Eguzkilore, the protective plant of the Basque people.

Eguzkilore, the plant that has protected Basque homes for centuries.

Eguzkilore, also known as the sun flower or Carlina acanthifolia, is a thistle that grows wild in the mountains around us. But beware, it is not just any wild thistle. There is a legend or belief that it is capable of warding off evil spirits and protecting Basque homes. A plant full of light and strength, it has become one of the most traditional symbols of the Basque Country. Unfortunately, climate change and mass consumption have led this species to be catalogued as “rare” or “endangered flora”. A cataloging, which reflects the serious situation in which it has been for years. This situation protects the Eguzkilore from anyone who tries to harm it in its natural environment. Remember, it is strictly forbidden to take Eguzkilores in the bush. A fact that makes it very difficult for Basques to continue with the tradition of our aitas and amas: to hang an Eguzkilore on the door of our house. This is where today’s protagonists, Marga, Iñaki and company, the Maghú Eguzkilore family, come in. With Marga at the head, this family based in Elosu, Araba, has managed to breed Eguzkilores in a small farm located at the foot of the Urrunaga reservoir. An initiative that we have had the opportunity to meet in person and with which we have fallen in love. This Basque family has shown that all dreams can be fulfilled, even making an Eguzkilore, Carlina acanthifolia, acclimatize to conditions different from those of its natural state. These facts are in line with one of the maxims of Maghú Eguzkilore: to believe in people, to believe in the potential of each one of us. A message that they try to convey to us through a magical, special plant: the Eguzkilore. Thanks to this project, today we still have the opportunity to put an Eguzkilore at the door of our homes, we continue the tradition. What do you think?

Frequently asked questions about Eguzkilore.

• Is an Eguzkilore a sunflower? No. They have nothing to do with each other.
• Can this plant be obtained by searching for it in the wild and extracting it from the soil? No. The cataloging of this plant as rare or “threatened flora” protects it.
• Can seeds be taken from a wild plant? No. A special permit is required from the competent authorities.
• Where can a natural Eguzkilore be obtained? As of today there is only one possibility. Buy it at Maghu Eguzkilore. Fortunately, this company has a very intuitive and secure website that allows us to buy it online and receive it at home in a few days.
• How much does it cost? Currently it has an approximate price of 120€, we recommend confirming this price on the Maghú Eguzkilore website. Sometimes, the demand is so great that there is even a waiting list. If this is the case, we recommend to register in order to have our flower as soon as possible.
• Is it easy to install at home? Very easy. Thanks to the system of magnets that they have devised, they send it to us with everything we need to install it in our house in less than 5 minutes. A joy.
• Can it be grown at home? Of course! Thanks to the seeds sold by Maghú Eguzkilore, following a few instructions, we can easily obtain our own Eguzkilore.
• How long would it take to have the Eguzkilore to place it at home if we grow it ourselves? Eguzkilore is a biennial plant, that is, it has a two-year cycle until it obtains its flower.
• What use can we give it? The main use is decorative. The usual one for one of the greatest traditional symbols of the Basque people. But it is not the only one. Soaps, liqueurs and a long list of products attest to this.

When we visit some of the most important souvenir or gift stores in the Basque Country, it is common to find Eguzkilores of different materials and sizes, but nowadays it is very difficult (if not impossible) to find a store that sells natural Eguzkilores. Another detail that makes the project we are talking about today even more important. There is a whole universe of products linked to this magical plant, jewelry, decorative items or liquors are a clear example of this. The clearest case can be found in jewelry, a nice detail to give as a gift.

Buy eguzkilore jewelry

But, as if this were not enough, from Maghú Eguzkilore they have been able to create a whole universe of products closely linked to this magical plant of our land. A project that we will talk about in the following lines.

Today we find thousands of Eguzkilores hanging on the doors of houses and baserris (Basque for farmhouses) all over the Basque Country. A tradition, which we have continued thanks to our friends from Elosu. Our ancestors before us relied on the Eguzkilore as a deterrent to evil spirits, a belief that, far from being unique to Basque culture, is also found in other parts of the peninsular geography. An example of this is the Celtic peoples, places where they used mistletoe or holly as sacred and protective elements. In our culture, the Eguzkilore, the flower of the sun, protects us from the darkness of the night. A symbol based on the dried flower of the wild thistle Carlina acanthifolia that transmits calm, peace and positivity. Do you know of any other culture that has a natural symbol with similar characteristics?

