Sunday, August 3, 2008

Mask in the Mudroom


My mother has a huge collection of masks from all over the world - eclectic and exotic. Now, the mask above I picked up in Ponce, Puerto Rico years ago when I was working on a project there. The mask parade every year in Ponce is Puerto Rico's answer to Mardi Gras.
The vejigantes are the undisputed stars of this show, but what, exactly, are they? In a word, they're demons. More to the point, the vejigante is a figure straight out of a centuries-old folklore that blends African, Spanish, and Caribbean cultures. The name originates from vejiga, which means "bladder" in Spanish.
The traditional vejigante costume requires three basic components: mask, cape, and suit. The mask is the most iconic and colorful of these essentials, and even it has rules and regulations: The vejigante mask has a conflagration of teeth and horns. Just like mine! Like Mardi Gras, the carnival has its roots in Catholicism. The vejigantes, armed with their vejigas (inflated cow bladders), go around whacking children and other innocents, ostensibly to beat away any evil spirits that are lingering around them. However, given that they are known to target attractive women, these spiritual motives might be suspect. The festival ends with the Entierro de la Sardina, or "Burial of the Sardine." This mock funeral, complete with dummy-laden coffin, is in honor of the coming season of lent. Coffin and dummy are set on fire, to symbolize the burning away of the sins of the flesh. If you are planning a trip to Mardi Gras or Rio de Janerio for Carnival you may want to consider Ponce instead!

9 comments:

kdwhorses said...

WOW!! It has alot of bright colors, teeth are alittle freaky! Intersting info, learn something new everyday!

Thanks for sharing!

Caffienated Cowgirl said...

that's a great mask...and equally great story...whacking people with inflated cow bladders :)

Anonymous said...

What a great mask! I love masks, but they can be very scary! I always loved the Day of the Dead when living in NM. Great post!

threecollie said...

That is very beautiful!

Frazzled Farm Wife said...

It's kinda scarey!

MAYBELLINE said...

Completely cool!

Flying Lily said...

Not something you'd want to back into by accident! Beautiful and scary combined.

Train Wreck said...

Crack me up FL! Ok a girl trip is a MUST! I know you must have some fabulous stories to tell! I missed you! I reall need to look into getting a laptop! You were right the airport was, easy! It wasn't to bad... I will have to do it again! I could totally get used to "Girl Trips!" AND the drive over to NM wasn't bad at all! So seriously if you ever ( I mean it!) ever need help please give me a call!! My horse could use mor "ranch" exposure!! I would bring and USE my camera too!! ahhh! still so sad!

Anonymous said...

酒店經紀PRETTY GIRL 台北酒店經紀人 ,酒店經紀 酒店兼差PRETTY GIRL酒店公關 酒店小姐 彩色爆米花酒店兼職,酒店工作 彩色爆米花禮服店, 酒店上班,酒店工作 PRETTY GIRL酒店喝酒酒店上班 彩色爆米花台北酒店酒店小姐 PRETTY GIRL酒店上班酒店打工PRETTY GIRL酒店打工酒店經紀 彩色爆米花酒店兼差,酒店,