town of Pau from the Nazis! I lodged with a man who witnessed it firsthand when he was 8 years old, and he never forgot. Said in his eyes, these warriors looked like heroes! Swore he would return the blessing one day, and he did when 40 years later a nerdy Black girl needed somewhere safe to study and lay my head. Very good memories about the Basque country and Monsieur Roger.
I agree with you that Pau is a great city but it is not a Basque city but the capital of the former Bearn province/kingdom Henry 4th King of Bearn became King of France he was not a Basque Pau is not in a Basque province.
@ Pau is completely Basque! The kin settled there a long time ago when it was still being argued over and was still known as Gaul! In the region of Tarbes, Bayonne (which is decidedly Basque) Vincennes, as well as Pau being the capital of Bearn, which is also in this mysterious lineage. King Henri IV of France and Navarre was born in Pau Castle in December 1553. Which made it a French stronghold from then on ALONG with the Basque people who have always been there (wherever they came from 👀). Btw, Spain has Basque people too! San Sebastián is right over the mountain range, they even have their own separatist group: ETA. The Basque language and the Welsh language are two that I can’t make heads or tails of! 🦤
@@yvettemarshallTWN Ma famille vient de cette region Pau n'est pas dans la province basque de la Soule don't ma famille est originaire et dont la capitake est Mauleon. La Soule est la province basque de France la plus orientale les deux autres etant le labourd (Bayonne) et la basse navarre (Saint jean pied de Port ) et Pau n'en fait pas partie ne dites jamais a un bearnais qu'il est basque et reciproquement
I was told I had French ancestry. When I did my DNA I found zero French. Only Basque heritage. I wonder if my great grandfather hid his ancestry due to persecution of the Basque?
Probably didn’t hide his ancestry. He probably wasn’t even aware of it. Much of SW France was historically Basque (and before that Aquitanian); only a small fraction of the region was able to retain the Basque language/identity. So while their SW French neighbors (Gascons, etc.) still retain strong genetic ties to their Basque kin, they are French as far as their language/culture/identity is concerned.
Gascony/Gascugna is the same as Basque. Vasconia was spelled as Wasconia by the visigoths, that W was read as a "Gua" by some. Hence in provenzal and ” french" became "Guasconia". Gascuña or Gascogna in local dialect and Gascony in french. Euskera and Euskal herria is coined nonesense made by the basque Nationalism father Sabino Arana in very late 19th Century , who from Bilbao not knowing how to speak basque coined those words that don't even follow the basque grammar.
@@navarrenavarreMany Basque live and still work in American Southwest. The history is fascinating. Several Basque authors have novels translated into English. I proudly wear my Boina Basqua in our winters. Wool not popular in 100+degree F heat. Of course, therei the extremely popular novel Shibumi.
@@MakerBoyOldBoy Yo soy vasco de Navarra, España pero tengo familia en Elko, Nevada, en Idaho y en California. Son vascos casados de segunda generación con irlandeses de segunda o tercera generación. También alguno con indio americano. Muy curioso. Y he conocido a gente de la montaña Navarra que fue de pastor a EEUU muchos años. Los pastores vascos son tíos muy duros: unas máquinas 😮
I read once that the Basque are safe from damnation because the devil tried seven times to learn their language, found it completely impenetrable, and left them alone out of shear frustration.
@@ellyreimert8973 A lot of folklore has origin stories about the people, and the place. So, why not the language? That's why I asked about any similarity with Welsh. My Grandmother always told us that Welsh was the language of Heaven, because there were no swear words. I never believed that, btw, but it makes sense that people would tell that kind of story because they feel blessed for what they have.
My great grand parents on my Dad's side we're Basque, they came to northern Wyoming in the early 1900's to do ranching. My grandmother was full Basque too and spoke fluent Basque and was a Basque embassador of somekind for a while in the 80's maybe earlier too. They definitely had their own ways i remember many of my generation people but are really a mystery too me i guess. Unfortunately they and their ways are all gone now.
I lived in the Basque region for a while. Some of the warmest, friendliest, and welcoming people I've ever met. I fell in love with the land and culture and even picked up pelota mano.
I walked the Camino del Norte in August. The first people I met were a young couple nice enough to drive me from Irún to San Sebastián. They even refused to let me pay them
My Spanish ancestors were part Basque. Although the bloodline is thin, I’ve always felt a connection to Basque culture. A dream of mine is to move to Basque Country, study the language, and see if I can dig up some of my distant relatives. Would be a wild adventure, indeed.
@Felmania 1 : Be careful what you wish for. I too have Spanish and Basque ancestry. My younger brothers submitted samples for a DNA test and discovered they are distant relatives of King Louis XVI via the Y-haplogroup or chromosome. YIKES! I refuse to take a DNA test and I disowned them. Maybe it's the little bit of the rebellious Basque in me.
Thank you for trying to summarise a complex and relatively unknown subject. I have no idea how factually correct it is but appreciate it all the same ❤
How correct? I am a basque born and raised in the Basque Country, where I live. I can trace my ancestors back for more than 300 years and all of them were basque. I´ll tell you how correct the film is: pure bullshit and nationalist propaganda, paid for with my taxes. Sorry to spoil the myth.
As an American Basque from California and bilingual in English and Western Basque, this is an amazing documentary and properly oriented to the Basque culture and one-of-a-kind heritage. Eskeŕik asko!
Another reason that the genetic line remained so pure was that their predominant blood group was O- negative. So, if a woman were impregnated by someone outside their group, with any kind of + positive blood type (93% of the worlds population currently), and w/o modern meds, her body would end the pregnancy.
@@RU3YJBindeed. I have Basque bloodllines and O- bloodtype. It’s an extremely important piece of their historial. Explica tantas cosas de su existencia. Xx
My wife is O- The first pregnancy is fine. She had vitamin k after each pregnancy to suppress the production of antibodies for subsequent pregnancies. We have 2 awesome boys.
I walked the St. James Way (Camino de Santiago) a few summers ago through Basque country. Some of my favorite memories of them were watching the sheepherders with their herds accompanied by Pyrenees dogs. Also, buying sheep milk cheese and fresh bread, hot coffee, and hot chocolate (for my daughter) from a Basque farmer. Those people struck me as being true badasses.
@@gabriellabennett7024that’s for two reasons. First is that they probably are descendants of royalty somewhere in their ancestral lineage. Secondly it was a common practice for genealogists to incorporate a noble lineage into family history as they were available where the ancestors of common folk were not. It would also have helped them to get paid.😊
The Basque people seem to reflect two distinct lines of influence, the first are those people who, against all external forces, military, social or otherwise, remained peculiarly loyal to their identities as the Basque. The second came from those remote people on the frontier of civilization who, rather than becoming absorbed, chose to go wandering instead and only by fits and starts finally came-up against the mountains and stopped, dug-in and became Basque. The secret, of course, is that this all happened nearly 3,000 years ago and the spread of civilization was due to people like the "Pitgrave" culture, the Yamnaya and other pontic peoples, renowned for their aggressive and almost piratical character. So a warrior culture came up against people who were farmers and herders (although, I think the steppe people had herds of their own, just not the same animals.) who withdrew and withdrew and finally found themselves clinging to the mountainsides along with the already clinging Basque people who welcomed them because, well, lets face it, the Basque people have the biggest hearts of all but also because...where else were these people to go? Anyway, over the intervening thousands of years any dilution, even genetic, would have vanished into the undifferentiated roar of the past and we would have exactly what we have: A static country, faithful to it's roots which, nevertheless, sent wanderers out into the world occasionally called Gypsies who discovered and reported back, generation-after-generation, that not much had changed out here and everybody back home should just remain where they are.
The Indoeuropeans invaded Basque lands and conquered them. Most of the male bloodlines in Basque country are Indoeuropean. That the language survived suggests small bands of warriors taking over farming valleys and overtime becoming the dominant bloodlines. Something similar happened with the Vikings in parts of Ireland and the Hebrides. A significant part of the male bloodlines in those areas are Norse but the local dna otherwise dominates and the Gaelic language was adopted by the Norse.
@@damionkeeling3103 Wait, wait, how does that work, how do the Basque exist at all if the males are of a different bloodline? That seems awfully weird to me...