The Eguzkilore, present in many of the baserris (farmhouses in Basque) of our land, is one of those elements, which, given the circumstances, has become an emblem, a symbol. Known by the experts by its scientific name, its botanical name, Carlina acanthifolia, this plant of the Asteraceae family, is known in other parts of the peninsula as carlina or chameleon. A thistle, of which we are going to reveal all its secrets and details. Attention!

Natural location: The Eguzkilore is a plant that is not easily found, and its particular climatic tastes make finding it in its natural habitat is not an easy task. Located on the sunny slopes of the mountains of Central Europe and the Pyrenees, this plant seeks the sun at altitudes of over 800 meters. Spaces, where the winds that whip the green meadows contribute to the propagation of its seed. Once again, we remind you that this is a protected flower, enjoy it, take pictures, admire it, but do not touch it. Let’s be civilized and respectful. Let’s take care of nature.

History of the Eguzkilore: Closely linked to the sun, the sun, this plant is of vital importance among the different symbols found in the mythology and beliefs of the Basque people. This wild thistle was attributed the same mystical powers that were once attributed to the sun. Some strengths, which, it is said, are clearly appreciated when the plant is seen in its fullness, in summer, because it is at this time of the year, when the sun flower does justice to its name. The great positive energy of this plant, together with its appearance, makes it impossible not to find a certain similarity with the sun. It is said that Amalur, Mother Earth, a Basque word linked to the pre-Pyrenean village of Amaiur, created the Eguzkilore to protect humans from evil spirits. A thistle, which, located at the entrances of the houses of all Euskal Herria, symbolizes the sun during the hours of darkness, during the night. Thus avoiding, according to the beliefs of our people, the entrance of any evil being. Although we do not know for sure how much of truth and how much of legend hides the following anecdote, we must indicate that, according to history, this plant and its roots were essential during the plague epidemic that ravaged the peninsula during the reign of Charlemagne. And it is that, as they say, the antibiotic properties of the Eguzkilore helped to face this pandemic, hence its name, Carlina, of Charlemagne. An aspect, that after enjoying the workshop of medicinal plants of Zeanuri and the guided visit to Roncesvalles makes that the different pieces of our head begin to fit together and you?

Cycle of the Eguzkilore: The Eguzkilore is a biennial plant, that is to say, it needs a cycle of 2 years to develop completely, since we sow it until the flower comes out. However, we must take into account that 2 years is the time necessary for this thistle to develop completely in ideal conditions for it. In case of not having them, the full development of this plant may exceed the estimated time and show its flower at 3 years. It all depends on the climate and the strength of the plant to be able to bring out the flower and develop. Eguzkilore is a perennial plant, durable, strong, able to withstand long winters and sweltering summers. Its roots, long and narrow, are together with its leaves, thorny and protective, one of the most outstanding features. A plant that grows close to the ground and that the wind tames at will, creating Eguzkilores for all tastes: small, large, symmetrical, asymmetrical… The force of nature rules.

Properties of Eguzkilore: As mentioned above, the Eguzkilore is not only a mystical symbol, the different properties attributed to its roots have led to creams, soaps and other products, which, made by Maghú Eguzkilore have been marketed with all the necessary certificates by health and other government agencies. According to what we are told, its root has antibiotic substances that contribute to the creation of oils that are later used in the elaboration of skin care products.

Characteristics of the Eguzkilore: It is difficult to recognize an Eguzkilore in its natural habitat, because, although its characteristics give it away at first sight, it is very difficult to distinguish it from other plants of its own genus such as Carlina acaulis, Carlina gummifera or Carlina vulgaris.

