The Tribute of the Three Cows
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The Tribute of the Three Cows is a yearly
ceremony A ceremony (, ) is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan origin, via the Latin '' caerimonia''. Church and civil (secular) ...
that gathers together the people of the neighbouring Pyrenean valleys of the (in
Béarn The Béarn (; ; oc, Bearn or ''Biarn''; eu, Bearno or ''Biarno''; or ''Bearnia'') is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. Along with the three Bas ...
, France) and the
Roncal Valley The Roncal Valley ( eu, Erronkaribar, label=Standard Basque, es, Valle de Roncal) is a valley and mancomunidad in the very east of Navarre, bordering the autonomous community of Aragon to the East and France to the north. It is part of the Merin ...
(in
Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...
, Spain). The ceremony takes place every 13 July on the summit of the
Col de la Pierre St Martin Col de la Pierre Saint-Martin (elevation ) is a mountain pass on the France-Spain border in the western Pyrenees in the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques (France) and Navarra (Spain). The climb from the Spanish side was used in the 2007 Tour ...
near the site of the St. Martin's Stone, which traditionally demarcates the border between the towns of Roncal and Barétous. There, the people of Barétous hand over three cows to the people of Roncal, as a peace tribute that has been paid yearly since at least 1375. The Tribute of the Three Cows is sometimes regarded as the oldest international treaty still enforced. Its exact origin is unknown, but documented evidence shows that it long predates the 1375 legal arbitration that established its current format. In fact, the war treaty after the invasion of Cimbri and Barétounais in 125 is thought to have been the start of this tribute. Although it is traditionally referred to as a '' tribute'', the payment of the three cows is a synallagmatic contract between equals. It was established through the mediation of a third party, the people of
Ansó Ansó is a town and municipality located in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE), the municipality had a population of 523 inhabitants. The municipality includes the towns of Ansó and Fago (7 km. apart) ...
. The arbitration decision was issued in
Ansó Ansó is a town and municipality located in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE), the municipality had a population of 523 inhabitants. The municipality includes the towns of Ansó and Fago (7 km. apart) ...
( Aragón, currently located in Spain) on 16 October 1375. Official records of its celebration date back to at least 1575. Records certifying its celebration before 1575 have not survived. The ceremony has since occurred almost every year, having been suspended only twice. The first suspension occurred in 1793 during the
War of the Convention The War of the Pyrenees, also known as War of Roussillon or War of the Convention, was the Pyrenees, Pyrenean front of the First Coalition's war against the First French Republic. It pitted Revolutionary France against the kingdoms of History ...
between France and Spain. The second suspension occurred in 1940 during the Nazi occupation of France. In both cases, the people of Barétous were prevented by regional authorities from attending the ceremony out of fear they would escape to Spain. The ceremony attracts many tourists and is regarded as
intangible cultural heritage An intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is a practice, representation, expression, knowledge, or skill considered by UNESCO to be part of a place's cultural heritage. Buildings, historic places, monuments, and artifacts are cultural property. Int ...
by the government of
Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...
.


Ceremony

The ceremony involves a group of representatives from Barétous and Roncal, typically the mayors of the towns and villages of Isaba, Uztárroz, Urzainqui, and Garde representing the valley of Roncal, and the mayors of
Ance Ance may refer to: * Ance (given name), a feminine given name * Ance, Latvia * Ance, Pyrénées-Atlantiques Ance (; Gascon: ''Ansa'') is a former commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. O ...
, Aramits, Arette,
Féas Féas ( Gascon: ''Hiars'') is a former commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Ance Féas.Issor Issor is a Communes of France, commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques Departments of France, department in south-western France. See also *Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department References

