Jentil

2025-05-22T14:28:16Z

73.52.7.133: Added short description

{{Short description|Basque mythological giants}}

[[File:Lamina2.jpg|thumb|190px|Artist's depiction of a Jentil]]
[[File:Jentilarri trikuharria, Aralar mendilerroa.jpg|thumb|190px|Jentilarri, Aralar.]]
The '''jentil''' (or '''jentilak''' with the [[Basque language|Basque]] plural), are a race of [[giant]]s in [[Basque mythology]].<ref>[https://aunamendi.eusko-ikaskuntza.eus/en/gentiles/ar-62712/] at the Auñamendi Entziklopedia (in Basque)</ref> This word meaning ''[[gentile]]'', from [[Latin]] ''gentilis'', was used to refer to pre-Christian civilizations and in particular to the builders of [[megalith]]ic monuments, to which the other Basque mythical legend the [[Mairuak]] are involved too.

The ''jentil'' were believed to have lived alongside the [[Basque people]]. They were hairy and so tall that they could walk in the sea and throw rocks from one mountain to another. This stone throwing has led to several tales and explanations for ancient stone buildings and [[Megalith|large isolated rocks]]. Even the Basque ball game, ''[[Basque pelota|pilota]]'', is ascribed to these stone-throwers. The tradition lives on in the Basque power games of stone lifting and throwing. Some attributed to the ''jentil'' the defeat of [[Roland]] in the [[Battle of Roncevaux]], where the Basques defeated the [[Franks|Frankish]] army by throwing rocks on them. The giants were believed to have created the [[Neolithic]] monuments, such as [[dolmen]]s, found around the [[Basque Country (historical territory)|Basque Country]].

They also were said to have invented [[metallurgy]] and the [[saw]] and first grew [[wheat]], teaching humans to farm. However, they were unwilling to move to the valleys from the mountains, with a certain unwillingness to progress. They disappeared into the earth under a dolmen in the [[Arratzaren]] valley in [[Navarra]] when a portentous luminous cloud – perhaps a star – appeared, said to have heralded the birth of [[Christ]] (''Kixmi'') and the end of the jentil age. Other stories say ''jentil'' threw themselves from a mountain. Only [[Olentzero]] remained, a giant who appears at [[Christmas]] and is reproduced as straw dolls.

There are many structures and places around the Basque Country with ''jentil'' in their name, generally referring to pagan or ancient places, supposedly built by the jentil. Dolmens are ''jentilarri'' or ''jentiletxe'', [[harrespil]] are ''jentilbaratz'',<ref>[https://aunamendi.eusko-ikaskuntza.eus/en/jentil-baratz/ar-75889/] at the Auñamendi Entziklopedia (in Basque)</ref> caves can be ''jentilzulo'' or ''jentilkoba''.

==See also==
*[[Basajaun]]
*[[Giant (mythology)]]
*[[List of cryptids#Hominid|Hominid cryptids]]
*[[Lamia (Basque mythology)|Lamia]]
*[[Mari (goddess)|Mari]]
*[[Sorginak]]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Basque mythology]]
[[Category:Basque giants]]
[[Category:Basque legendary creatures]]

Vero - Wikipedia - User contributions [en]

Jentil