Carnival in Bolivia: Devils dancing for the virgin

Western Folklore, Summer 1999 by Lecount, Cynthia

The shrine figure of el tio is more elaborate than the smaller clay/mud images that reside in every mine, and to whom the miners regularly make offerings. On Friday nights, the men gather around the image of el tio in the mine where they work, to ch'allar (celebrate the chW" a toast or salute). Asking el tio for luck and protection, they sprinkle alcohol around the figure, stick a lighted cigarette in his mouth, and arrange coca leaves at the base. For special ch'allas, they scatter mistura (confetti) over el tio and drape him with multicolored streamers. Then the workers smoke, chew coca, and drink. Once a year before Carnival, or more often if there is a need, the miners sacrifice a white llama or two, for el tio to eat, so he won't need to devour any men's bodies.

The miners in Oruro do not usually mention the legendary Supay-Virgin jealousy aspect. They simply say that el tio/Supay controls the metals found in the mines, and that if they wear devil costumes during Carnival, he will identify and sympathize with them, and will bring them wealth and good luck in the coming year. They also said that the Virgin would protect them in the mines if they promised to dance at Carnival for three years in a row. Many miners and other workers renew their promises and are extremely proud to have danced for several decades.

According to the stories cited above, the original Diablada group was organized by the miners in 1789. They performed until 1818, then ceased their activities for some years. Coincidentally or not, 1818 was the same year that the Catholic priest, Montalegre, introduced the drama of the seven capital sins which the Diab/ada group performed. The fact that the Diablada disbanded in 1818, the same year that the "educational" relato was introduced, may be significant. Although it has been called a farce (by the Spaniards) and it is amusing, the relato is a heavily didactic Catholic drama which may have proved offensive to indigenous miner-dancers. This first group quit dancing at some point (the exact year is not known) for lack of pasantes or sponsors to help pay the musicians and other costs. Given the precarious economic and political situations in Bolivia, they may have stopped dancing because of political instability or lack of funding. At any rate, almost a hundred years passed without any organized devil dances.

Then, in 1904, two Orurenos, Facundo Jimenez and his wife, Rosenda Medina de Jimenez, agreed to be sponsors of a renewed devil dance group, named the Gran Tradicional Diablada Oruro. Officially the comparsa or conjunto (dance group) was founded on November 25, 1904. They danced together for several years then disbanded until 1914, when friends from Caracollo and other nearby mining communities decided to join the festival. By 1917, many of the dancers were butchers instead of miners. Since 1917, the group has danced continuously except for a brief interlude in the early 1930s when Carnival was canceled for four years during the Chaco War. "When peace was signed, a new spirit inspired the dancers. Many wanted to give thanks for their safe return" (Nock 1992: 146). Many new dancers decided to participate at this point, and for the first time the professional class participated.