Communes of Pyrénées-Atlantiqu ...
, and
Lanne-en-Barétous Lanne-en-Barétous (; oc, Lana de Varetons; eu, Landa) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. See also *Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department The following is a list of the 546 Communes of ...
representing the valley of Barétous. At about 10 o'clock in the morning of July 13, the representatives of Roncal — wearing their traditional garment consisting of a short black cloak, doublet, breeches, broad linen collar, and a hat — gather on the Spanish side of boundary marker no.262, which substitutes for the traditional St. Martin's Stone (lost since 1858). The boundary marker is at the summit of the
Col de la Pierre St Martin Col de la Pierre Saint-Martin (elevation ) is a mountain pass on the France-Spain border in the western Pyrenees in the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques (France) and Navarra (Spain). The climb from the Spanish side was used in the 2007 Tour ...
, high. The representatives of Barétous, dressed in Sunday clothes and holding the tricolor
French flag The national flag of France (french: link=no, drapeau français) is a tricolour featuring three vertical bands coloured blue ( hoist side), white, and red. It is known to English speakers as the ''Tricolour'' (), although the flag of Ireland ...
, approach the boundary marker from the French side. Traditionally, the mayor of Isaba would hold a
pike Pike, Pikes or The Pike may refer to: Fish * Blue pike or blue walleye, an extinct color morph of the yellow walleye ''Sander vitreus'' * Ctenoluciidae, the "pike characins", some species of which are commonly known as pikes * ''Esox'', genus of ...
against the Barétous representatives, and these would also be held at gunpoint by the rest of the representatives of Roncal; this custom was dropped in the late 19th century. The mayor of Isaba, presiding over the ceremony, asks the Barétous representatives three times, in Spanish, whether they are willing, as in previous years, to pay the ''Tribute of the Three Cows'' of two years of age, of the same coat and with the same sort of horns, and without blemish or injury. Each time the Barétous representatives answer in Spanish, "''Sí, señor''" 'Yes, sir'' Following this, one of the representatives of Barétous places his or her right hand on the boundary marker; a representative from Roncal follows by placing his or hers on top of it, and so on, until all representatives have placed their right hands on the boundary marker. The last one to place his hand is the mayor of Isaba, who then utters the following words: All those witnessing the ceremony repeat the same words. The representatives of Roncal are then presented with the three cows, which are then examined by the veterinarian of Isaba, who must certify that the cows are healthy. Afterward, the cows are divided amongst the towns and villages of the valley of Roncal: two cows are given to the city of Isaba, whilst the other one is given in alternating fashion to the villages of Uztarroz, Urzainqui, and Garde. Following that, the mayor of Isaba hands over a receipt to the representatives of Barétous, and proceeds to name four guards for the ' (the communal pastures established by the treaty) of Ernaz and Leja, who are then sworn over. He then asks any persons having any objections to step forward and declare them. Once the ceremony is over, the minutes of the ceremony are readied by the secretary, and they are certified and signed by the representatives of Roncal and Barétous. Guests of honour usually sign the minutes as witnesses. Afterward, everyone gathers to share a communal meal where they eat stewed lamb. Owing to the 1990s mad cow disease scandal, Spain and France banned mutual exports of non-quarantined cattle, so nowadays, the cows involved in the tribute are returned to Barétous after the ceremony, and the ''tribute'' is paid in money instead, amounting to the value of three cows.


