by Heraclius ASTUDILLO POMBO. Dep MACS UdL.
Fossils
In this second installment, we present the case of fossil Iberian, to the present time we could meet and gather, to which the English folk tradition, has been linked by legends to God, Jesus Christ or the Trinity.
Iberian related, English folk tradition, God, Jesus Christ or the Trinity.
As we discussed in the introduction to this chapter , published in December 2009, the reasons for the popular tradition to link to certain types of fossils, with a particular invocation the Catholic calendar, are varied and may be shocking to the current thinking, but in any case, arbitrary, there is always some reason that link is established between them.
In this second installment, we present the case of fossil Iberian, to the present time we could meet and gather, to which the English folk tradition, has been linked by legends to God, Jesus Christ or the Trinity.
1 - Fossils associated with God the Father.
stoned stones when God the wicked, from the sky ...
In certain places in the valleys of Navarra and Burunda Arakil, valleys that are part of the region's Euskalduna They draw or ravine (eusk. Sakana), the fossils of sea urchins of the genus Micraster sp. and Echinocorys sp. Upper Cretaceous who were in the field, until recent years, mid-century, gave them the popular name in Euskera, " Jainkoaren arriya " or " Jangoikoen arriya "meaning" rock god "or" stone of the sky god. " Generally, these were fossils of the species Micraster coranginum which was the most abundant.
There was a popular belief that fell from the sky during storms, as the materialization of thunder and lightning. And in former times were believed to be launched by a divine being to punish the wicked who violated its rules.
There was also a popular belief that the surprising cross-like mark depressed, this type of stones, presented in the most curved, it was actually determined by the depression 4 of the RCOs
deeper ambulacral system was a sacred mark which had been printed by the supreme creator, that through this hallmark, good Christians could recognize easily, this kind of "virtuous stones," that is endowed by God with extraordinary properties and could use them as protection against lightning and thunder.
There was also a popular belief that the surprising cross-like mark depressed, this type of stones, presented in the most curved, it was actually determined by the depression 4 of the RCOs
deeper ambulacral system was a sacred mark which had been printed by the supreme creator, that through this hallmark, good Christians could recognize easily, this kind of "virtuous stones," that is endowed by God with extraordinary properties and could use them as protection against lightning and thunder. heart-shaped appearance, typical of a Micraster coranginum, in this picture because the lighting was very well appreciated brand in cross characteristic, the source of many legends and popular applications.
The area around it is removed, its inhabitants were so convinced of the extraordinary protective effect of these heavenly stones, against the fall of thunderbolts, which were used for centuries as amulets to protect against the impacts of rays. The apotropaic use, possibly milerario, was kept alive until the seventies of last century, remained exposed on the roofs and window sills of houses and huts, its owners, fossil Cretaceous sea urchin, to preserve of destruction and fire caused by lightning and thunder. They were also taken, over, by farmers and pastoralists and other people who were passing through the open, to prevent death from lightning stroke during electrical storms.
2 - Fossils associated with God the Son, Jesus, Christ or Jesus Christ
stones when the Jews wanted to kill Christ Alava stoned ...
Álava In some areas, still not well determined, until the middle of last century, fossil sea urchins of the genus Micraster sp. and, particularly, those of the species M. coranginum, were given the popular name of " matacristos " or "stone matacristo " as synonymous with "Jew stone, but associated with a murderous and anti-Christian attitude, because there was a popular belief , that this type of "stones" mentioned, miraculously, with a depressed cross mark in its convex part were the same stones, many centuries ago, had been released by the hateful Jews, against Christ, with the intention of killing him, when the Son of God, had spent at that place, preaching the Gospel.
Enlightenment, taken from a medieval manuscript, deposited in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, featuring the martyrdom of St. Stephen by stoning at the hands of the Jews. You can see a 
angry group of wicked Jews, mercilessly throwing, stones at a Christian holy peaceful, helpless, while is in prayer.
angry group of wicked Jews, mercilessly throwing, stones at a Christian holy peaceful, helpless, while is in prayer. Surely, something similar to what is depicted in this scene, but considering starring Jesus, was what the locals had imagined Alava, to explain the rare concentrations of strange stones that existed in some cross places.
