Impaginato 5.p65 - Universitat Rovira i Virgili

122
mamarro, mamorru, mamurru, mamarrao and mamor, namely, «worm, insect,
very small animal» (Michelena 1987: XII, 37-38).
In Basque this definition may well be rooted in an animistic belief that
attributed to these beings special transformative spiritual powers. The word field
comprised by these terms also includes small beings, tiny magical semi-human
creatures, often helpful to humans but of a rather indefinite shape. As such, they
appear incarnate in the form of insects, as if the latter were capable of shapeshifting,
undergoing metamorphosis, taking on a disguise, e.g., as a larva might
be understood to shape-shift when it becomes a chrysalis and then magically
turn into a butterfly. For example, in Euskera mamutu carries meanings related
to «putting on a mask» or otherwise «disguising oneself»; to «becoming
enchanted, astonished, astounded» or «put under a spell»; more literally it means
«to become a mamu» while the verb mamortu, from the root mamor-, means
both «to become enchanted» and «to form oneself into a chrysalis» or «to become
an insect» (Michelena 1987, XII: 56-59). In some Spanish-speaking zones these
magical beings are called mamures or mamarros (cf. Barandiaran 1994: 79;
Gómez-Legos 1999; Guiral, Espinosa and Sempere 1991).
5.3. Exploring etymological origins of Romance terms
Roslyn M. Frank
Amades (1957: 255) suggests that names like Papu and Babau (as well as Papao
found in Portugal), Bubota and Bubú that we find the Baleares, all of which are
associated with the figure of L’Home del Sac, might be explained by their
association with the verb papar «to suck, to swallow without chewing», that in
turn is linked etymologically to Castilian papo and Catalan pap «throat, lower
part of an animal’s neck». In passing, we need to mention that as far west as
Portugal we find Papao and at the same time there is Babau which is especially
well known in the Pyrenean region of Roussillon, including Rivesaltes. 28
28 In the case of the monstrous «child-eater» of Rivesaltes it, too, was eventually turned into a dragonlike
animal. Its presence is justified by a charming yet highly elaborated local legend: an allegedly
ancient account about how the Babau, «a monster, if not a dragon, […] breached the defences of
the town and devoured several infants» (cf. http://www.perillos.com/babau.html). What is perhaps
most striking about the legend is the way it assigns to the tragic event the dates of February 2 and
3, namely, to Candlemas Bear Day and the day after whose patron saint is St. Blaise. And as is well
recognized, in France traditionally the bear or bear-hunt has been associated with the feast of
Candlemas and the day after, when the feast of St. Blaise is celebrated, while the latter saint is
renowned both for his healing abilities and his role as the guardian saint of bears.