Augustin Chaho in French or Agosti Xaho in Basque was an important Romantic Basque writer. He was born in Tardets (Atharratze in basque), Soule, French Basqueland in 10 October 1811 and died in Bayonne (Baiona in Basque), Labourd 23 October 1858. It is usually said that he studied in Paris with Charles Nodier.

He wrote Travel to Navarre during the insurrection of the Basques (1830-1835) (1836, in French, on his experiences in the First Carlist War, which he interprets as an ethnic war of Basques against Spain), The Legend of Aitor (in which he invented a national creation myth, that had great acceptance for some time) and Azti-Begia (The Soothsayer's Eye in Souletin Basque).

He was a republican supporter, and became councillor in Bayonne and the Basses-Pyrénées department. He headed the revolution of 1848 in Bayonne. After the Bonapartist coup of 1851, he escaped to Vitoria (Gasteiz in Basque), in Alava, Spanish Basqueland.

[edit] External links

• CHAHO, Joseph Augustin in the Spanish-language Bernardo Estornés Lasa - Auñamendi Encyclopedia
• Online edition of 'Azti-Begia'

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