Gigantes y Cabezudos
Gigantes y Cabezudos ( Catalan : Gegants i Capgrossos ; German: 'giants and big heads ') are popular figures of the Spanish folk tradition. In many places they have a permanent place in inner-city parades .
history
The figures of the Cabezudos and Gigantes probably go back to the Middle Ages. Three figures are first mentioned in Pamplona in 1201 ; the next is from 1424 and concerns Barcelona . Originally it was probably only male figures whose female partners only came along at a later time. While the Gigantes have a historical connection with the time of the Reconquista , the dwarf -looking Cabezudos can be traced back to the - not only at Spanish princely courts - for amusement or to accompany the growing princes and princesses ( infantes ); they were an almost indispensable part of court life (see Diego Velázquez : Las Meninas ). The size and authority of the respective rulers could and should be increased by the presence of the often clumsy and clumsy looking dwarfs.
distribution
Gigantes y Cabezudos can be found in all regions of Spain - including the Basque Country , Catalonia or Andalusia , whereby the individual figures can be subject to regional and even local variations. During the time of the Spanish colonial empire , they also found their way to other parts of Europe ( Flanders , Portugal ) or overseas, where new types of figures emerged.
layout
Gigantes
The figures between three and four meters high and weighing around 40 kilograms are called gigantes , most of whom embody the king and queen ( Rey y Reina ) and a dark-skinned Moorish king ( Rey Moro ). But depictions of other more or less historical figures are also possible - for example the Cid and his wife Doña Jimena . Their robes are rather magnificent and their entire appearance can be described as dignified and sovereign. Inside the figures there is a support frame made of wooden strips or aluminum; Heads and hands are mostly made of paper mache . The arms are rather immobile; even when turning and dancing, they hardly swing. As a rule, the people who carry them have no eye contact with the outside world; When walking and turning, they are often led by the Cabezudos or other accompanying persons - however, viewing slits or grids are incorporated into some of the robes.
Cabezudos
The Cabezudos seem almost dwarfish compared to the Gigantes - an impression that is reinforced by their oversized head. The grotesque exterior is enhanced by her rather simple clothes and her dance leaps; in the past they sometimes carried a whip or a pig's bladder. In every respect they are an alternative to the Gigantes . Through the mouth opening, the wearer is able to perceive their surroundings or to talk to someone.
meaning
Giants and dwarves are common in the sagas and legends of almost all cultures. Even modern writers like François Rabelais ( Gargantua and Pantagruel ) or Jonathan Swift ( Gulliver's Travels ) have used them to hold up a mirror to their contemporaries or to show other worlds of life. Their appearance, which was often threatening and strange in earlier times, has given way to a more popular and peaceful character in recent centuries. For children, however, its shape is still strange and frightening, which has recently led to the fact that the Cabezudos often distribute sweets.
The probable connection between the Gigantes and the Reconquista makes a visualization and psychological processing of historical and / or legendary events and people probable for earlier times, which today has given way to general popular amusement.
museum
In Puebla de Sanabria in the province of Zamora , a museum on the history and meaning is Gigantes y Cabezudos been established.
Zarzuela
Gigantes y Cabezudos are also important figures in the popular, operetta-like singspiels of the Zarzuelas .