@@waynemyers2469He just explained how. The males were not significant enough in number to transform the linguistic landscape in the same way they did elsewhere in Europe.
I am Basque as well and love to hear about my amazing culture. I am headed to Boise Idaho to soon to register my name in their books. My Great Grandfather and Greart Grandmother were both from Pyrenees France.
Lots of Basques in Boise, Idaho. Don't forget to try out the Basque Cooking at Epi's A Basque Restaurant. Make sure to get a reservation. They have amazing food!!!
Very good! I grew up in Bakersfield, California where there is a large population of Basque. Many were shepherds and restaurateurs. To me, as a child, they had unusual and difficult to pronounce last names. I also remember the men were keen on a game called Jai alai but the city deemed it dangerous and banned it.
Perhaps Jai Alai should only be played by the Basque because they have Basque-specific hunter-gatherer genes for not getting hit by the 188 mph goat-skin ball but instead catching it and throwing it at the front wall for a "chula" shot.
@@LawrenceLudy can't remember the name of the small family owned one but was owned by the Eldizaldes (I think that's how it is spelled). They served one lunch and one dinner a day and everyone sat together at three long tables. The shepherds were served first. Really good food!
The Basque region has always been a safety zone for those hoping to escape fascist and authoritarian regimes and the region is one of the most important places in Europe for genetic and linguistic studies. It is a magical place to be sure. I visited it once long ago and had one of the most significant supernatural events of my life occur. There is no doubt that it contains a deep and profound connection between the land and the people who have lived there.
Curiously, my mom's family who immigrated to the Americas (Virginia) in the early 17th century have Basque DNA in their heritage; among several other unexpected DNA traces. 400 years of "Living in America" gives a lot of time for mix and mingle; and history making.
I’m an American of French Canadian descent. My daughter had a dna analysis that showed a very small (2%) Basque component. That’s what prompted me to view this video.
Basque are truly different people. I had uni friend from Bilbao in Basque and had truly unique world view and fiercely independent and never subjugated. Almost feels like oldest nation in Europe.
The Basques (and the Celts) were the aboriginal peoples of Europe...the first modern humans to move into the area as the glaciers allowed it. They were already there and well established when documented history first comes to the continent.
The Bsques and The Celts are ethnically the same people. They make up a large part of most Western Europeans. The differences are mostly cultural and linguistic.
There is a huge piece of the puzzle missing from this. The coast line was significantly different when the Basque settled that area. The sea level was much lower and the coast line was 20-100km further out depending which location you measure from.
Basques , near the coast, became rich merchants thank to their braviour and sailing skills. Nowadays, there are wealthy regions, spanish and french part. Basques intérieur= within country, where history is more like you describe. Thanks for this work 👍
@ I know the French side the best, anything between Bayonne, St Jean Pied de Port and Hendaye, been up down sideways and across exploring it. I love St. Jean de Luz, though prices are crazy, I got another 10 years to make more money :). I also like Guetaria and Gernica Lumo alot. I love cycling and roads up there are incredible. Bigger towns of Bilbao, San Sebastián are great, but to me the magic is out in the country with baserri, sheep, goats, locals, and view of Biscay. Bayonne and Biarritz are ok, they are beautiful but over saturated with French and tourist culture to the point there is no feeling of Basque about it. Hope this is not offensive. What part you think is best?
I can’t help but wonder how long it will be before the waves of African/Arabian newcomers make their way into those communities as well, irrevocably changing them in ways the Romans and others couldn’t do.
@@LazyGrayF0x I’m starting to suspect my father’s side might be Basque. If I went , I’d want quiet, French, and somewhere to just lay down and breathe for a long while. I’m USAmerican that had travelled to most of USA, and 13 countries. I lived in Taiwan for 8 years. Now disability. So , no tourists for me, thank you very much. I’d rather go point at food and stare at strangers as we do our best to understand each other. I’d prefer to just pick one tiny cheap town and do trips from there over a months time. My exciting nightlife days are well behind me. Thank you! Yes, helpful! No hurt feelings from me.
The Basques always fascinated me, especially their language. It is almost certainly a pre-Indo-European language, which makes it very old and mysterious.
I live in Cape Breton, an island off of the eastern end of Nova Scotia, Canada. There is a car ferry service to Newfoundland, another province. The closest point of contact between the two provinces is a smallish area called Port Aux Basque. Fishers from France made frequent trips there. The people there tend to be a little short, and swarthy of complexion. Be interesting to see if there is a DNA connection to European Basques. Very interesting history. Thanks for making this documentary.
Scotian here, Cape Breton ancestry. Did a DNA test a while back, came back with Basque in it. You'd probably find a lot of other people in Cheticamp with that Basque ancestry, going back to the early settlers from France.
What dna tests are you guys using?? Pei acadian here- I've managed to trace paternal and maternal lines through ancestry- both are from southern France (paternal more coastal) but the trail runs cold by the 1600s. 😢 curious to see if perhaps a dna test might help me dig deeper.
Basque fishermen were going to catch cod of the grand banks for centuries before Columbus went there, I have no Doubt there are Natives and settlers in your area with basque DNA from the old days
The Basque people reflect two influences: one from those who steadfastly preserved their Basque identity against external pressures, and another from wandering frontier groups who eventually settled in the mountains and became Basque. This process began around 3,000 years ago during the spread of civilizations like the Yamnaya, known for their warrior culture. These newcomers joined the Basques, who were already mountain dwellers, finding refuge there. Over millennia, any external influences faded, leaving a community deeply rooted in its origins yet occasionally sending explorers into the world, who often returned with the message that home remained unchanged and worth staying in.
La langue basque a un lien très fort avec le dialecte guègue de la langue albanaise, qui est parlé dans les montagnes d'Albanie. J'ai écrit un chapitre avec des exemples concrets de mots qui sont identiques dans les deux langues.
Ready for this? Hokkaido, Japan. that is the large island north of the main island. There is a group that speak a different dialect than Japanese. In this language there are like 30 or so words that are spelled the same. A couple with a slight different spelling but all have the same meaning as it would in Basque. mind blown.
You can un-blow your mind. Every serious liguist will tell you that this is pure fantasy. (similarities in single words mean almost nothing in comparative linguistics, you have to compare the *structure and grammar*
"Robert Sepehr" channel is where I think I got that info. If I didn't Sorry Robert. You should check him out anyway his work is truly a quality production.
There are a lot of basque people in California. They used to be shepherds in the area, with the old wagons and dogs and all. Nowadays there are numerous basque style restaurants in the San Joaquin valley, no sheepherders.
@@thebrocialist8300 We are also from a region in Mexico that is well known for having a large white European population, Los Altos de Jalisco. Also, the founder of the state capital is named Cristobal de Oñate, so it seems likely that I do have at least some basque blood.
@@CarlosParraOnate My family is from San Juan de los Lagos also there in Jalisco, Spanish colonial town, significant Basque DNA in my family, it's not a long shot that you probably have a similar lineage.
I believe that outside Spain and France, Cuba and Puerto Rico has the most Basque ancestry ,I wasn't surprise to find Basque ancestry in me since I'm Cuban but almost every Cuban I know has some degree of Basque ancestry
They are as genetically varied as any European population - with input from the same Bronze Age and Iron Age Indo Europeans that conquered Gaul and Iberia. The only difference is they somehow retained their pre-Indo European languages, while their neighbors didn’t.
Literally all Europeans are indigenous. Are the Germans not indigenous to Germany? They've all lived in their lands for thousands of years. You don't have to be a member of a small minority group to be indigenous.
@@SoloTravelerOffTheBeatenPath // No ... the Germans some thousands years ago living in middle and eastern Europe are genetically not identic with the Germans today. And it is wrong that the Englisch call us Germans ... the Germans are Deutsch, that is how they call themself. The English call the people of the Netherlands Dutch, and when the Netherlands separated from the country behind, the English had to find a other name for the country behind the Netherlands... and they called it unfortunately Germany 🥴 ... Germanic tribes in ancient times are anchestors of the modern Germans as well as celtic people or slavs and the old population of former times. They are a mixture.
We tend to imagine all early humans were making art, but if you consider how many thousands of years they inhabited those caves perhaps it was much rarer than we think.
