A maleficent genie that appears at night in houses when the inhabitants are a. It squeezes the throat of one of them, making it difficult for them to breathe, causing them untold anguish.
To avoid the attacks of this genie, it is a traditional custom in the Ezpeleta region to recite the following magic formula at bedtime
‘Inguma, enauk rent bildur, Jinkoa eta Andre Maria Artzentiat lagun; Zeruan izar, lurrean belar, Kostan hare Hek guziak kondatu arte Ehadiela nereganat ager’.
(Inguma, I am not afraid of you. I take God and Mother Mary as my protectors. In the sky, stars; on earth, grasses; on the coast, sands. Until I have counted them all, do not present yourself to me).
In Sara they say this other formula:
‘Ingumes erromes / Ezniok contrata beldurrez. / Jesus diat aita, / Ama Berjiña Ama, / Zeruko saindu ta aingeru guziak guarda’.
(Inguma pedigüeña, I am not afraid of you. My father is Jesus, my mother is the Virgin Mother, my guardians are all the saints and angels of heaven).
In Ithorrotz, this genie is considered to be the cause of bad dreams. To chase him away, the same formula as Ezpeleta's was said, to which they added this invocation to the genie Gauargui:
‘Hello aldiz, jin akitala, Gauarguia!’
(May you come to me instead, Gauarguia!).
To get rid of bad dreams, various formulas and invocations to Saint Agnes, the Virgin and Saint Andrew are used. Here are some of them:
In Garay and its surroundings (Bizkaia):‘Andra Santa Ines, / Bart egin dot ames: / ona bada, berorren partez; / tzarra bada, beioa artez’.(Lady Saint Agnes, last night I dreamt; if it is good, from you; if it is bad, go straight away).
In Beizama:‘Amandre santa Inés, / bart egin det amets: / onez bada, bien partez; / txarrez bada, dijoala bere bidez’.(Lady mother Saint Agnes, last night I dreamt; if it is for the good, on behalf of both of us; if it is for the bad, let her go her way).
In Amézqueta:‘Amandre santa Inés, / bart egin det amets; / berriz egin eztezadala / ez gaitzez ta ez onez.’(Lady Mother Saint Agnes, last night I dreamt; may I not dream again, for better or for worse). After this, a Pater is recited.
In Ataun:‘Amandre Santa Inés, / bart ein det ames; eztakit onez ala gaitzez / onez ein badet, betor nere bidez; / gaitzez ein badet, bijoa bere bere bfdez’.(Mother Saint Agnes, last night I dreamt; I don't know whether for better or for worse. If I have done it for good, come my way; if I have done it for evil, go your way).
In Arakil:‘Ama Birjina Karmes: / nik egin dut amets; / nere amets guztak / izan berorren onez.’(Mother Virgin of Mount Carmel, I have dreamed; may all my dreams be for your good).
In Ezcurra:‘Andre Santa Ines, / bart ein dut ames: / bart ein badut gattzez, / gaur ein dezadan onez.’(Lady Saint Agnes, last night I dreamt; if last night I did it for bad, may today I do it for good).
In Ituren:‘Ama Berjina de Kodes: / nik eiten bot ames, / izan daila onez.’(Mother Virgin of Codés, if I dream, let it be for the best).
In Luzaide:‘San Andrés, / barda ein dut amets, / zurez eta neurez. / Yinkoa ta Andre dena Maria, l har nazazie zien hunez. / Amén’.(Saint Andrew, last night I dreamed, for you and for me. God and Lady St. Mary, receive me for your goodness. Amen).
In Murélaga it was customary to take walkers to the hermitage of Santa Inés de Arteaga. In Dima, they were taken to the church of Rigoitia, where the incorrupt body of a supposed saint is venerated. In Arrona, they went to the chapel of Santa Inés de Iraeta; the mourners were taken to San Prudencio. In Cegama and Segura, to the hermitage of San Pedro de Mutiloa; in Ataun, to Olaberría and Arriarán.
It is said in Euba that the dream one has on the night of the 13th of each month comes true.
Similar to Inguma is Aideko, who is said to be responsible for all illnesses whose natural causes are unknown. So is Gaizkiñe , who, by forming cock's head figures with the feathers of the pillow, causes serious illness to those who lie on them. Only by burning such figures can the illness be cured.
Throughout the Pyrenees there are beliefs relating to this genie.
References:
- Resurrection María Azkue: Euskalerriaren Yakintza , I, pp. 115-117.
- José Miguel de Barandiarán: Basque Mythology, pp. 69-71, Madrid, 1960.
- Romeu Figueras, J.: Mitos tradicionales pirenaicos , Pirineos , n.º 15-16, p. 171.
José Miguel de Barandiarán