Image: Le Martyr de Saint Etienne . Http://resume.bible.free.fr/stetienne.jpg
Image: Le Martyr de Saint Etienne . Http://resume.bible.free.fr/stetienne.jpg
The presence of such fossils, in some parts of Alava, centuries ago, led not only to legends various situations in which there were attempts by stoning of Jesus Christ by the Jews of the town, such as when passed through the area preaching, or en route to Mount Calvary, or when he was nailed to the cross, on that same mountain ... of historic Palestine. It also gave rise to a type 
"seudogentilicio" derogatory applied to all the original inhabitants of those localities in which there were municipal deposits of this type of fossils, which are thus related as descendants or akin to the "accursed race."
"seudogentilicio" derogatory applied to all the original inhabitants of those localities in which there were municipal deposits of this type of fossils, which are thus related as descendants or akin to the "accursed race." comparative illustration, showing the characteristic appearance of two species nearby Micraster gender. In side view (top), superior (middle) and bottom (below).
Image: Ian West
Until
relatively few years in the decade of the fifties, the inhabitants of Elvillar, Galarreta, Garay, Heredia and Torre, the villagers of the environs, derisively nicknamed them "Jews" not because they were localities in which historically had concentrated a large Jewish community, but because in its territory abundant fossils of "micraster", the popular tradition that it was believed that the stones were transformed, miraculously, stone infallible evidence of the perversity of the Jews and that in that same place, there had been an attempt to stoning the Son of God.
Perhaps the reason for such fossils associated with Jesus Christ and the Jews, in Álava, is because in Palestine, fossils are very similar to those of Alava, which in the Middle Ages, they associated with the legend that claimed his source was the miraculous transformation of the coarse stones that Jews, in Jerusalem, had thrown Christ, while he was nailed to the cross on the hill of Calvary.
Footprints ass, when Christ went through the Rioja, mounted on a donkey ...
past, in some locality of La Rioja, now unknown, became known to a trail of footprints and dinosaur footprints, such as " footsteps of Christ donkey," because according to popular tradition, it was believed that those marks had been miraculously imprinted on 
the rock surface, because Jesus Christ went through that place, centuries back, riding a donkey, when he went to preach the gospel to the then pagan inhabitants of that locality.
the rock surface, because Jesus Christ went through that place, centuries back, riding a donkey, when he went to preach the gospel to the then pagan inhabitants of that locality. Appearance of a sauropod trackway of footprints printed on a substrate. To some extent, quite similar to that which would have left imprinted on soft clay, the passage of a horse.
Image: http://www.dinosoria.com/prehistoire/empreinte-piste.jpg
Image: http://www.dinosoria.com/prehistoire/empreinte-piste.jpg
If, formerly, a trackway of dinosaurian footprints could be confused with marks left footprints, by the passage of a donkey, is that these brands, most likely, were left by the passage of a juvenile specimen of sauropod dinosaur that due to his young age had a small size and characteristic shape of your feet and hands, would have left a very distinctive type of tracks, more or less lunate or oval ( hands) and, more or less oval or circular 
(feet). Footprints in a social context, highly religious and poorly chronicled, would have resulted in a sacred legend.
(feet). Footprints in a social context, highly religious and poorly chronicled, would have resulted in a sacred legend. Although the mention of these footprints appear in various publications collection, the heads of the same can not remember the specific location and, so far nobody has been able to give me because of its location specific geographical, beyond that they were somewhere, now forgotten, of La Rioja.
pictorial image representing Jesus Christ with his disciples, traveling on a donkey that accompanies his colt. http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg116/tierrasanta_album/enelpollino.jpg
pictorial image representing Jesus Christ with his disciples, traveling on a donkey that accompanies his colt. http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg116/tierrasanta_album/enelpollino.jpg
In the opinion of the footprints it Rioja Felix Perez-Lorente, the case could be the result of the invention in any civilian or the confusion of a journalist, as he has moved a lot and for many years for all areas of La Rioja with footprints not remember lying is never heard, these footprints. Over time, news reporting, it would have been extended by several English media, when going reproducing information without having been checked previously.
3 - Fossils associated with the Christian Trinity, consisting of the triad: God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Piedrecitas when a mountain of stones produced Navarre away lightning ...