Of course they could, but since film breaks down over the years, this is the only film that survives of true Neanderthals. So even though the man is crippled, all RUclips channels have to use it when they want to show Neanderthals. 😉
there’s a lot of basques in northern nevada! my grandfather was basque but i never got to meet him, i appreciate videos like these so i can learn about my ancestors’ culture before they came here :)
@@thebrocialist8300 Why do you assume I do not know? The Basques have got on very well indeed facing many threats from outside, fantasy gods from Rome being one of them.
@@thebrocialist8300 Assumptions, assumptions. The Basque cultural region has been infiltrated and damaged like all cultures by the Roman Catholic fantasy and ensuing actions - just like all religions before you start again.
My sister and I learned about our ancestry, and actually did a trip to visit Basque country. Discovered why our grandmother did a lot of things or liked a lot of things that connected with that history. So neat to see where that piece of our own family history came from and connect with those that currently live there.
My Great great Grandmother Erentha was Basque. She met my Great great Grandfather and came to Derbyshire circa 1811. The Peninsula war against Napoleon must have brought them together.
Finnish also is not Indo-European. Personally think you have the causality wrong...the Basque language wasn't a barrier, instead its survival to modern day is just a by-product of the culture standing the test of time against the Romans etc etc.
@@Bazza-m6p AI Overview Learn more No, Finnish is not an Indo-European language; it belongs to the Uralic language family, specifically the Finno-Ugric branch, making it one of the few European languages that is not Indo-European. Key points about Finnish language: Language family: Uralic Branch: Finnic Non-Indo-European: Yes Also I read a book on proto-indo european lanuage etc...they make a point of the whole 'Basque/Finnish' languages only ones to survive into modern day in europe NOT from that language tree.
@Bazza-m6p Think you've got a few things muddled up. Finnish and Hungarian are both Finno-Ugric, while The Magyars (Hungarians) did indeed arrive in current day Hungary as you suggested, the Finns have been in Finland thousands of years. The Huns didn't leave too much of a genetic imprint and arrived centuries before the Magyars in the 4th and 5th centuries CE.
Same. People that lack the Rhesus protein do not share the same ancestors with 85% of the rest of the population. 85% of the world as well as the great apes and monkeys descended from one ancestor, we come from another.
@@wokenessdiedintheyear2025There was no “Phoenician empire.” Phoenicians had a few trade colonies along the Eastern and Southern coasts of Iberia (nowhere near the Basque region). Carthage had an imperial presence in Iberia; again, not near the Basque region, but it’s more than likely that Basques were present (in some number) in Hannibals mercenary armies. As for Basques never being conquered, this is not true. They were incorporated into numerous imperial boundaries. What is unique is that they were able to broker deals with foreign powers that respected their customs and afforded them with unique levels of autonomy relative to their neighbors.
My family DNA has Basque on it and has taught me to endure change, and I am a lover of the Agriculture Innovation and the culture this country provides to the earth populations, Thank you for the video 📹 ♥️.
I am a Cymro (Welshman) and we pride ourselves on being one of the oldest cultures in Europe, yet the Basques were already a well-established culture long before we Brythonic-speaking peoples arrived.
I'm born in America but my father's family is Basque. I actually found an entire Basque community in my state that have Basque restaurants and even host Basque festivals/holidays etc. here. Also, yes, the Basque were in Europe before the Indo-European populations arrived.
Nonsense. What Irish and Welsh have more than ‘Celtic’ genetics (which were more similar to French genetics) is an earlier substrate of Bronze Age Indo European (inherited from Bell Beakers). Genetically speaking, Irish and Welsh are extremely dissimilar to Basques (who are genetically much closer to Spaniards and Southern French).
@@thebrocialist8300 Celts did not originally come from Bell Beakers of Central Europe. Celts and Proto-Celtic Basques originally came from the steppe region of modern day Ukraine, South West Russia and the modern nation of Georgia.
I live in America and am the family genealogist. Have had many family members take various DNA tests for my research into our heritage. We all carry Basque DNA and I am Rh Negative. I would love to visit the area and learn more of my Basque Ancestors ways.
Having read "Shibumi" by Trevanian a few times, I was riveted by the descriptions of the caves and landscapes. He 'painted' scenes in my mind I'll never forget. Can you tell me how Basques feel about that book? I hope the author showed honor to your region.
@@veritasvincit2251 I haven't read it. All I can tell you is whatever we may have been once we are no longer. The same has happened to every other European races and around the world, diluted and robbed of history and tradition, in preparation for the "great amalgamation".
The Nunavik Inuit of Northern Quebec are the most genetically distinct people in the world by far but it is extremely isolated. It is amazing that the Basque still are so distinct from the rest of Europe considering how much migration and political change happens there almost constantly for the last few thousands of years.
Georgian here. 🇬🇪 not only language structures but polyphonic singing is one of the many similarities between Basques and Georgians not to mention that Eastern Georgia's antique name is Iberia.
Those cave paintings... are so wonderful... And yes, I would love to see the mystery of the origin of the Euskara language solved. But something tells me that it won't happen anytime soon.
Beautiful documentary. I hope the Basque people can retain their unique language and culture. Too often we want to homogenize our species and we lose so much in doing so.
I am 1% Basque and 3% Sephardic and but it is important to me because I have Rh negative blood. I’d like to think there is a connection that so little DNA can be of so much consequence.
The Basque population has one of the highest percentages of Rh-negative blood in the world, with around 30-35% being Rh-negative. This trait is less common globally but might have an ancestral connection to ancient European populations.
@@TheHistoryHubs Je suis O- et pourtant je n'ai aucune origine Basque, j'ai des origines diverses : française du nord, hollandaise et autrichienne mais pas d'origine basque et en plus je suis une vraie blonde donc rien de basque
In Spain, there is a small Town known as Fuente de Cantos, Badajoz (within region of Extremadura) that has large population with Basque DNA including migration link to Georgia Caucuses too. Plus, great concentration of O negative blood as well. National Geographic Genome project has my dads. And nothing tied to moors which I found very surprising.
Your story doesn’t add up. There is no link genetic or ethnolingusitic connection between Basques and Georgians. So what exactly do you mean by migration link to Georgia and the Caucuses?
My cousin has an elderly uncle whose parents came from two separate Basque villages near the border in Southern France. His uncle was found to be 100% Basque by a DNA test. The testing company had never had a person test at 100%, so at their expense, they tested him twice more and verified that indeed he is 100% Basque. His parents raised four children on a ranch in Southern California.
Unfortunately, many people tend to conflate the geography and history of the Basque Country with that of Cantabria. I’ve observed this in literature and discourse for decades.
I did my DNA test. I have mainly British Isles plus some Scandinavian but was surprised I have 3 percent Basque DNA. This is fascinating. Had no idea. I am American.
That was either carried into the British Isles during the Norman period or it’s a false-positive that’s simply reflecting some added level of Neolithic (EEF related) admixture unique to your ancestry.
I (an Englishman) married a basque woman in 2016, we have two children and live in the town of Hondarribia, both our kids are learning and speaking euskera as well as English and French. Proud to be helping keep this wonderful culture alive.
Most Basques have R1b Y-chromosome (R-S116) with close relatives residing in Ireland and Gascony (France) while Basque autosomal chromosomes are close to the rest of Spaniards. I get the part about Basque unique language and culture. But, under the skin they are just run-of-the-mill Europeans unlike say Finnish or Hungarian.
Based on what I see in the news, it sounds like it won’t be long before you will have some racial/cultural diversity forced upon you (like the rest of Europe) and your community admixture gets decidedly more African/Arabian…
Diluting the bloodline.
@@CZRkg they have I2 paternal lineage. It comes from hunter gatherers of Europe. Those mixed with females of Anatolian farmers during Neolithic.
I know this is a nosy question, but are they rh- ?, are they super smart ? Have super athletic ability like ability to throw exceptionally well?. I've been studying the history of rh- negative ppl and originates in basque region. You don't have to give excessive detail, and I know all parents think their kids are super, but rh- ppl are very different and special biologically, and the euskera ppl have to be old testament flood survivors, they say neanderthal was like ancestral caveman but I think the imagery is all wrong I think they were more intelligent more resilient stronger, a race of biblical ppl from before the flood.
