‘Devils’ take to streets as Spanish village celebrates Endiablada festival

A Spanish village has seen masked “devils” take to the streets as part of a traditional feast day.

The village in Castilla-La Mancha, central Spain, has celebrated the “Endiablada” (Brotherhood of the Devils) festival on February 2-3 since medieval times, and possibly even earlier.

Donning large, heavy copper cowbells around their waists, which clang incessantly, the men walk, dance and jump through the town’s winding streets and visit the cemetery.

One explanation over the origins of the festival according to La Endiablada website is that the “devils” are trying to divert the public’s attention, so that the Virgin Mary can be protected from embarrassment or shame over the unusual circumstances of Christ’s birth – an event celebrated as the Feast of the Virgin of Candelaria, or Candlemas, marking when Jesus was presented to the Temple in Jerusalem.

“(The cowbells weigh) about 13, 14 kilos (28-31lbs), but for us it is not tiring because we live it, we carry it inside us,” said Carmelo Sanchez, one of the “devil” participants.

“It was very, very peculiar with so many cowbells,” said Hiroko Notomi, a tourist who was among the spectators watching La Endiablada.

“It’s a very interesting festival and besides it is not like a big city festival, I liked that a lot.”