Until recent years, the villagers in the valleys surrounding the mountain Erga, mountain located in the northwest of Navarre, Basque-speaking area traditionally, because of its proximity and openness to the lands in Gipuzkoa, where stood, in procession to the chapel of the Trinity, on the day that the municipality had allocated to pay homage to the Blessed Trinity collected, devotedly, a strangely shaped stones that were found in some places, the road which, starting from Aguinaga, ascended to the chapel.
These curious stones were called in Euskera, by the pilgrims: " Hirutasun Santuaren arriak ", meaning "stone of the Holy Trinity", possibly the name 
popular alluded to the place of origin of the stone, the mountain of the (hermitage) Trinidad. The collection of these stones are made in order to use them later as protective amulets against lightning discharge.
popular alluded to the place of origin of the stone, the mountain of the (hermitage) Trinidad. The collection of these stones are made in order to use them later as protective amulets against lightning discharge. Right. Looks like a fossilized shell Rhynchonellida decorata, the Middle Jurassic, top view (top) and lateral (bottom). Image: http://www.wardsci.com/images/500/527075cWebF.jpg
Left. Appearance of a copy of Zeilleria (Cincta) numismalis , Liassic, top view. Image: http://neosci-gw.museum.hokudai.ac.jp/html/uploads/photos/5746.JPG
In reality, the sacred stones and a protector to the pilgrims gathered were only fossils of Jurassic brachiopods, a type corresponding to individuals of the species Rhynchonellida decorata and other individuals of the species Zeilleria (Cincta) numismalis , whose deposits surfaced naturally in certain parts of the site located along to the route followed the procession.
Sources:
- Aguirre, José.1922. Proceedings of the 86th Session of the Governing Board of the Municipal Museum (now Museum of San Telmo) of San Sebastián , held on December 19. http://www.museosantelmo.com/archivo_digital/libros_actas_st/1919-1933/word/1922-12-19.doc
- Astudillo Pombo, Heraclius. 2009. On different and strange names of fossils (1). Folklore of fossils Iberian February. Http://folklore-fosiles-ibericos.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html
- Astudillo Pombo, Heraclius. 2008. Fossils Iberian linked to the beam, by the English folklore (3). Folklore of fossils Iberian March. Http://folklore-fosiles-ibericos.blogspot.com/2008/03/fsiles-ibricos-vinculados-con-el-rayo_08.html
- Baráibar Zumarraga, Federico. 1908. Common names of animals and plants used in Álava and not included in the "Dictionary of the English Royal Academy" (thirteenth edition) Bulletin of the Royal English Society of Natural History ", June 1908) Madrid, Fortanet. 1908 (p. 280-298)
- Barandiaran, José Miguel de. 1972. "arri-bedeinkatuak" in Illustrated Dictionary of Mythology Basque in La Gran Enciclopedia Vasca. Volume VII. Library of the Great Encyclopedia Vasca. Bilbao, (p. 333-580).
- Canudo Sanagustín, José Ignacio & Cuenca Bescós, Gloria. 1999. Paleoichnology dinosaur, Dinosaurs in the supplement of El Heraldo de Aragón (p. 4-5) http://www.aragosaurus.com/secciones/ined_tos/trabaj/CanudoyCuencaBescosicnitasdinosaurios_1999.pdf
- Leizaola Calvo, Fermín. 1991. Fossils used as protectors and other beliefs around them. Zainak, 8 Journal of Anthropology, Ethnography. Donostia-San Sebastián: Eusko Ikaskuntza, 1991 59-66 www.eusko-ikaskuntza.org/fr/publicaciones/colecciones/cuadernos/articulo.php?o=11044
- Leizaola Calvo, Fermín. 1999. magical religious symbols in the rural world of Euskal Herria. Zainak, 18. Ethnography Anthropology Papers, San Sebastián, Eusko Ikaskuntza, 1999 (p 195-217) magical religious symbols in the rural world of Euskal Herria http://www.euskomedia.org/PDFAnlt/zainak/18/18195217.pdf
- Guereñu Lopez, Gerardo. 1958. Voices Alava. Euskera, Special Issue, Euskaltzaindia, Bilbao. (P. 309). Reissue of 1998.
- Perez-Lorente, Felix, personal communication of February 14, 2008,
- vv.aa.1999 Euskaldunak Dictionary of Basque ethnography. vol.2 (p. 628) Etor-Osto Ed. Lasarte / Oria. Gipuzkoa. Euskadi.
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