My high school Spanish teacher in the 80’s was Basque and was very proud to share his cultural and heritage as part of the curriculum, even in the mid-late 80’s they knew they had something unique before all the DNA sequencing was done
Mine was too. Senor Falxa. He used to say I looked Basque. 23 and me proved he was correct
Did you go to school in Meridian, Idaho?
They've always known
Basques sheepherders settled in southeast Oregon and southwest Idaho.
@@babsbybend interesting.
The Basque people are truly a living link to Europe’s ancient past! Their unique language, mysterious origins, and cultural resilience make their story absolutely fascinating. Thanks for shedding light on this incredible heritage!
What if the secret to their mysterious past is that they are the desendants of Atlantis? What if they are all that's left, other than legends?
@@knlazar08
So are the Etruscan people but they are completely gone! Because they drove Rome and dissolved into it. They basically had to leave the Mediterranean due to flood by land sinking under it's on weight below sea level. They were still wailing about it by the end of the Greek era but diminished with the rise of the romans
There’s nothing mysterious about their origins. The entire Iberian population up until the late Iron Age was genetically the same as Basques.
I'm of Basque origin with the negative blood
@@anajijon9774 nice to talk to you here.
Thank you for supporting our channel. Love and respect.
I’m Basque from my father. My great grandfather came from the basque region of France in 1882. Work at a family dairy farm outside San Francisco. Was delivery milk during the great quake. Dead at 101. I was exposed to my heritage as a young man was wasn’t aware on how special it is to be basque until adulthood. After spending 3 weeks there with my son, both of us embrace with pride being Basque
@@mikemondo2106 San Francisco was founded by a Basque named Juan De Anza. He was a basque and Native American, born in New Navarre, New Spain (modern Sonora, Mexico). Father Junipero Serra was also basque. Integral in the founding of cities and missions in California.
@@LewisC-g4i thank you I wasn’t aware.
@@mikemondo2106 many basque people in northern Mexico and the US southwest, since the 1500s. The founder of New Mexico was also Basque, Juan de Onate. Founded New Mexico since the 1500s. Long, long presence of Spanish people in the US southwest. We have a really cool history.
LOL if your ONLY connection to the Basques is your GREAT grandfather? Buddy, you’re American and have no cultural, linguistic or ethnic connection to the Basques except for a tiny fraction of your DNA😂Your fathers father was born and raised here😂
@@LewisC-g4ihahahahahahahaha
My father was Basque, and this video helped me feel connected to that part of his family since he himself is no longer with us. I’m delighted to carry a bit of that ancient DNA with me.
RUclips:ROBERT SEPHER mit "The Origins of the First EUROPEANS" 👋
You are Basque!!
Ancient DNA. lmao Your DNA isn't more ancient than anyone else's.
so have you had your dna tested?
The tiny hat people have "educated" you well@@DustinAxelson
My mother was Welsh. She told me when she was young in the 1920s she was not allowed to speak Welsh in schools. Pupils would be punished if they did. Welsh was reserved for within the family at home. This has changed now as Welsh is being taught at school. The Welsh wish to preserve their cultural heritage, and quite rightly so. So there is hope for the Basques. ❤
@mrstinkabell123: Ironically, you and I may have common ancestors. My mother was Uruguayan 🇺🇾 with 75% of her ancestors being Basque. The remainder included her British ancestors from Liverpool. After she had a stroke, I became a taxi driver in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Two weekends in a row, I transported British visitors who were here because one of their relatives was marrying an American. I told both wedding parties about my last British ancestor from Liverpool, as I didn't know which British ethnic group he belonged to -- both said that he was likely Welsh. If the English and the Irish can agree that my Liverpudlian ancestors were likely Welsh, then I think that's a safe conclusion to draw. 😁
Compulsory learning of the official language has been the practice of many countries around the world, which has caused many challenges for cultural minorities. This was a common problem around the world. In this day and age, however, most democratic countries have begun supporting minority language training for children and thereby making minority languages more sustainable.
The Saami people in Northern Norway were also denied to speak their own languages in school( they had a few different variants) But that was fixed and they learn their own language and culture in school now.:)
Only true in the 19 century but if people believe it to be true it must be so
Much like the Basques the Welsh have been heavily suppressed. It is sad but true that all the “English Stories” we think of were simply stolen from Welsh and Celtic populations.
I grew up on a farm in California. Our Basque neighbors were some of the hardest working, generous, friendly people I've ever met. Truely an asset to any community. Very sad day when they decided to move back to Spain.
Those were Mexicans, dude...
I also knew a Basque family in California. He was a sheep man.
Rozadilla?? Fresno
Can't blame them. American culture would have ruined them.
Josh a lot of Basque immigrants settled around Bakersfield. Keep your ignorance to yourself.
Ever since I was a teen I have been fascinated by this topic. In 2023 I finally got to visit the region and it was wonderful - the people, the food, the landscapes. I didn't want to leave.
It’s amazing, I agree! I made a similar trip in 2011 and stayed through the summer and fall.
❤
A Canadian here. We visited Spain a couple of years ago and went north instead of south. Basque country is so different from the rest, physically, culturally and linguistically. We were in Bilbo, Donostia and St-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Loved the signage in two languages, although Basque was impenetrable.
Good luck, Euskadi.
The basque and catalonia are my two favourite regions of Spain. Both such unique cultures compared to the rest
Thank you for appreciating our land and culture
My Grandfather was a Basque descendant, born in El Salvador. I have never been to the homeland but I have studied the language and history extensively. It seems obvious to me but others ignore, deny, even challenge me on the point. The Basque Language of Euskara is nearly identical to ancient Levantine Sumerian. The People of Sumer explored north and colonized many areas. They left at the end of the bronze age, and were replaced by Akkadian (semitic) speaking populations from the Sinai.
This transition marked the rise of the Akkadian Empire which preserved the Sumerian Cuneiform Writing system and enshrined ancient Sumerian Language as a sort of secret liturgical script reserved for high level scribes, generals and priests.
As a result we have a complete picture of Sumerian language and history. Heres the point: the Sumerian Language and Euskara share over 200 words and more than 1000 root sounds. Either the language evolved as it moved West into Europe, or one population split into two regions. Either way Basque was a key to translating Sumerian Cuneiform, and its existence seems to prove the connection is real.
The ugaritic alphabet is the oldest . Pre dates Hebrew and Akkadian.
That's awesome
I believe you. A strange thing is professional jealousy...."I didn't think of it so it can't be true, deny it instead and mock it."
Fascinating!
I’m Welsh with basque ancestry
the culture and language is fascinating
Me too
@@brendonroberts3121 awesome
Welsh and SW Irish and the same,
I have a small amount of basque DNA
Somewhere, i believe Neanderthals still exist. Perhaps Siberia, the Yukon or further into Alaska.
I once had a relationship with a beautiful woman who often spoke of her Basque lineage. After a time we separated, but 15 years later, I still think of her. Watching this video brings her mystery to light.
I'm a Native American of some European ancestry and I found one Basque ancestor in my DNA whom I later discovered in genealogy. It was a fascinating rabbit hole to go down.
More more!
Don’t know where you are from but there was a Basque immigration to North America.
My understanding is that Basque fishermen were landing on the east coast of North America by the early 1500s. Apparently there is some evidence that an Algonquin-Basque pidgin developed, which to me suggests some intermarriage occurred.
Amazing connection
One of the first natives i heard call himself a Native instead of Indian i have no idea why they say that we are not Indians I'll tell you that much
I am basque. There are still basques seeking autonomy imprisoned in French jails. As a child in Hendaye it was forbidden to speak basque at school.
My ancestors left the lower Navarre in like 1600ish and headed to New Spain and New Orleans just as the anti-Basque sentiments in France were ramping up, and still haven't fully cooled today!
@@lanmarknetworking3034 How do you know where your ancestors were back so long ago? I'm trying to figure out where mine were to see if I have a connection to the Basque Country but I hit a dead end in Portugal in the late 1800s...
@@lanmarknetworking3034How do you know where your ancestors were back so long ago? I'm trying to figure out where mine were to see if I have a connection to the Basque Country but I hit a dead end in Portugal in the late 1800s...