History

The valley of Roncal is the easternmost valley of the
Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...
se Pyrenees, whilst the valley of Barétous is the first Pyrenean valley of
Béarn The Béarn (; ; oc, Bearn or ''Biarn''; eu, Bearno or ''Biarno''; or ''Bearnia'') is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. Along with the three Bas ...
. Historically, Roncal belonged to the
kingdom of Navarre The Kingdom of Navarre (; , , , ), originally the Kingdom of Pamplona (), was a Basque kingdom that occupied lands on both sides of the western Pyrenees, alongside the Atlantic Ocean between present-day Spain and France. The medieval state took ...
, which held territory both on the southern side of the Pyrenees (centred around Pamplona) and on the northern mountainside, including the provinces of Lower Navarre and
Soule Soule (Basque language, Basque: Zuberoa; Zuberoan/ Soule Basque: Xiberoa or Xiberua; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Sola'') is a former viscounty and France, French Provinces of France, province and part of the present-day Pyrénées-Atlantiques ...
in modern France. The
Béarn The Béarn (; ; oc, Bearn or ''Biarn''; eu, Bearno or ''Biarno''; or ''Bearnia'') is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. Along with the three Bas ...
polity, albeit nominally under the sovereignty of the Duchy of Gascony (for a long time in the High Middle Ages under the control of the Kingdom of England), had acquired a ''de facto'' independent status, and was governed by the Viscounts of Béarn. The Tribute of the Three Cows arises from boundary disputes over the high pastures of
Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...
and
Béarn The Béarn (; ; oc, Bearn or ''Biarn''; eu, Bearno or ''Biarno''; or ''Bearnia'') is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. Along with the three Bas ...
. The origin of these disputes is unknown, but evidence of them can be found in documents dating back to the 13th century. The disputes were usually resolved by
oral agreement An oral contract is a contract, the terms of which have been agreed by spoken communication. This is in contrast to a written contract, where the contract is a written document. There may be written, or other physical evidence, of an oral contract ...
, and sometimes via peace letters or the establishment of ' (communal grazing grounds). In the 14th century, the
count of Foix The Count of Foix ruled the independent County of Foix, in what is now Southern France, during the Middle Ages. The House of Foix eventually extended its power across the Pyrenees mountain range, joining the House of Bearn and moving their court ...
, Gaston Fébus, acquired control over
Béarn The Béarn (; ; oc, Bearn or ''Biarn''; eu, Bearno or ''Biarno''; or ''Bearnia'') is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. Along with the three Bas ...
, and in 1374 he refused to acknowledge the sovereignty of France or England over it. In the following decades, the kings of France and England tried successively and in vain to assert their sovereignty over Béarn, whilst the counts of Foix remained largely independent. At the same time, on the death of Joan I of Navarre in 1305, the kingdom of Navarre passed to her son Louis X of France, whereby the crowns of Navarre and France fell under a personal union of the French monarchy, the main threat to the counts of Foix and viscounts of Béarn. Thus, it was at a time when the relationship between Navarre and Béarn was deteriorating that the border dispute between Roncal and Barétous arose. During the 14th century, the disputes over grazing grounds escalated. While some form of the compact was in place where cows were paid by Baretous to Roncal to maintain the peace, the fights and brawls amongst shepherds of the valleys became increasingly violent. The most notorious of these fights was the so-called '' Battle of Beotivar'' of 1321, in which the governor of Navarre and two merinos (military governors) intervened, resulting in the death of one of the merinos and twelve other people. A similar incident occurred in 1335, and 35 people died then. These altercations led to the drafting of a memorial in 1350, during the reign of Charles IV of France (who had inherited the crown of Navarre as well), that enumerated border disputes throughout the kingdom of Navarre. The document explains that the quarrels arise mainly over the use of water sources in the mountain passes between Roncal and Barétous. A mention is made in it that both the Viscount of Béarn and the King had tried to settle the disputes peacefully: In a second document dating 1361, the lieutenant of the merino of
Sangüesa Sangüesa (Basque: ''Zangoza'') is a city in Navarre, Spain, 44.5 kilometers from Pamplona. It lies close to the River Aragon and in 2007 had a population of 5,128. It is located on the Way of Saint James. It has been an important stopping poin ...
mentions the dispute and that the king of Navarre ought to assert his rightful claim over certain mountain passes that the people of Baretous were trying to take over: In this case, Charles IV ordered the lieutenant to move troops to Isaba to ensure peace and that the mountain passes that were rightfully Navarrese remained so: Throughout these years, several failed attempts at reconciliation were made, mediated by the
Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to sou ...
ese town of
Ansó Ansó is a town and municipality located in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE), the municipality had a population of 523 inhabitants. The municipality includes the towns of Ansó and Fago (7 km. apart) ...
, and the bishops of
Bayonne Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine re ...
, Oloron, Pamplona, and Jaca.


Events of 1373

The conflict escalated further until 1373 when the legendary events leading to the arbitration of Ansó of 1375 took place. The accounts say that in 1373 two shepherds, Pedro Karrika from Isaba and Pierre Sansoler from Arette, met with their flocks on the mountain Arlas, on what officially was the territory of the
kingdom of Navarre The Kingdom of Navarre (; , , , ), originally the Kingdom of Pamplona (), was a Basque kingdom that occupied lands on both sides of the western Pyrenees, alongside the Atlantic Ocean between present-day Spain and France. The medieval state took ...
. After an argument, they quarreled, and Karrika killed Sansoler. The cousin of Sansoler, Anginar Sansoler, gathered together a band of people from Barétous, and tried to track down Karrika. When they failed to find Karrika on the highlands, they descended towards Belagua in Roncal, where they found Karrika's wife, Antonia Garde, then pregnant. After asking her about the whereabouts of her husband, the band killed her. News of her death reached the town of Isaba, where Karrika and others formed an opposing group that set out to avenge her death. They arrived in Sansoler's house whilst the latter was celebrating the murder. The people of Isaba slaughtered everyone present except for Sansoler's wife and baby son, who were spared. Upon hearing of this killing, the people of Arette retaliated by ambushing Karrika and his band, who were then killed in a fight were a total of 25 people died. Legend has it that the people of Barétous were led by a terrifying
cagot The ''Cagots'' () were a persecuted minority found in the west of France and northern Spain: the Navarrese Pyrenees, Basque provinces, Béarn, Aragón, Gascony and Brittany. Evidence of the group exists as far back as 1000 CE. Name Etymolo ...
with four ears. However, Lucas Lopéz de Garde of Roncal managed to slay the cagot captain, and the rest of the group from Barétous fled the fight demoralised. News of the events reached the king of Navarre and the viscount of Béarn, who tried in vain to settle the dispute. The dispute grew in strength until the so-called battle of Aguincea, were 53 Roncalese and 200 Baretouses died. In the end, the Barétous asked for a truce, and the Roncalese agreed for the dispute to be settled by arbitration in
Ansó Ansó is a town and municipality located in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE), the municipality had a population of 523 inhabitants. The municipality includes the towns of Ansó and Fago (7 km. apart) ...
, a nearby town in the then independent
kingdom of Aragon The Kingdom of Aragon ( an, Reino d'Aragón, ca, Regne d'Aragó, la, Regnum Aragoniae, es, Reino de Aragón) was a medieval and early modern kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day autonomous community of Aragon, ...
.


