Patum de Berga
Patum de Berga or La Patum is a traditional festival that is celebrated every year in the Catalan city of Berga on Corpus Christi . It consists of several performances with mythical and symbolic characters dancing to the rhythm of a big drum and live music. Fire and pyrotechnics are also used.
In 1983 it was declared a Festival of National Interest by the Generalitat de Catalunya , and since 2005 it has been an Intangible World Heritage Site by UNESCO .
characters
- El Tabal (The Drum)
- Turcs i Cavallets (Turks and Little Knights)
- Les Maces (The Clubs)
- Les Guites (The Mules)
- L'Àliga (The Eagle)
- Els Nans Vells (The Old Dwarves)
- Els Gegants (The Giants)
- Els Nans Nous (The New Dwarfs)
- Els Plens (The "Plens")
Origin and meaning
La Patum was a popular religious event in the late 14th century that has been documented since 1525.
On the Wednesday before Corpus Christi noon, El Tabal and Els Gegants (the giants) roam all the streets of the city. They announce the start of the festivities from the following day to Sunday. The majority of the events are performances that depict , for example, the battle of Christians against Muslims and the battle of Archangel Michael against Lucifer and his demons . A similar event is held for the city's children on the Friday after Corpus Christi.
Joan Amades , a Catalan writer, writes in his book Costumari Català (Customs of Catalonia, 1950–1956) that there is nowhere else to celebrate Corpus Christi as in Berga. He thinks that the ancient processional dances that make up the festival have "splendor and tremendous vitality ." The dances leave behind the meaning of the festival in terms of the Eucharist . It sees it as a unique performance of the popular theater . He says that nowhere else in the country did the ancient dances form such a harmonious and spectacular unit. He thinks that these dances should be seen against the background of the simplicity of street theater and the few resources people had available for these performances.
In 1955 the Catalan writer Manuel Riu wrote that La Patum was a mimic and rhythmic sacred drama that developed in the open air in a square and was a forerunner of modern theater.
Anthropologists and folklore specialists have also dealt with the festival.
