While just about every village in Galicia has its own carnival characters (
boteiras in Viana do Bolo,
pantallas in Xinzo de Limia,
peliqueiros in Laza, to name a few), the show-stopper in Salcedo is the Bear. This tiny hamlet in the south of Lugo may have one of the most traditional Entroido celebrations in Galicia. Because what could be more ancient than a bear? This year we went on Carnival Monday, not really knowing what to expect. Would people be in costume? What would the bear do exactly? We were about to find out.
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The kid versions were equally
if not eerier than the adults |
I love dressing up--it's one of the reasons I love Carnival. Although most people gathering in Salcedo did not appear to be fully costumed, it's better (and funner) to wear something wacky just in case people in plain-clothes are victimized (like in
Viana do Bolo's carnival, for example). So between the two of us, we put on a tutu, a red wig, suspenders, a lime green necklace, and clown hat and set off towards ¨downtown.¨ Downtown consisted of a big, open bar/lodge at the intersection of four streets. We got there an hour before the Bear was supposed to appear, and there were already plenty of people milling around. As people lined both sides of the street waiting for the big moment, we noticed more and more kids with black on their faces. Other children covered in burlap sacks were escorting the clean-faced youth away, only for them to return with a black smudge on their faces. Assumedly there was a ¨baby bear¨ at the root of it.
Now it was time for the real bear. Well, not a real bear. The Bear is actually a person, so wide and dressed in dark wool with a bear mask that they were just as intimidating. The Bear's job was to cover its victims' faces in soot. The helpers-- in burlap from head to toe-- were just as frightening, like Oogie Boogie from
The Nightmare before Christmas. They each carried a big stick to help trap their prey. Basically, it was their job to find victims to take to the Bear. Some people went more or less willingly. Others put up a fight, but then relented. Still others took off sprinting and had to be hunted down, or held down on the ground by two helpers as the Bear painted their faces!
Nobody really knows where the tradition comes from, but it's clear that it is long-lived and related to spring. Winter has finished; the bear comes out of hibernation. And as most ancient traditions, it also probably has to do with fertility. Hoping for a fruitful spring and summer that lead to a bountiful autumn harvest.
Now it was time for the real bear. Well, not a real bear. The Bear is actually a person, so wide and dressed in dark wool with a bear mask that they were just as intimidating. The Bear's job was to cover its victims' faces in soot. The helpers-- in burlap from head to toe-- were just as frightening, like Oogie Boogie from The Nightmare before Christmas. They each carried a big stick to help trap their prey. Basically, it was their job to find victims to take to the Bear. Some people went more or less willingly. Others put up a fight, but then relented. Still others took off sprinting and had to be hunted down, or held down on the ground by two helpers as the Bear painted their faces!
