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| San Bartolo Aguacaliente, Guanajuato |
| Danza de los Cuernados, Semana Santa 2001 |
| I jumped at the invitation of local maskmaker Dalio Angel Perrusquilla at joining he and his community at Semana Santa. A small Tarascan village just outside of Querretero. San Bartolo Aguacaliente, Guanajuato was named just that for the natural warmsprings passing through just minutes from Dalio´s home in the country. Dalio Angel Perrusquilla , started making masks in his mid twenties, now in his 50s he is most integral for getting masks ready for the annual Danza de Los Cuernados ( ones with horns) a dance going back almost 500 years . He is without a doubt one of the most gentliest and creative maskmakers, reknowned all over the USA, Canada and Europe |
| Here we can see one of Dalio´s first masks purchased over 15 years ago from one of the villagers who wears the mask loyally every year. I got into San Bartolo at about 4:00 on Friday, and in the plaza at the center of the town near the church, imagine my surprise upon seeing over 300 masked persons in diablo masks dueling with real machetes, I was so overwhelmed by this spectacle that one horned creature stepped on my foot and I fell flat on my .... in the middle of the plaza, this gesture caused much attention and I was quickly noticed and welcomed by the people in the village. The fighting carried on for another two hours and I was escorted to a little booth where I had the pleasure of meeting Dalios´s wife, sisters and children. |
| There were Cuernados everywhere, running in the streets, eating, making giggling sounds, I couldnt believe my ears and my eyes, some incredible carved masks ran before me, huge 2 footers. One had to be very careful not to get poked in the eye. Many of these masked beasts carried evidence of a machete slice here and there, and peoples hands and arms were bleeding and bandaged, everyone in a state of joy and celebration. |
| The festivities carried on the next morning at 5:00 am , I could hear trumpet sounds and drums beating as 300 cuernados danced around the little pueblo, at 2:00 later that day they all regrouped at the plaza where the villagers of the town fed every dancer tortillas, and soup, enchiladas and tamales, atole and bread, food was being handed out from the back of trucks in large pots and the whole village ate all day as food was shared non- sparingly. Yet another procession this time with the Santos of Jesus , people led around the village, hundreds of masked Cuernados following, mothers, children, grandfathers, people on rooftops of houses and in the trees and then after yet another feast in the plaza. |
Here the masked Cuernados sat, tired from the day festivities, horned beasts lined the sidewalks of villages, masks were taken off to rest and to eat At 8:00 that evening , the last gathering was held and a final march around town of all 300 masked dancers, they then retired back to the church where they got on their knees and walked in this fashion to inside the chuch and give their last blessings to Christ before his ressurection. next day. Hundreds of villagers came out of the church, masks in hand, it was a beauituful site to behold. Men and boys of all ages and quite to my surprise young women , over 60 of them .... I would never have known. They all came out humbly holding their cherished masks , sweaty and hot but smiling and content |