I have read some crazy theories about the Cross of Hendaye, What is your understanding of it's symbolism and origin?. If you have any insight or knowledge of it's origin please give me a locals opinion.
comme dans toutes les regions francaises
A wonderful place to live and vacation. Thank you so much for highlighting the region! In the Pyrenees town called Pau where I lived, Chateau de Pau was kept as a holiday home for Emperor Napoleon and Empress Josephine! Lots of his allies in government held family seats or territories in this thriving place.
Hidden gem history: In 1944, All Black 761st Tank Battalion liberated the town of Pau from the Nazis! I lodged with a man who witnessed it firsthand when he was 8 years old, and he never forgot. Said in his eyes, these warriors looked like heroes! Swore he would return the blessing one day, and he did when 40 years later a nerdy Black girl needed somewhere safe to study and lay my head. Very good memories about the Basque country and Monsieur Roger.
I agree with you that Pau is a great city but it is not a Basque city but the capital of the former Bearn province/kingdom Henry 4th King of Bearn became King of France he was not a Basque Pau is not in a Basque province.
@ Pau is completely Basque! The kin settled there a long time ago when it was still being argued over and was still known as Gaul! In the region of Tarbes, Bayonne (which is decidedly Basque) Vincennes, as well as Pau being the capital of Bearn, which is also in this mysterious lineage. King Henri IV of France and Navarre was born in Pau Castle in December 1553. Which made it a French stronghold from then on ALONG with the Basque people who have always been there (wherever they came from 👀). Btw, Spain has Basque people too! San Sebastián is right over the mountain range, they even have their own separatist group: ETA. The Basque language and the Welsh language are two that I can’t make heads or tails of! 🦤
@@yvettemarshallTWN
Ma famille vient de cette region Pau n'est pas dans la province basque de la Soule don't ma famille est originaire et dont la capitake est Mauleon. La Soule est la province basque de France la plus orientale les deux autres etant le labourd (Bayonne) et la basse navarre (Saint jean pied de Port ) et Pau n'en fait pas partie ne dites jamais a un bearnais qu'il est basque et reciproquement
I was told I had French ancestry. When I did my DNA I found zero French. Only Basque heritage. I wonder if my great grandfather hid his ancestry due to persecution of the Basque?
Probably didn’t hide his ancestry. He probably wasn’t even aware of it.
Much of SW France was historically Basque (and before that Aquitanian); only a small fraction of the region was able to retain the Basque language/identity. So while their SW French neighbors (Gascons, etc.) still retain strong genetic ties to their Basque kin, they are French as far as their language/culture/identity is concerned.
What's french ancestry, probably German
My great grandfather was born in Catalonia (he refused to admit that he was a Spaniard) and my dad's DNA test has basque, French.
Same...isn't that wild?
Gascony/Gascugna is the same as Basque.
Vasconia was spelled as Wasconia by the visigoths, that W was read as a "Gua" by some. Hence in provenzal and ” french" became "Guasconia".
Gascuña or Gascogna in local dialect and Gascony in french.
Euskera and Euskal herria is coined nonesense made by the basque Nationalism father Sabino Arana in very late 19th Century , who from Bilbao not knowing how to speak basque coined those words that don't even follow the basque grammar.
I am Irish but just discovered I am 1% Basque , proud of that 👍😁💚☘️
I am Peruvian Can I belong to the 1% club too!
There's actually a lot of history between Irish ancestors and Basque. I also have both Irish and Basque ancestry.
@@epicwolf3 genetics of Celts and Basque really needs to be opened up!!!
High Rh- blood type in both, Irish and Basque heritage. I have both lineages too. Plus Portuguese
I’m Mexican and I have 10% basque haha.
There is a Basque preschool in Boise, Idaho. It is called Boiseko Ikastola. There is also a Basque Museum in Boise.
I think Washington State and Nevada have significant populations too.
@@Tangleduponblue They immigrated to Nevada and spread from there.
There's randomly a basque restaurant in downtown Reno
Northern Nevada into Idaho is scattered with basques. They are hard working farmers.
Mostly came as sheep herders in the early 1900s. Boise does have a thriving Basque population. My French teacher was Basque.
Shoutout to Boise, ID for our proud Basque population!
Proud Basque here!
@@navarrenavarreMany Basque live and still work in American Southwest. The history is fascinating. Several Basque authors have novels translated into English. I proudly wear my Boina Basqua in our winters. Wool not popular in 100+degree F heat. Of course, therei the extremely popular novel Shibumi.
Donostia must beautiful place❤.Love from Serbia❤
@@MakerBoyOldBoy Yo soy vasco de Navarra, España pero tengo familia en Elko, Nevada, en Idaho y en California. Son vascos casados de segunda generación con irlandeses de segunda o tercera generación. También alguno con indio americano. Muy curioso.
Y he conocido a gente de la montaña Navarra que fue de pastor a EEUU muchos años. Los pastores vascos son tíos muy duros: unas máquinas 😮
Eguberri on 😊. Saludos de Hamburgo ❤
@@barbarellovigardo3501exactamente mi caso, abuelos paternos navarros, abuela materna también navarra que se casó con un irlandés.
I read once that the Basque are safe from damnation because the devil tried seven times to learn their language, found it completely impenetrable, and left them alone out of shear frustration.
Sounds like my kind of people
Is Basque similar to Welsh?
Not at all.
Nonsense !
@@ellyreimert8973 A lot of folklore has origin stories about the people, and the place. So, why not the language? That's why I asked about any similarity with Welsh. My Grandmother always told us that Welsh was the language of Heaven, because there were no swear words. I never believed that, btw, but it makes sense that people would tell that kind of story because they feel blessed for what they have.
My great grand parents on my Dad's side we're Basque, they came to northern Wyoming in the early 1900's to do ranching.
My grandmother was full Basque too and spoke fluent Basque and was a Basque embassador of somekind for a while in the 80's maybe earlier too.
They definitely had their own ways i remember many of my generation people but are really a mystery too me i guess.
Unfortunately they and their ways are all gone now.
I lived in the Basque region for a while. Some of the warmest, friendliest, and welcoming people I've ever met. I fell in love with the land and culture and even picked up pelota mano.
I walked the Camino del Norte in August. The first people I met were a young couple nice enough to drive me from Irún to San Sebastián. They even refused to let me pay them
My Spanish ancestors were part Basque. Although the bloodline is thin, I’ve always felt a connection to Basque culture. A dream of mine is to move to Basque Country, study the language, and see if I can dig up some of my distant relatives. Would be a wild adventure, indeed.
@Felmania 1 : Be careful what you wish for. I too have Spanish and Basque ancestry. My younger brothers submitted samples for a DNA test and discovered they are distant relatives of King Louis XVI via the Y-haplogroup or chromosome. YIKES! I refuse to take a DNA test and I disowned them. Maybe it's the little bit of the rebellious Basque in me.
Thank you for trying to summarise a complex and relatively unknown subject. I have no idea how factually correct it is but appreciate it all the same ❤
How correct? I am a basque born and raised in the Basque Country, where I live. I can trace my ancestors back for more than 300 years and all of them were basque. I´ll tell you how correct the film is: pure bullshit and nationalist propaganda, paid for with my taxes. Sorry to spoil the myth.
As an American Basque from California and bilingual in English and Western Basque, this is an amazing documentary and properly oriented to the Basque culture and one-of-a-kind heritage. Eskeŕik asko!
Another reason that the genetic line remained so pure was that their predominant blood group was O- negative. So, if a woman were impregnated by someone outside their group, with any kind of + positive blood type (93% of the worlds population currently), and w/o modern meds, her body would end the pregnancy.
That is the pivotal point! and to miss mentioning that is a serious flaw for the video...
@@RU3YJBindeed. I have Basque bloodllines and O- bloodtype. It’s an extremely important piece of their historial. Explica tantas cosas de su existencia. Xx
Interesting find
Super interesting
My wife is O- The first pregnancy is fine. She had vitamin k after each pregnancy to suppress the production of antibodies for subsequent pregnancies. We have 2 awesome boys.
I walked the St. James Way (Camino de Santiago) a few summers ago through Basque country. Some of my favorite memories of them were watching the sheepherders with their herds accompanied by Pyrenees dogs. Also, buying sheep milk cheese and fresh bread, hot coffee, and hot chocolate (for my daughter) from a Basque farmer. Those people struck me as being true badasses.