Maghú Eguzkilore: This family business began its journey with a handful of seeds of Eguzkilore, which, treated with love and work in 2014, gave birth to one of the most interesting cultural projects of all Euskal Herria.A unique initiative, which reminds us of our visit to Albaola, a maritime factory where they are building in a traditional way, by hand, replicas of the Basque whalers that sailed the seas of the sixteenth century. In this case, Maghú Eguzkilore is not only promoting a protected species of Euskal Herria, but also spreading the Basque culture around the world by shipping products born from the Eguzkilore. Seeds, flowers, jewelry, creams, soaps or liquors join the incredible universe that Marga and her family have created around this unique thistle of our geography.

The Eguzkilores are part of the family that Marga and Iñaki have formed with their children Iker and Nora, a small family business that under the name of Maghú, “I can” in Persian, have decided to enter the world of cultivating the Eguzkilore. Until now, these wild thistles were found in mountains that exceeded the altitude of 800 meters, but Marga and her family have managed to raise these precious jewels of our culture in Elosu, Araba. Quite an achievement. Marga tells us that the Eguzkilore is a very strong element in the Basque culture, a force that Marga was looking for inside herself until she decided to sow her own dream, trying to transmit to all people that “yes, it is possible”. The whole process they carry out with the elements of the Eguzkilore they sell (seeds and flower) are handmade, by hand, as in the old days. While the products they obtain from it, are produced by people and companies that share the same way of thinking as they do. A whole universe of products that, obtained from the Eguzkilore, promise to spread throughout the Basque Country. And you? Do you have any of them? We loved the jewel of the Eguzkilore, maybe it will be our next acquisition. You never know.

Buy Eguzkilore jewelry

Where to buy an Eguzkilore: If we want to buy an artificial Eguzkilore, made of paper, cardboard or any other material, there are many souvenir stores that sell them, on the contrary, if we want to get a natural, original and authentic Eguzkilore, we only have one option, contact Maghú Eguzkilore. Buying an Eguzkilore in Maghú Eguzkilore is very simple and intuitive. Of course, they may be out of stock, that’s what it takes to be the only supplier of Eguzkilore in the Basque Country. Demand exceeds production. Marga and her people make it easy for us to buy by providing free shipping or the possibility of paying with Paypal and many other secure payment methods. Small details that encourage us to trust them when buying any of the products they have.

How to sow an Eguzkilore: According to Marga, sowing is one of the most demanded options by Basques, making the seeds she sells the star product of her website. A very enriching experience that leads people to understand the whole process of this plant, from sowing to harvesting. Here is a small summary of the cultivation process, a foretaste of the different stages that the plant will go through during its 2 years of life. Of course, planting in Eguzkilore involves work and responsibility, it is not sow and forget, nobody said it would be easy, but it is worth the effort.

How to place the Eguzkilore: Very easy. Maghú Eguzkilore sends it to us with a simple but powerful magnet system composed of two small pieces. One of them, the most important, is anchored to our Eguzkilore, while the other end must be placed on the surface where we want to place it. This last one has an adhesive that facilitates its anchorage, we only have to remove the protector that comes with it and press it against the selected surface for approximately 30 seconds. Remember that the wall or surface on which you stick this magnet must be clean and dry. We recommend cleaning the surface with alcohol and wait for it to dry, dust motes are a great enemy of adhesives. Finally, if you are going to place the Eguzkilore inside the house, we recommend that you do not place it near any heat source, fireplaces, radiators … are not good for adhesives. As you can see, the Eguzkilore comes ready to open the box and put it in our house in less than 5 minutes, a marvel.

What to see near Elosu: Although currently there is only the possibility to buy the Eguzkilore online and receive it at home, Elosu and the Urrunaga reservoir make up an area worth visiting. If you are interested in this area, we recommend you to visit the honey museum of Murgia and the pottery museum.

Video: Once again, we make use of our YouTube channel to show you in more detail everything related to the Eguzkilores. A small video, in which besides showing the Maghú Eguzkilore project, we also show you the incredible village of Elosu. By the way, if you have not yet subscribed to our channel, we recommend you to do it soon, there are many surprises waiting for you.

We put an end to this article about the Eguzkilore, symbol and legend of Euskal Herria. A very special plant, which we have had at the entrance of our house for a few days now. A light that we hope will protect and guide us on the path that life has in store for us. We look forward to your comments!