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Overview

Webster’s section introduction distinguishes several portrayals of Basa-Jaun. Some informants compare him with a he-goat man; other accounts give him familiar dealings with shepherds, fires, milk and cheese, sometimes under the name Ancho. Webster explicitly says the predatory representation in his first tale is unusual in his experience. Those introductory comparisons are not merged into a fixed horned or hoofed anatomy for the individual in the tale.

In Estefanella Hirigaray’s Basa-Jauna, three brothers seek shelter in his castle. Basa-Andre warns that her husband may eat them, but he discovers each concealed boy by smell and makes them servants. Their sister later arrives and also enters his service. She grows thin because the master repeatedly has her put her little finger through a door and sucks it. Her brothers learn the cause and kill him in a ravine. His wife subsequently transforms the brothers into oxen; the sister secures instructions that restore them, and the reunited siblings remain in the castle. His death precedes that transformation episode rather than ending the whole tale.

Wild-man designationVaried shepherd relationshipsDetection by scentDangerous household serviceFinger-sucking drains strengthDeath in a ravine
01

Origins & earliest records

Wentworth Webster, Basque Legends, chapter IV, pp. 47–53. Selected tales attributed to Estefanella Hirigaray; section commentary also includes unnamed informants.

02

Records & interpretation

A located historical English collection retains named tale attribution and distinguishes its introductory comparisons from the narrated actions.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    Basque Legends, IV: Basa-Jaun in Webster’s Wild-Man Tale, pp. 47–53

    Wentworth Webster, collector and translator; Estefanella Hirigaray, selected tale narrator · 1879, second edition

    Actual edition title checked; selected tales read through the final outcomes.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Primary historical collected narrativeWebster: Basque Legends, chapter IVResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

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