Matxin de Zalba's Letter - 1416

Matxin de Zalba's Letter – 1416

Here we have the most extensive Basque text predating the 16th century to survive to the present. Uncovered in the Archivo Real y General de Navarra, where it is stored under the shelf mark Comptos, Registro 339, f. 109, it represents a priceless linguistic and historical find of the 20th century. It is a bilingual letter written in an elegant Gothic cursive script, an exchange between Martín de San Martín (1380-1429), the secretary of King Carlos III of Navarre (1361-1425), and the chief treasurer of the kingdom, Matxin de Zalba (ca. 1390-1446), also known as Martín Sánchez de Zalba. Both men produced a significant body of documents in their administrative roles, allowing for this letter to be considered within its historical context.
Although initiated by San Martín regarding issues of taxation, e.g. deductions granted to specific nobles, de Zalba writes most of the content. They both wrote on the same sheet, directly answering one another’s questions in a document that would have been hand delivered back and forth. Both men also switched to Basque for more personal sections of their letters, such as in the salutations and closing lines, or when discussing personal matters. Official matters are related in the language of Navarro-Aragonese Romance, and it is possible that they chose to switch to Basque in order to guard their personal matters from prying eyes. This is a truly fascinating glimpse into late medieval Spain.