One of the least known traditions to the non-Basque but one of the most revered by the Basques is the medieval traditions of the bard or troubadour. The bertsolari or koblari is the direct descendant of the medieval troubadours who would travel from one king's court to the next, making up verses and singing them for their hosts' entertainment. The songs were about the host or current events. The Basques seem to have latched onto this tradition and made it their own. The bertsolari will be given a subject and be expected to make up a song on the spot usually using a well known melody and rhyming every line without breaking the rhythm or meter of the tune. Competitions among two or three singers were typical, with the pace quickening as one tries to outdo the other with humor and hidden barbs and without insulting each other.

Keeping with traditions...