Dancing devils of Corpus Christi
Diablos Danzantes de Venezuela | |
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América Latina y el Caribe | |
Inscription history | |
Inscription | 2012 |
Dancing Devils of Corpus Christi refers to a set of popular
History
The brotherhood groups originated in the mid seventeenth century
Different origins have been attributed to the Dancing Devils of Corpus Christi. According to a story about the San Francisco de Yare brotherhood, 400 years ago, a priest without the means to hold the procession of Corpus Christi said: "If there is no money nor believers to carry the Blessed Sacrament in procession, then the devils come!"[citation needed] After a storm, several devils presented themselves in front of the church.[3]
Regarding other stories about the Yare brotherhoods are, some references are in the novel Peonía by the writer
Brotherhoods
There are 11 groups recognized as guilds,[citation needed] societies or associations which constitute hierarchies to dance annually and make promises to worship the Blessed Sacrament.[5] All are independent organizations established in their respective communities. In contemporary times, groups have organized non-profit associations that access public and private funding to improve their organizational strategies and reach a wider audience.[2]
- Dancing Devils of Yare
- Dancing Devils of Ocumare de la Costa
- Dancing Devils of Cata
- Dancing Devils of Cuyagua
- Dancing Devils of Turiamo
- Dancing Devils of Chuao
- Dancing Devils of Patanemo
- Dancing Devils of San Rafael de Orituco
- Dancing Devils of Tinaquillo
- Dancing Devils of San Millán
- Dancing Devils of Naiguatá
Trying to reach a degree of organizational strength, several fraternities held a series of "national meetings," each located in a different community. As a result, the National Association of Dancing Devils of Corpus Christi was created to bring together most of the existing fraternities.[2]
Yare
The Dancing Devils of Yare (Diablos Danzantes del Yare) is the name of a religious festival celebrated in
Every Corpus Christi (nine Thursdays after Holy Thursday), a ritual dance is performed by the so-called "Dancing Devils," who wear colorful garments (commonly all red), layers of stripped fabric, masks of grotesque appearance and also accessories like crosses, scapulars, rosaries and other sorts of amulets.
The fraternity of the devils is divided in hierarchical order, represented by their masks.
There are other expressions in this particular festival named according to the location, such as the Devils of Naiguatá and the Devils of Chuao.
Procession and dress code
In this folkloric festival, devotion is given to the patron saint
Later on, the group moves towards the front of the church and when the mass has ended, the Eucharist is placed at the church's entrance and a sort of fight representation begins between the devils and the guardians. Finally, the devils surrender and kneel in front of the Eucharist to show submission, dancing to the rhythm of the bamba, a music style that is more reverential. The entire performance represents the victory of Good over Evil. The dancing devils wear red shirts, trousers and stockings, a mask depicting a devil, and canvas sandals. They carry a cross made out of blessed palm leaves, a rosary, and a medallion with the image of Christ (that can be substituted by another Christian religious image). They also carry in one hand a devil-shaped maraca, and in the other, a whip.
References
- ^ UNESCO. "Diablos Danzantes de Venezuela" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2013-10-26.
- ^ a b c CONVENTION FOR THE SAFEGUARDING OF THE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE. NOMINATION FILE NO. 00639. UNESCO. 2012. p. 15. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
- ^ Historia de los Valles del Tuy. "Diablos Danzantes de Yare" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
- ^ Manuel V. Monasterios G. (2012-04-03). "Origen de la festividad religiosa y tradicional celebrada cada año el jueves después de la octava de pentecostés" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2013-10-26.
- ^ Venezuela Tuya .com. "Los Diablos Danzantes de nuestra tierra" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2013-10-26.
- Translated from: Spanish language Wikipedia