I am basque. My family is Navarre royalty. My ancestry is wild, glad I found this video.
Navarrese royalty… Okay, buddy.
Navarre here!
Lol everyone thinks they are descendants of royalty
@@gabriellabennett7024that’s for two reasons. First is that they probably are descendants of royalty somewhere in their ancestral lineage. Secondly it was a common practice for genealogists to incorporate a noble lineage into family history as they were available where the ancestors of common folk were not. It would also have helped them to get paid.😊
My only exposure to a Basque was living in Ireland and meeting one. He was strikingly handsome and i was sorry when we parted ways.
I didn't know anything about the Basque people or the Euskara language until this video. I'm going to have to learn more.
Pls do so, it is an interesting language.
The Basque people seem to reflect two distinct lines of influence, the first are those people who, against all external forces, military, social or otherwise, remained peculiarly loyal to their identities as the Basque. The second came from those remote people on the frontier of civilization who, rather than becoming absorbed, chose to go wandering instead and only by fits and starts finally came-up against the mountains and stopped, dug-in and became Basque. The secret, of course, is that this all happened nearly 3,000 years ago and the spread of civilization was due to people like the "Pitgrave" culture, the Yamnaya and other pontic peoples, renowned for their aggressive and almost piratical character. So a warrior culture came up against people who were farmers and herders (although, I think the steppe people had herds of their own, just not the same animals.) who withdrew and withdrew and finally found themselves clinging to the mountainsides along with the already clinging Basque people who welcomed them because, well, lets face it, the Basque people have the biggest hearts of all but also because...where else were these people to go? Anyway, over the intervening thousands of years any dilution, even genetic, would have vanished into the undifferentiated roar of the past and we would have exactly what we have: A static country, faithful to it's roots which, nevertheless, sent wanderers out into the world occasionally called Gypsies who discovered and reported back, generation-after-generation, that not much had changed out here and everybody back home should just remain where they are.
GRAMERLY/CHAT GTP endorces yr message
The Indoeuropeans invaded Basque lands and conquered them. Most of the male bloodlines in Basque country are Indoeuropean. That the language survived suggests small bands of warriors taking over farming valleys and overtime becoming the dominant bloodlines. Something similar happened with the Vikings in parts of Ireland and the Hebrides. A significant part of the male bloodlines in those areas are Norse but the local dna otherwise dominates and the Gaelic language was adopted by the Norse.
@@damionkeeling3103 Wait, wait, how does that work, how do the Basque exist at all if the males are of a different bloodline? That seems awfully weird to me...
@@waynemyers2469He just explained how. The males were not significant enough in number to transform the linguistic landscape in the same way they did elsewhere in Europe.
I am Basque as well and love to hear about my amazing culture. I am headed to Boise Idaho to soon to register my name in their books. My Great Grandfather and Greart Grandmother were both from Pyrenees France.
Lots of Basques in Boise, Idaho. Don't forget to try out the Basque Cooking at Epi's A Basque Restaurant. Make sure to get a reservation. They have amazing food!!!
I and my adopted daughter have Basque heritage. I would love to visit Basque Country one day with my daughter
If you ever make it there you're going to love Donosti/San Sebastian. Truly a gem of a city!
Very good! I grew up in Bakersfield, California where there is a large population of Basque. Many were shepherds and restaurateurs. To me, as a child, they had unusual and difficult to pronounce last names. I also remember the men were keen on a game called Jai alai but the city deemed it dangerous and banned it.
One of the best dinners I have enjoyed was at the Woolgrowers in Los Banos.
@@catpause02 Yes! Renowned for their food. I've been there, too!
Also grew up in Kern County with great Basque neighbors. Wool Growers is one of my favorite places to eat.
Perhaps Jai Alai should only be played by the Basque because they have Basque-specific hunter-gatherer genes for not getting hit by the 188 mph goat-skin ball but instead catching it and throwing it at the front wall for a "chula" shot.
@@LawrenceLudy can't remember the name of the small family owned one but was owned by the Eldizaldes (I think that's how it is spelled). They served one lunch and one dinner a day and everyone sat together at three long tables. The shepherds were served first. Really good food!
The Basque region has always been a safety zone for those hoping to escape fascist and authoritarian regimes and the region is one of the most important places in Europe for genetic and linguistic studies. It is a magical place to be sure. I visited it once long ago and had one of the most significant supernatural events of my life occur. There is no doubt that it contains a deep and profound connection between the land and the people who have lived there.
What was the Supernatural event? Please tell us.
Curiously, my mom's family who immigrated to the Americas (Virginia) in the early 17th century have Basque DNA in their heritage; among several other unexpected DNA traces. 400 years of "Living in America" gives a lot of time for mix and mingle; and history making.
That's because many people who have ancestry from the British Isles also have Basque ancestry. It's actually very common.
I’m an American of French Canadian descent. My daughter had a dna analysis that showed a very small (2%) Basque component. That’s what prompted me to view this video.
Cajun too?
@ mostly from Normandy through Quebec
Basque are truly different people. I had uni friend from Bilbao in Basque and had truly unique world view and fiercely independent and never subjugated. Almost feels like oldest nation in Europe.
The Basques (and the Celts) were the aboriginal peoples of Europe...the first modern humans to move into the area as the glaciers allowed it. They were already there and well established when documented history first comes to the continent.
The Celts were not aboriginal to Europe but some of them retain more of the aboriginal blood than most Europeans.
The Bsques and The Celts are ethnically the same people. They make up a large part of most Western Europeans. The differences are mostly cultural and linguistic.
@@johnhartnett3629 The Celts will forever be overlooked to how central they are to Europe! I think Basque and Celts are related too!
Do Basques have a high % of Neanderthal DNA ? Mine is 2.92%
There is a huge piece of the puzzle missing from this. The coast line was significantly different when the Basque settled that area. The sea level was much lower and the coast line was 20-100km further out depending which location you measure from.
Basques , near the coast, became rich merchants thank to their braviour and sailing skills. Nowadays, there are wealthy regions, spanish and french part. Basques intérieur= within country, where history is more like you describe. Thanks for this work 👍
Braviour?
@judepower4425 Power ?
@@kathseyes9726bravery?
Bravery
I am not Basque, but I have been visiting each year for past 15 years and I think it's a paradise on earth. I hope to retire there.
Which part?
@ I know the French side the best, anything between Bayonne, St Jean Pied de Port and Hendaye, been up down sideways and across exploring it. I love St. Jean de Luz, though prices are crazy, I got another 10 years to make more money :). I also like Guetaria and Gernica Lumo alot. I love cycling and roads up there are incredible. Bigger towns of Bilbao, San Sebastián are great, but to me the magic is out in the country with baserri, sheep, goats, locals, and view of Biscay. Bayonne and Biarritz are ok, they are beautiful but over saturated with French and tourist culture to the point there is no feeling of Basque about it. Hope this is not offensive. What part you think is best?
I can’t help but wonder how long it will be before the waves of African/Arabian newcomers make their way into those communities as well, irrevocably changing them in ways the Romans and others couldn’t do.
@@BuddyLee23 Never miss a chance to spread racism and xenophobia, right? 😐
@@LazyGrayF0x I’m starting to suspect my father’s side might be Basque. If I went , I’d want quiet, French, and somewhere to just lay down and breathe for a long while. I’m USAmerican that had travelled to most of USA, and 13 countries. I lived in Taiwan for 8 years. Now disability.
So , no tourists for me, thank you very much. I’d rather go point at food and stare at strangers as we do our best to understand each other.
I’d prefer to just pick one tiny cheap town and do trips from there over a months time. My exciting nightlife days are well behind me.
Thank you! Yes, helpful! No hurt feelings from me.
Basques are proud and tough people, we know that here in Portugal, we respect it and appreciate it. Gloria aos Bascos
As a Portuguese, I’m sure you envy their purity.
@thebrocialist8300 What you mean "purity"? Ahah
@thebrocialist8300 you wouldnt pass the ben franklin test yourself, less than tawny im sure
The Basques always fascinated me, especially their language. It is almost certainly a pre-Indo-European language, which makes it very old and mysterious.
People From This Region Basque In Their Glory.