The arbitration of Ansó

The town of
Ansó Ansó is a town and municipality located in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE), the municipality had a population of 523 inhabitants. The municipality includes the towns of Ansó and Fago (7 km. apart) ...
examined the causes of the dispute and on 16 October 1375, issued an arbitration that stands to this day. In the preamble, the arbitration states that the mayor of Ansó, Sancho García and five other residents of Ansó have heard the arguments of the representatives of Roncal and Barétous with the respective permission of the king of Navarre, Charles IV, and the viscount Béarn, Gaston Fébus. The residents of the valley of
Soule Soule (Basque language, Basque: Zuberoa; Zuberoan/ Soule Basque: Xiberoa or Xiberua; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Sola'') is a former viscounty and France, French Provinces of France, province and part of the present-day Pyrénées-Atlantiques ...
are also mentioned as arbiters in the dispute. The arbitration details the work done by the mayor of Ansó and the rest of the arbiters to settle the dispute. They examined witnesses and relevant documents, and travelled to the disputed border, where they settled the border between Roncal and Barétous on the so-called ''rock of Saint Martin'', between Isaba and Aramits. Water sources were listed, and a detailed division of the usage of the latter by the flocks from Arette was established. It establishes that the high pastures and water sources lie in Navarrese territory, but the Barétous were granted right of grazing from 10 July to 8 September, and the people of Roncal thereafter until Christmas. Harsh fines were established for any transgression, involving seizure of lands and cattle, and a 300 fine for anyone that called to arms. The arbitration then establishes that perhaps in compensation for the deaths and harm caused by Barétous against Roncal, or perhaps for the usage of the water sources, each year Barétous must pay three cows to the people of Isaba, Uztarroz, Garde, and Urzainqui. Thus the tribute of the three cows was established. Scholars tend to agree that although seemingly starting as compensation over the conflict, the tribute quickly evolved into a payment in kind for the Barétous to be allowed the use of grazing grounds and water sources in Roncalese territory; it also contributed to strengthening the bonds between the two valleys, and to keeping the peace amongst shepherds and cattle ranchers on either side of the Pyrenees. Although in origin it might have been an onerous tribute, by the 16th century the payment of three cows in exchange for access to the water sources in Larra and Aranz was regarded as highly advantageous to the people of Barétous. The arbitration has thereafter been ratified numerous times, including in the
Peace of the Pyrenees The Treaty of the Pyrenees (french: Traité des Pyrénées; es, Tratado de los Pirineos; ca, Tractat dels Pirineus) was signed on 7 November 1659 on Pheasant Island, and ended the Franco-Spanish War that had begun in 1635. Negotiations were ...
and in the Treaty of Bayonne of 1856 between Spain and France, which settled the current border between France and Spain.


