I have, watched on TV, a very curious report of "The people on stilts" from Ánguiano and I would like to tell you about them.
The people on stilts, from Anguiano (La Rioja, north western Spain), act in honor of the Virgin of the Magdalena, with their traditional costumes; by a slope, eight boys descend turning on themselves. This tradition goes back to the seventeenth century (around 1603). The stilts were used, in the area of the high Oja –the river Oja--, to cross humid zones and in the snowy season, although it is unknown the reason for which it was incorporated to the dances of veneration to Santa Maria Magdalena.
Anguiano
People on stilts
Above all, they are very curious their parties, in which some dancers, dressed in petticoats and shoes with stilts, go down turning by steep slopes, at a vertiginous speed.
After a mass, they accompany the image of the Virgin of La Magdalena, in its procession, along with music of two flageolets and a small drum.
The Virgin in procession
They begin in the Plaza de la Obra, in front of the church of San Andrés, in front of the image of the virgin with the dance, called "The Acute".
The dance "The Acute" at the Obra Square
The Virgin of La Magdalena
Later they go down individually turning the seven steps between the square and the High Street, heading towards the Narrow slope of 58 meters called "Cuesta de los Danzadores", of which will descend 40 meters with a slope of almost 20%. By it, they will go one by one, turning as they play the castanets until the square, where people are, called "the mattress", which slows its fall. While others are descending, they go up the hill again until they meet the musicians, who descend slowly and will be thrown again until the musicians reach the town hall square.
Going down the seven steps
One man on stilts going down the slope so quickly
One man on stilt turning by himself
Another man on stilt turning by himself
One man on stilt playing castanets
The people on stilts runing down the named "Cuesta de los Danzadores"
The streets, by where the people on stilt go down, are stone paved, in order that they do not slip.
A stone paved
Once there without stilts, skirts and castanets, a dance with hazel sticks, called "los troqueaos", is performed.
The people on stilts also go through the bridges, that are near Anguiano, over the river Oja.
Two bridges over the river Oja
Well, I hope that you have liked this article.
Until my next post, kind regards,
Luis.
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