Records

Records

Irulegi Irratia

II-003b

  • Recording date: 1992-11-10
  • Owner: Euskarabidea-mediateka
  • Informant: Marie Arostéguy
  • Researcher:
  • Main theme: Marie Arostéguy, shepherd.
  • View allowed: Free
  • Publication allowed: Limited
  • Sound quality: Very good
Town Dialects Maps
Piece Length Temas Sumario
A01 00:00:00
00:47:20		 jobs:, nutrition:, washing clothes, water Introduction: women have also worked on the pasture lands of the mountains in Euskal Herria.(02:45”) She has been a shepherdess since 1933. Her husband was from Amezketa but he was working as a shepherd here. He was in America for four years and when he returned he bought sheep. She had three children. Even so, she spent forty-eight years in Irupil with the sheep. They used to bring up the provisions by donkey.The change from donkeys to oxen. She milked the sheep. Between the two of them they used to milk seventy sheep and they made five cheeses, four in the mornings and one at night. There was no running water in the cabin. They had a car and they would take water in containers. When it rained they would collect water with a long pole. If not, to do the washing they would tie a container of water on each side of the donkey and go by car. Then the donkey would go back itself to the barn and they would stay with the sheep.They had to bring down the cheese and all the rest on the donkey.She learnt to make cheese with her husband.The differences between the cheese in the old days and the cheese now. (17:30”).(19:25”). It did not take too much effort to rear the children. They were quite happy to play among themselves. When they were old enough to go to school they stayed with their grandfather in Donibane during the weekdays. She would go in winter to Eiheralarre because the pasture land was there.(24:05”) Anecdote: her husband became ill and she had to do all the work. They never kept any workers to help them. She was alone with the sheep on more than one occasion. She made many trips up and down, but only twice did she try to mount the donkey and both times she fell off.Not many people passed by up the Irupil Pass.The fiestas of Orbaitzeta were very important for the shepherds of Irupil. She has many fond memories. Everyone knew each other. In her opinion, despite being a woman, she did the job very well.One of her sons has become a shepherd, first here and later in America. She doesn’t think that any young woman nowadays would be able to live as a shepherdess as she did.(46:05”) Goodbye.
Pista Hear file Length
II-003b-B 47:27