Subsequent history

The (peace treaty) of 1375 succeeded in pacifying the relationships between both valleys, although in 1389 amendments had to be added to specify issues related to the breeding of cattle. Thereafter, the relationship between Roncal and Barétous became essentially friendly. On 27 September 1427, a fire destroyed the town of Isaba, including the church that hosted the original treaty, and records of the ceremonies that had taken place thereto. Copies were issued in 1433 to substitute for the destroyed originals. The first extant record of the ceremony of 13 July dates to 1477: The monarchs of Navarre and the viscounts of Béarn enforced and ratified the arbitration. In 1483, with the marriage of Catherine of Foix to John III of Navarre, the sovereignty of both territories fell under the personal union of the Navarrese monarchy until 1512, which strengthened the links between both valleys. That year,
Ferdinand II of Aragon Ferdinand II ( an, Ferrando; ca, Ferran; eu, Errando; it, Ferdinando; la, Ferdinandus; es, Fernando; 10 March 1452 – 23 January 1516), also called Ferdinand the Catholic (Spanish: ''el Católico''), was King of Aragon and Sardinia from ...
invaded Navarre, and after an extended war, the valley of Roncal fell under Aragonese sovereignty, whilst Béarn remained under the control of the remnants of Navarre. Despite this, Ferdinand II chose to ratify the arbitration. In 1571, chronicler Esteban de Garibay recorded the first complete description of the ceremony, which remains largely unchanged. The first recorded interruption of the tribute dates back to 1698, when the Barétous valley paid a fine of 300 silver marks instead. In 1755, one of the cows was rejected by Roncal, having been found ''blemished, small, ill-coated and with other defects''. The cow was substituted within a fortnight, and carried by the Barétous to Isaba. The first major interruption of the Tribute ceremony took place during the
War of the Convention The War of the Pyrenees, also known as War of Roussillon or War of the Convention, was the Pyrenees, Pyrenean front of the First Coalition's war against the First French Republic. It pitted Revolutionary France against the kingdoms of History ...
that started in 1793 between France and Spain. Due to the presence of troops in the Pyrenean mountain passes, the representatives of Aramits were prevented from climbing to the ''Col of la Pierre St Martin'', so they instead took the cows all the way to Isaba the following month, leaving the cows in Isaba's main square on 17 August 1793. During the Peninsular War, the dates of the ceremony were moved. In 1810, the ceremony took place on 16 July, and from 1811 to 1814 it was paid in money instead. The Treaty of Bayonne of 1856 established the modern border between France and Spain, and was aimed at solving the proverbial problems surrounding the grazing grounds in the Pyrenees. As a result of this treaty, the ''pierre de St Martin'' (the traditional boundary marker around which the ceremony had taken place since 1375) was removed and substituted by a simple boundary marker, around which the ceremony takes place ever since. The tribute started to become notorious at the end of the 19th century, when it was popularised in France in numerous books and news articles, usually in negative light as a ''humiliation'' towards the people of France. The negative press prompted an attempt in 1895 to substitute the cows for money, without success. That year, Le Figaro published an open letter protesting against a ceremony they deemed ''extravagant'' and ''anti-French''. The ceremony was described as a war tribute, where the Barétous had to uncover their heads whilst the Roncalese could wear their hats, and where the Barétous had to advance towards the Roncalese whilst the latter pointed at them with
pike Pike, Pikes or The Pike may refer to: Fish * Blue pike or blue walleye, an extinct color morph of the yellow walleye ''Sander vitreus'' * Ctenoluciidae, the "pike characins", some species of which are commonly known as pikes * ''Esox'', genus of ...
. As a result, over 600 people climbed the Col de la Pierre St Martin that year to demonstrate against the ceremony. The second major interruption of the ceremony took place in 1944, when the Nazis prevented the French from partaking of the ceremony out of fear they would attempt to escape to Spain instead. As compensation, the Barétous provided an additional cow for the following two years, the last one being forgiven by the Roncalese. Due to difficult access and rough terrain around the
Col de la Pierre St Martin Col de la Pierre Saint-Martin (elevation ) is a mountain pass on the France-Spain border in the western Pyrenees in the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques (France) and Navarra (Spain). The climb from the Spanish side was used in the 2007 Tour ...
, until the mid 20th century the representatives of Roncal and Barétous had to depart the day before the ceremony and then spend a night mid-way. In the 1960s, a road was built from Spain to the summit, and it was soon connected to the French valleys when the Arette-Pierre-Saint-Martin ski resort was built on the French side, near the summit.BARETOUS :: Auñamendi :: Euskomedia. Cultura Vasca on-line
/ref> Thereafter, the ceremony has become a prime touristic event, drawing increasing numbers of people every year.


Gallery

File:Bearnoko behia2.jpg, The tribute in 1960 File:Bearnotar behia1.jpg, The tribute in 1960 File:Béarnaises Roncal.jpg, The tribute in 1960


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * *


Further reading

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tribute of the Three Cows Treaties of France Treaties of Spain Treaties of the County of Foix 1370s treaties 1375 in Europe 1375 establishments in Europe History of Navarre