😉
Cute
Lol you dweeb 😂
I spent a few days in Basque Country in Spain. Can’t wait to go back.🥰
I live in Cape Breton, an island off of the eastern end of Nova Scotia, Canada. There is a car ferry service to Newfoundland, another province. The closest point of contact between the two provinces is a smallish area called Port Aux Basque. Fishers from France made frequent trips there.
The people there tend to be a little short, and swarthy of complexion. Be interesting to see if there is a DNA connection to European Basques.
Very interesting history. Thanks for making this documentary.
Scotian here, Cape Breton ancestry. Did a DNA test a while back, came back with Basque in it. You'd probably find a lot of other people in Cheticamp with that Basque ancestry, going back to the early settlers from France.
What dna tests are you guys using?? Pei acadian here- I've managed to trace paternal and maternal lines through ancestry- both are from southern France (paternal more coastal) but the trail runs cold by the 1600s. 😢 curious to see if perhaps a dna test might help me dig deeper.
Sounds like a French Basque influence for sure.
Basque fishermen were going to catch cod of the grand banks for centuries before Columbus went there, I have no Doubt there are Natives and settlers in your area with basque DNA from the old days
I grew up in Northern California , some of my family still resides in CANTABRIA …..and yes agreed we are some kind of wonderful 😊
I met my Basque brothers in Pamplona Spain for the San Fermin festival 2023... Great men!
Pamplona en euskera se dice Iruña. Las mejores fiestas del mundo🎉😊
The Basque people reflect two influences: one from those who steadfastly preserved their Basque identity against external pressures, and another from wandering frontier groups who eventually settled in the mountains and became Basque. This process began around 3,000 years ago during the spread of civilizations like the Yamnaya, known for their warrior culture. These newcomers joined the Basques, who were already mountain dwellers, finding refuge there. Over millennia, any external influences faded, leaving a community deeply rooted in its origins yet occasionally sending explorers into the world, who often returned with the message that home remained unchanged and worth staying in.
Fantastic place and people. Hiked from San Sebastián to Bilbao in the rolling hills for 7 days halting at small villages in between.
La langue basque a un lien très fort avec le dialecte guègue de la langue albanaise, qui est parlé dans les montagnes d'Albanie. J'ai écrit un chapitre avec des exemples concrets de mots qui sont identiques dans les deux langues.
I'm albanian. Can youtell me more about this? It's the first time that heard about this
Ridicuolus 😂
That is total nonsense.
What a wild imagination you have.
@thebrocialist8300 You never know. That person is from north Albania maybe he's right
Some of the best people I've ever met. They treated me like family right away.
Ready for this? Hokkaido, Japan. that is the large island north of the main island. There is a group that speak a different dialect than Japanese. In this language there are like 30 or so words that are spelled the same. A couple with a slight different spelling but all have the same meaning as it would in Basque. mind blown.
Linguistic fan-fiction that SM loves. The cognates in Ainu and Basque are far fetched. The closest language to Ainu is Japanese.
You can un-blow your mind.
Every serious liguist will tell you that this is pure fantasy.
(similarities in single words mean almost nothing in comparative linguistics, you have to compare the *structure and grammar*
Apart from many being short and having dark hair and eye color, there is nothing remotely similar between Basques and Japanese. Good Lord.
So who came from where 😮?
"Robert Sepehr" channel is where I think I got that info. If I didn't Sorry Robert. You should check him out anyway his work is truly a quality production.
There are a lot of basque people in California. They used to be shepherds in the area, with the old wagons and dogs and all. Nowadays there are numerous basque style restaurants in the San Joaquin valley, no sheepherders.
Woolgrowers rest in Los banos,ca is known all over California. Excellent cuisine
God bless them 💪🙏👏💯🥇
Respect FROM LONDON 😍🇬🇧
I’m Mexican and my moms last name is Oñate, a town in Euskadi. This makes me think I have Basque ancestry.
Could be a thousand reasons why your family ended up with that surname that doesn’t include a direct patrilineal connection to a Basque ancestor.
@@thebrocialist8300 We are also from a region in Mexico that is well known for having a large white European population, Los Altos de Jalisco. Also, the founder of the state capital is named Cristobal de Oñate, so it seems likely that I do have at least some basque blood.
@@CarlosParraOnate My family is from San Juan de los Lagos also there in Jalisco, Spanish colonial town, significant Basque DNA in my family, it's not a long shot that you probably have a similar lineage.
El vasco no tiene la ñ. Mira si acaso la película “los 8 apellidos vascos “
I believe that outside Spain and France, Cuba and Puerto Rico has the most Basque ancestry ,I wasn't surprise to find Basque ancestry in me since I'm Cuban but almost every Cuban I know has some degree of Basque ancestry
A tough people to have kept that spot for so long. I'm sorry to hear of trouble for the Basque people in parts of France still.
The Basque are a true Indigenous peoples ❤
They are as genetically varied as any European population - with input from the same Bronze Age and Iron Age Indo Europeans that conquered Gaul and Iberia. The only difference is they somehow retained their pre-Indo European languages, while their neighbors didn’t.
Literally all Europeans are indigenous. Are the Germans not indigenous to Germany? They've all lived in their lands for thousands of years. You don't have to be a member of a small minority group to be indigenous.
@@SoloTravelerOffTheBeatenPath // No ... the Germans some thousands years ago living in middle and eastern Europe are genetically not identic with the Germans today. And it is wrong that the Englisch call us Germans ... the Germans are Deutsch, that is how they call themself. The English call the people of the Netherlands Dutch, and when the Netherlands separated from the country behind, the English had to find a other name for the country behind the Netherlands... and they called it unfortunately Germany 🥴 ... Germanic tribes in ancient times are anchestors of the modern Germans as well as celtic people or slavs and the old population of former times. They are a mixture.
They’re not indigenous. They’ve just been there a loooooong time.
We tend to imagine all early humans were making art, but if you consider how many thousands of years they inhabited those caves perhaps it was much rarer than we think.
I'd bet prehistoric art was pretty common.
At 3:10 another depiction of a neanerthal hobbling into a cave. Could they not walk properly?
Of course they could, but since film breaks down over the years, this is the only film that survives of true Neanderthals. So even though the man is crippled, all RUclips channels have to use it when they want to show Neanderthals. 😉
Often, their skeletons famously show serious injuries.
Also none of them had ever heard of what l consider the most important technology ever invented by humanity. The needle and tailored clothing.
😂@@sandragoodman2059
@@drunkvegangal8089This thread is satire, in case you missed that. This is all tongue-in-cheek.
I've seen other videos about the Basque DNA. This is the best I've seen. ❤😊❤
there’s a lot of basques in northern nevada! my grandfather was basque but i never got to meet him, i appreciate videos like these so i can learn about my ancestors’ culture before they came here :)
God bless them, to have that much purity and unique heritage in this world is amazing. They should be protected in my opinion.
I don't think they need a fantasy Roman god or other.
@@kasarabian3274If you knew anything about Basques, you would know how strongly they would disagree with that sentiment.
@@thebrocialist8300 Why do you assume I do not know? The Basques have got on very well indeed facing many threats from outside, fantasy gods from Rome being one of them.
@@thebrocialist8300 Assumptions, assumptions. The Basque cultural region has been infiltrated and damaged like all cultures by the Roman Catholic fantasy and ensuing actions - just like all religions before you start again.
My sister and I learned about our ancestry, and actually did a trip to visit Basque country. Discovered why our grandmother did a lot of things or liked a lot of things that connected with that history. So neat to see where that piece of our own family history came from and connect with those that currently live there.
My Great great Grandmother Erentha was Basque. She met my Great great Grandfather and came to Derbyshire circa 1811. The Peninsula war against Napoleon must have brought them together.
i was raised in Spain. the Basques have always intrigued me 😊 & i feel they should be allowed to be their own country
I don't think I've ever heard of the Basque! I'm so enthralled to learn more.
We lived in Donostia for a year. Such a beautiful city
Serenamente orgulhoso de minhas raízes ancestrais !!! 💚🤍❤
Finnish also is not Indo-European. Personally think you have the causality wrong...the Basque language wasn't a barrier, instead its survival to modern day is just a by-product of the culture standing the test of time against the Romans etc etc.
Finish is a turc languace, fins and huns came to Europe around 9th century A.D. fins went to north, huns to the south of Europe.
