"''Gernikako Arbola'' is the title of a song in ''

bertso Bertsolaritza or bertsolarism is the art of singing extemporaneously composed songs in Basque according to various melodies and rhyming patterns. Bertsos can be composed at a variety of occasions but are performed generally by one or various ' ...

'' form presented both in Madrid (1853) and by the shrine of Saint Anthony at

Urkiola Urkiola is a mountain range of the Basque mountains in Biscay near Durango, in the western Basque Country, Spain. The highest mountain in the range is Anboto (1331 m). The range runs from west to east and forms the water divide between the Atl ...

(1854) by the Basque bard

José María Iparraguirre José María Iparraguirre, (1820–1881) was a Spanish poet and writer in the Basque language, poet, bertzolari and Basque musician. José Maria Iparraguirre, considered the Basque bard, is known for his compositions in Euskara, the most signif ...

(Spanish spelling Iparraguirre), celebrating the Tree of Gernika and the Basque liberties. The song is an unofficial anthem of the Basques, besides the "''

Eusko Abendaren Ereserkia "" ("Anthem of the Basque Race"), also known as "" ("Anthem of the Basque Country"), is the official anthem of the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country in northern Spain. The lyrics were written by Basque nationalist writer Sab ...

'', a largely instrumental version used for official purposes in the

Basque Autonomous Community The Basque Country (; eu, Euskadi ; es, País Vasco ), also called Basque Autonomous Community ( eu, Euskal Autonomia Erkidegoa, links=no, EAE; es, Comunidad Autónoma del País Vasco, links=no, CAPV), is an autonomous community of Spain. It ...

. In 2007, the General Assembly of Biscay declared it the district's official anthem.

History

The popularity of the song quickly expanded (sung by the bard in Madrid venues) on the heat of the pro-fueros movement in the run-up to their definite suppression (1876) and the political unrest following it. Its echo quickly spread to the

French Basque Country The French Basque Country, or Northern Basque Country ( eu, Iparralde (), french: Pays basque, es, País Vasco francés) is a region lying on the west of the French department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Since 1 January 2017, it constitu ...

, where it took hold spurred by the ''Lore Jokoak'' festivals, the "

Floral Games Floral Games were any of a series of historically related poetry contests with floral prizes. In Occitan, their original language, and Catalan they are known as '' Jocs florals'' (; modern Occitan: ''Jòcs florals'' , or ''floraus'' ). In French ...

". The song was chosen for the solemn end to the demonstration held at Pamplona in 1893, and sang along by the crowds, after widespread indignation sparked at the Spanish government's breach of fiscal terms concerning Navarre—protests known as the ''Gamazada''. The local newspaper ''La Voz de

Fitero Fitero is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto ...

'' (southern fringes of Navarre) reported on the cheerful official reception in honour of the district MP Ramon Lasanta held on 30 April 1913, where an enthusiast audience sang the "''Gernikako Arbola'' along, and demanded an encore from the music band. The anthem was often rendered in performances by Pablo de Sarasate and Julián Gayarre. It has been called the "

Marseillaise "La Marseillaise" is the national anthem of France. The song was written in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in Strasbourg after the declaration of war by France against Austria, and was originally titled "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du R ...

of the Basques". The tree has also inspired a passage of '' La prudencia en la mujer'''' La prudencia en la mujer''
Acto 1

Tirso de Molina Gabriel Téllez ( 24 March 1583 20 February 1648), better known as Tirso de Molina, was a Spanish Baroque dramatist, poet and Roman Catholic monk. He is primarily known for writing '' The Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest'', the play from ...

. Referred as the ''Arbol de Garnica'' ic by the Spanish playwright

and a sonnet of

William Wordsworth William Wordsworth (7 April 177023 April 1850) was an English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication '' Lyrical Ballads'' (1798). Wordsworth's ' ...

.The Oak of Guernica

, 1810. In 2007, as set out by the 4/2007 Chartered Decision, the General Assembly of Biscay declared it the district's official anthem.

Lyrics

There are versions with four, eight or twelve stanzas. Also, Iparragirre as a

bertsolari Bertsolaritza or bertsolarism is the art of singing extemporaneously composed songs in Basque according to various melodies and rhyming patterns. Bertsos can be composed at a variety of occasions but are performed generally by one or various '' ...

would introduce changes during his performances.Gernikako Arbola véritable hymne basque
French-language paper by Jean Haritschelhar.

In film

A tune based on the anthem can be heard in a test bullfight scene of '' The Happy Thieves'', a film shot in Spain in 1961.

References

{{authority control 1853 songs Basque culture Basque music National anthems Regional songs Spanish anthems Songs about trees