La Rhune (Basque: Larrun - 'pastureland') is a mountain (892m) at the western end of the Pyrenees. It is located on the border between France and Spain, where the traditional Basque provinces of Labourd and Navarra meet. Basque (native name: Euskara) is the language spoken by the Basque people who inhabit the Pyrenees in North-Central Spain and the adjoining region of South-Western France. ... Central Pyrenees The Pyrenees (French: Pyrénées; Spanish: Pirineos; Occitan: Pirenèus or Pirenèas; Catalan Pirineus; Aragonese: Perinés; Basque: Pirinioak) are a range of mountains in southwest Europe that form a natural border between France and Spain. ... The Basque Country (Euskal Herria in Basque) straddles the western Pyrenees mountains that define the border between France and Spain, extending down to the coast of the Bay of Biscay. ... Labourd (Lapurdi in Basque; from Latin Lapurdum, Labort in Gascon) is a former French province and part of the present-day Pyrénées Atlantiques département. ... Navarra is the Spanish name for Navarre (Basque: Nafarroa), an ancient kingdom in the Pyrenees, and now a province and an autonomous community in Spain. ...

La Rhune holds an iconic place in Basque culture. It is covered in dolmens, stone circles and other neolithic monuments and was held to be a sacred place in Basque mythology. It was said to be the home of Leben Sugea, the first serpent. Later, and perhaps as a consequence of the ancient sacred sites, the summit had a reputation as an akelarre or ritual meeting place for witches. Up until the 18th century, local villages paid for a monk to live as a hermit at the top of the mountain to keep witches away and ensure good winds. It has been suggested that Basque diaspora be merged into this article or section. ... T shaped Hunebed D27 in Borger-Odoorn, Netherlands, recent. ... A stone circle is a circular space, delimited by purposefully erected stones and often containing burials. ... The Neolithic, (Greek neos = new, lithos = stone, or New Stone Age) was a period in the development of human technology that is traditionally the last part of the Stone Age. ... Ancient Basque mythology is centered in the figure of godess Mari, which is, without doubt the supreme divinity, maybe alongside with her consort Sugaar, also called Maju. ... Akelarre is the Basque name (meadow of the he-goat) of a place in Zugarramurdi (Navarre, Spain). ... This article is part of the Witchcraft series. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... A Roman Catholic monk A monk is a person who practices monasticism, adopting a strict religious and ascetic lifestyle, usually in community with others following the same path. ... A hermit (from the Greek erēmos, signifying desert, uninhabited, hence desert-dweller) is a person who lives to some greater or lesser degree in seclusion and/or isolation from society. ...

La Rhune and the local area were notable smuggling routes used for centuries, including for refugees during the Spanish Civil War and World War II. Smuggling was of such importance that a local tale tells that the mountain was covered by gold until evil men came to take it away. They burned the trees on the mountain to reach the gold, but the metal melted and flowed away. History of Spain series Prehistoric Spain Roman Spain Medieval Spain - Visigoths - Al-Andalus - Age of Reconquest Age of Expansion Age of Enlightenment Reaction and Revolution First Spanish Republic The Restoration Second Spanish Republic Spanish Civil War The Dictatorship Transition to Democracy Modern Spain Topics Economic History Military History Social History... Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 7 million military deaths World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th century conflict that engulfed much of the globe and is accepted as the largest and deadliest... General Name, Symbol, Number gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 6, d Appearance metallic yellow Atomic mass 196. ...

La Rhune is now a popular site for walks and hikes. A small train, Le Petit Train de La Rhune, takes visitors to the top of the mountain from the French side. Cows, a few pottok ponies and manech sheep wander the slopes. The pottok, pronounced pot-ee-ok (Basque: pottoka, little horse), is a formerly wild pony native to the Pyrenees of the Basque Country in France and Spain. ...

La Rhune still holds a iconic place in Basque culture, with many inns and restaurants bearing its name and its distinctive shape adorning many souvenirs and logos.

External links

• Le Petit Train de La Rhune website