“Perhaps the grass did not die: the story of the Agote people”

Author: Asier Sánchez

Throughout the history of the Iberian Peninsula, various peoples and ethnic groups have been subjected to a long history of exclusion and persecution. Among them are the Agotes, probably one of the least known, but no less interesting for that. Their story, shrouded in intense mysticism, invites us to reflect on the mechanisms of marginalisation that have prevailed in Europe for centuries. 

There is evidence of the presence of the Agote people for many centuries, mainly in remote areas of the Baztán and Roncal valleys in Navarre, Gipuzkoa, Iparralde and some municipalities in Aragon. However, their origin is quite enigmatic. There are various theories about this: descendants of Visigoths, Muslims from the south of France, Cathar defectors or lepers. Be that as it may, they have suffered various forms of discrimination throughout their history. On the one hand, they could only marry among themselves. They had a separate door and baptismal font in churches. It was believed that grass would die if they walked barefoot on it. All kinds of barbarities. It was not until 1817 that a law was passed abolishing discrimination against the Agote people and recognising their equal rights. Even so, discrimination continued for a few more years. 

However, in recent years, science seems to have begun to shed light on the mystery surrounding their origins. In November 2023, a multidisciplinary research team carried out a series of genetic analyses on the residents of the Arizkun neighbourhood. The results revealed that the Agote people have 70% Basque ancestry, along with 19.2% French and 9% Navarrese, not including the Baztán Valley. Therefore, their origins are not as far away as previously thought. In this way, the history of the Agotes reminds us that exclusion is often based on myths, and that only knowledge can dispel them.

Sources:

«Los agotes: el misterioso pueblo discriminado por las comunidades» (Historia National Geographic)

«Un estudio genético revela la cercanía del origen de los agotes a los vascos» (noticiasdenavarra.com)