Baile de la Conquista
The Baile de la Conquista is a mask and costume dance popular in the mountains of Guatemala to visualize and psychological processing of the events during the time of the Spanish conquest of the country (1523-1525). A similar dance, the Danza de la Conquista , is also held in some Indian-influenced places in southeastern Mexico - usually on the feast of the church patron .
dance
Origins
The formal origins are possibly in the Baile de los Moros , which is still danced today on special holidays (mostly patronage festivals ) in different regions of Spain. Some twisted movements and jumps are reminiscent of the so-called Moriskan dances . The idea for such dances was probably brought to Central America by the missionaries ( Franciscans and Dominicans ), where the Indian traditions of wearing masks and headdresses, as well as war dance and colorful disguises were integrated.
Guatemala
Today the dance in Guatemala brings to mind the military confrontation between an expeditionary force of the Spanish conquistadors and an army division of the Quiché near Quetzaltenango . The story is reduced to the legendary battle between Pedro de Alvarado and the leader of the Quiché troops, Tecun Uman . After the defeat and the death of the Indian hero, the Indians bow down and peacefully adopt the Christian faith.
Despite opposing positions, the two parties are often not easy to distinguish: the Indian party appears in their colorful robes, while the Spaniards are often characterized by baroque fantasy uniforms, but not infrequently also by black suits (see Maximón ) and blonde wigs - Pedro de Alvarado had blond hair .... The masks of the Indians are often dark, while the masks of the Spaniards are rather light-colored. Both parties usually wear an elaborate headdress made from artificial plumes.
Although the dance has historically only to do with the Quiché, it can also be found in the area of the Cakchiquel Indians (e.g. in Antigua Guatemala ) and - as Danza de la Conquista - in some places in southeastern Mexico. It is rarely found in the Peten lowlands and in eastern Guatemala.
Variations
Similar themes and dances can also be found in other Latin American countries, most of which are held on the day of the patron saint of the church.
music
Drums and brass instruments (trumpets, flutes) are used as musical instruments - in Guatemala often also the marimba , which originally did not belong to the local tradition, but was brought to Central America by black African slaves . Similar to the dance itself, its background music is cyclical and based on repetitions.
Women
As an original war dance, participation in the dance was reserved exclusively for men - this has remained the case in Guatemala to this day. In Mexico, women have sometimes been taking part in the Danza de la Conquista as dancers with swords in their hands for a number of years .
meaning
From a historical point of view, the Baile de la Conquista contains and personifies the victory of Christianity over the ideas and beliefs of the Indians, who in the end peacefully submit to the new religion or their new masters. On the other hand, the feelings of cultural independence of the Indians are preserved in a certain way. The Baile de la Conquista - largely without tourist-folkloristic impulses - still plays an important role in the cultural life and cultural self-image of many Indians.
literature
- Barbara Bode: The Dance of the Conquest of Guatemala. Middle American Research Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans 1961.