Los diablos are innocent villagers possessed by evil spirits that come out once a year, according to folklore, from a mysterious, hidden crack in the earth. Their greatest pleasure is to “curse” unbeknownst humans by smearing them with the same black grease and soot that covers them.
The devils wear pitch black robes, with their arms and faces covered in black soot and oil. Bull’s horns are fastened to their heads and shoulders with rope and twine. Around their waists hang a row of large cow bells called cañones, or “cannons,” for their shape and their roaring sound that fills the town as they walk.
The diablos bite into pieces of raw potato carved to look like grotesque teeth.
In the background, we see two mascaritas. These are the devils’ counterparts. They are white-masked figures in traditional women’s clothing, who are immune to the devils’ trickery.
The festival fell out of practice for decades under Francisco Franco’s regime. But thanks to a group of locals hoping to revive and preserve the lost traditions of the region, working with the memories of the village’s elders, the festival was brought back to Luzón in the 1980s. Previously only men participated in the performances, but now women and children are now welcome to don diablo or mascarita costumes.
At the end of the festivity, before they leave the realm of the living, the diablos perform dance to traditional Spanish music, flaunting their horns and tinging their bells- the sound finally driving the evil spirits from the bodies of the possessed.
At dusk, the festival has come to an end. The evil spirits have been exorcised from their victims’ bodies, and from beneath the fading face paint, friendly and familiar human faces emerge once again.
Text Sourced: https://onbeing.org/ / Marie Sambilay