@@Bazza-m6p AI Overview
Learn more
No, Finnish is not an Indo-European language; it belongs to the Uralic language family, specifically the Finno-Ugric branch, making it one of the few European languages that is not Indo-European.
Key points about Finnish language:
Language family: Uralic
Branch: Finnic
Non-Indo-European: Yes
Also I read a book on proto-indo european lanuage etc...they make a point of the whole 'Basque/Finnish' languages only ones to survive into modern day in europe NOT from that language tree.
@Bazza-m6p
Think you've got a few things muddled up. Finnish and Hungarian are both Finno-Ugric, while The Magyars (Hungarians) did indeed arrive in current day Hungary as you suggested, the Finns have been in Finland thousands of years. The Huns didn't leave too much of a genetic imprint and arrived centuries before the Magyars in the 4th and 5th centuries CE.
@@Bazza-m6p wrong, finnic people arrived to baltic sea over 4000 years ago
@@Bazza-m6p I've always read the Finns were an offshoot of the Hungarians. Both peoples having no language relationship to the rest of Europe.
And then there is the great mystery of the Rh neg blood line - highest in the Basques. I share this mystery.
Same. People that lack the Rhesus protein do not share the same ancestors with 85% of the rest of the population. 85% of the world as well as the great apes and monkeys descended from one ancestor, we come from another.
It's hard to imagine this country has been around for thousands of years, yet not conquered like all other countries.
It was part of the Roman Empire for a 1000 Plus Years. It was also part of the Phoenician Empire which created Carthage.
@@wokenessdiedintheyear2025There was no “Phoenician empire.” Phoenicians had a few trade colonies along the Eastern and Southern coasts of Iberia (nowhere near the Basque region). Carthage had an imperial presence in Iberia; again, not near the Basque region, but it’s more than likely that Basques were present (in some number) in Hannibals mercenary armies.
As for Basques never being conquered, this is not true. They were incorporated into numerous imperial boundaries. What is unique is that they were able to broker deals with foreign powers that respected their customs and afforded them with unique levels of autonomy relative to their neighbors.
My family DNA has Basque on it and has taught me to endure change, and I am a lover of the Agriculture Innovation and the culture this country provides to the earth populations, Thank you for the video 📹 ♥️.
I am a Cymro (Welshman) and we pride ourselves on being one of the oldest cultures in Europe, yet the Basques were already a well-established culture long before we Brythonic-speaking peoples arrived.
I'm born in America but my father's family is Basque. I actually found an entire Basque community in my state that have Basque restaurants and even host Basque festivals/holidays etc. here.
Also, yes, the Basque were in Europe before the Indo-European populations arrived.
Lots of basque people throughout Nevada as well .
The Irish and Welsh have more Basque DNA than they do "Celtic". Very interesting!
I’m Irish with Basque DNA .
Me too
Nonsense. What Irish and Welsh have more than ‘Celtic’ genetics (which were more similar to French genetics) is an earlier substrate of Bronze Age Indo European (inherited from Bell Beakers).
Genetically speaking, Irish and Welsh are extremely dissimilar to Basques (who are genetically much closer to Spaniards and Southern French).
@Anglo-Saxon66, Basque and Celtic DNA are pretty much the same thing.
@@thebrocialist8300 Celts did not originally come from Bell Beakers of Central Europe. Celts and Proto-Celtic Basques originally came from the steppe region of modern day Ukraine, South West Russia and the modern nation of Georgia.
Basque people are getting along fine without diversity. A lesson to all...
Right.
Including the influence of the Catholic church?
Unfortunately, diversity has found them. No country is exempt from the modern world that has been forced down everyone’s throat.
I live in America and am the family genealogist. Have had many family members take various DNA tests for my research into our heritage. We all carry Basque DNA and I am Rh Negative. I would love to visit the area and learn more of my Basque Ancestors ways.
One of the most kind and intelligent people I have met was Louis. He was Basque. Grad school.
What a great video...thank you!
I am part Basque and we are very proud of it
I’m Basque, thank you very much for this video.
Urte berri on, Nagore.
@ Eskerrik asko!!!
Having read "Shibumi" by Trevanian a few times, I was riveted by the descriptions of the caves and landscapes. He 'painted' scenes in my mind I'll never forget.
Can you tell me how Basques feel about that book? I hope the author showed honor to your region.
@@veritasvincit2251 I haven't read it. All I can tell you is whatever we may have been once we are no longer. The same has happened to every other European races and around the world, diluted and robbed of history and tradition, in preparation for the "great amalgamation".
Thank you for reply. Respect.
The Nunavik Inuit of Northern Quebec are the most genetically distinct people in the world by far but it is extremely isolated. It is amazing that the Basque still are so distinct from the rest of Europe considering how much migration and political change happens there almost constantly for the last few thousands of years.
Argentinian here. My mother and her whole family are Basque : Eguia de la Fuente / Mazo Zobaran
My dad's family is Gurrola. Basque.
Georgian here. 🇬🇪 not only language structures but polyphonic singing is one of the many similarities between Basques and Georgians not to mention that Eastern Georgia's antique name is Iberia.
Those cave paintings... are so wonderful...
And yes, I would love to see the mystery of the origin of the Euskara language solved. But something tells me that it won't happen anytime soon.
Those caves paintings are not in the Basque region, but in Altamira, Cantabria region.
@@Xiroi87 Thank you for the info. Come to think of it, those paintings are famous, I should have known myself.
no, let's keep the mysteries.
@@helenswan705 There seems to be an unending supply of mysteries, so... 😊
Happy New Year
Beautiful documentary. I hope the Basque people can retain their unique language and culture. Too often we want to homogenize our species and we lose so much in doing so.
I am 1% Basque and 3% Sephardic and but it is important to me because I have Rh negative blood. I’d like to think there is a connection that so little DNA can be of so much consequence.
The Basque population has one of the highest percentages of Rh-negative blood in the world, with around 30-35% being Rh-negative. This trait is less common globally but might have an ancestral connection to ancient European populations.
I’m 2% lol
I read it somewhere that Rh- is dominant in Basque people. That would discourage mixed marriages on population level.
I also have RH neg blood. My dads side in ancestors dna goes thru the basque region. Even mom was curious about my BG. Dad was 0-.
@@TheHistoryHubs Je suis O- et pourtant je n'ai aucune origine Basque, j'ai des origines diverses : française du nord, hollandaise et autrichienne mais pas d'origine basque et en plus je suis une vraie blonde donc rien de basque
Per Ancestry, I'm 6% Basque. I'm so interested in learning more about the culture, customs, language, and history.
I did a DNA test and I have 17 percent Basque. I thought that was pretty awesome!
I feel different about my Basque heritage now. My dad's family from Spain, hid this heritage.
In Spain, there is a small Town known as Fuente de Cantos, Badajoz (within region of Extremadura) that has large population with Basque DNA including migration link to Georgia Caucuses too. Plus, great concentration of O negative blood as well. National Geographic Genome project has my dads. And nothing tied to moors which I found very surprising.
Your story doesn’t add up. There is no link genetic or ethnolingusitic connection between Basques and Georgians. So what exactly do you mean by migration link to Georgia and the Caucuses?
My cousin has an elderly uncle whose parents came from two separate Basque villages near the border in Southern France. His uncle was found to be 100% Basque by a DNA test. The testing company had never had a person test at 100%, so at their expense, they tested him twice more and verified that indeed he is 100% Basque. His parents raised four children on a ranch in Southern California.
ALTAMIRA IS IN CANTABRIA, NOT BASQUE COUNTRY.
Unfortunately, many people tend to conflate the geography and history of the Basque Country with that of Cantabria. I’ve observed this in literature and discourse for decades.
I am Mexican, I have some basque DNA in me, for some reason.
Alot of Mexicans have basque heritage. Specially in Northern Mexico.
I did my DNA test. I have mainly British Isles plus some Scandinavian but was surprised I have 3 percent Basque DNA. This is fascinating. Had no idea. I am American.
You'd find more Basque in the America's, even as far as New Mexico and Colorado
That was either carried into the British Isles during the Norman period or it’s a false-positive that’s simply reflecting some added level of Neolithic (EEF related) admixture unique to your ancestry.