Joan Tartas

Joan Tartas (; ; ; also erroneously known as Ivan Tartas ) was a Souletin clergyman and writer in the Basque language, probably born in 1610. His date of death is unknown. According to Luis Villasante, Tartas may have been born between 1610 and 1612 into a family of prosperous farmers, and he is said to have begun his early studies with the Clerics Regular of Saint Paul in Lescar in 1624.

It has also been suggested that Sanz de Tartas, who served as proofreader for the 1565 New Testament translation by Joannes Leizarraga, may have been his great-uncle.

Works Cathedral of Saint Mary of Olorón, of which Tartas was a canon.

Onsa hilceco bidia (1666) was published in 1666 and is the earliest surviving work by Joan Tartas, as well as the most studied and widely known. Because a considerable period elapsed between the initial (1633) and final (1641) ecclesiastical approvals, scholars have suggested that the author may have encountered difficulties in obtaining permission to publish the book. These difficulties may have stemmed from the perceived severity of some of the examples used—several of which refer to French monarchs—or from the extensive use of quotations from Latin and pagan authors, toward whom the author occasionally expresses admiration. Chapter 1: «lehenian... paganoen erranaz...» ("firstly... on what the pagans said..."). Chapter 2: «bigarrenian lege zaharreko eskritura saindiaz» ("secondly, on the old law of the holy scriptures"). Chapter 3: «Hirugarrenean lege berriaz eta elizako doktor saindiaz» ("thirdly, on the new law and the holy doctors of the Church"). Chapter 4: «Laugarrenian arrazoin diferentez frogatzea: ontsa hiltzeko bidia dela herioaz eta hilziaz orhitzia» ("fourthly, proving with different reasons: that the way to die well is to remember dying and death"). Orthez, place of publication of his second work and where, probably, his spelling was completely changed.

The book concludes with an appendix containing prayers in Basque, the commandments of God and of the Catholic Church, litanies to the Virgin Mary, and several verses dedicated to the author by readers, including Juan de Baguaria, Bonnecase, and P. Darhetz.

(1672) Arima penitentaren occupatione devotaq was published in Orthez by the town's Royal Printer. The edition contains numerous spelling errors and displays a markedly French-influenced orthography, a feature that scholars have sometimes attributed to the printer's intervention. As indicated by its title, the work consists of reflections on Christian devotional practices—particularly prayer, fasting, and almsgiving—with each theme treated in a separate section. Chapter 1: «Orationia zer den, haren nezesitatia, nolako behar dian izan, zer bertute eta indar dian Jinkoa baitan» ("What prayer is, its necessity, how it should be, and what virtue and strength it has in God"). This chapter discusses the nature and importance of prayer, including the proper manner and circumstances in which it should be performed.

On the one hand, Tartas appears as a "serious", "learned", and "erudite" author. He was a skilled translator, especially from Spanish, French, and Latin into Basque. Mitxelena considered Tartas's erudition to be greater than that of Axular, and noted that some passages—particularly those recounting the lives of monarchs—recall the style of Father Nieremberg. Research by Darricarrére has suggested that these historical anecdotes may have contributed to difficulties with ecclesiastical censorship, possibly explaining the nine-year interval between the earliest and final approvals of Onsa hilceco bidia.

Praise for the author During his lifetime, Tartas's two known works received notable praise from both French and Basque religious figures. In total, the two books contain nine commendatory texts—five in verse and four in prose—an unusually large number for a writer working in the Basque language during the 17th century. These texts attest to the favorable reception of his writings within ecclesiastical circles at the time. Despite this early recognition, Tartas's works later fell into relative obscurity and were largely forgotten for several centuries. References to him remained rare until the 20th century, when scholarly studies by figures such as Patxi Altuna and Koldo Mitxelena renewed academic interest in his life and writings.

Nevertheless, Kintana argues that it would be inaccurate to interpret Tartas's work as the result of ignorance or lack of organization. His analysis suggests that the author deliberately prioritized narrative elements over doctrinal exposition, in contrast to Axular. Whereas Axular's works are characterized by a careful balance between quotations and thesis, Tartas places greater emphasis on storytelling and illustrative examples. Kintana therefore suggests that the differences between the two authors reflect distinct literary choices rather than limitations in Tartas's abilities.

Tartas appears to respond to this idea in the prologue to his own work, stating:

[...] hanko (Arueko) lengajia ezpada aski eder, hanko euskarak dü hogena eta ez euskaldünek ([...] if the language of that place (Arue) is not beautiful enough, the fault lies with the Basque of that place and not with the Basques)