By: Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
Standing at the Nuestra Señora de los Remedios sanctuary built on top of the pre-hispanic Great Pyramid of Cholula I had a great view towards the sublime cone of the Popocatepetl. There was a smoke plume billowing from the volcano. However, it did not emanate from the crater. Someone had started a brush fire at the base of the mountain and what could have been a perfect view was thus, only a great one.
It was late February during Carnival season and Cholula (a suburb of the colonial city of Puebla) was an ideal spot to be at that time. It just so happens that within a distance of only 40 kilometres there are not one, but two culturally significant events taking place – the Carnivals of Tlaxcala, and Huejotzingo. Just like the Pyramid topped by a Spanish church, they represent a multi-layered visual memory of the region’s history.
I did not set out to see the two street fetes because I thought their colourful complexity would make perfect sense to my foreign eyes. I was drawn to them because they give the visitors a glimpse of something rare and subtle: a representation of how the indigenous people saw and related to the European invaders and authorities throughout the last 500 years.
The Carnival of Tlaxcala
The charming capital of Mexico’s smallest state hosts a celebration whose origins are shrouded in haze. Religious dancing as a rain-petitioning ceremony probably existed already in pre-Colonial times and this is reflected in the modern paragueros (umbrella dancers).
Carnival itself was brought by the Spaniards, although they celebrated it inside their households.[i] Thus, it was the Indigenous peoples who took to the streets and used the permissive nature of the festivity to reclaim the public space, as well as their identity. This was the one time when social order was inverted, and subjects could mock their masters. Amazingly, traces of this colonial Tlaxcalteca humour have been preserved until our days in the costumes and masks of the dancers called huehues (“old men”).[ii] The costumes are the baroque embroidered outfits of Spanish nobles, and the masks are cartoonishly stylized bearded faces of the conquistadors I had seen in Aztecan codices. In other words, the local men are wearing “whiteface” while dancing Nahua dances.
One can only speculate how this would have been perceived in colonial times, but there is evidence that in 1699, the governor of the province, El Conde de San Roman issued a special proclamation calling for public order and imposing strict fines for those who broke it. A similar order was also issued in 1881 by the State government.[iii] The 20th century has also left its mark on the fete. Since the 1960s women have been allowed to take part in it, before which female characters were performed by cross-dressing men.
The Carnival of Huejotzingo
After spending the night in Puebla and taking some time to marvel at its numerous colonial treasures, I headed to Huejotzingo. The air there was filled with gunpowder scent, and the constant sounding off of blanks reminded anyone who happened to pass by that the revelries were taking place non-stop all day for five days. In 2018 that town’s fiesta will celebrate its 150th edition and the municipal government is taking steps to promote the heritage event across the country by sending delegations to other cities.[iv]
The festivity has a certain edge to it and may well be a faithful representation of how carnivals used to be in yesteryear. Local media regularly report on the injuries caused by gunpowder burns,[v] frightened horses and drunken scuffles.[vi] What the media does not report and no one seems concerned with, is the potential ear-drum damage from the constant rifle detonations all around. I would strongly recommend for any visitor to bring a set of ear plugs. Still, this is an integral part of the audio-visual experience, for the Carnival is a living monument and an open-air theatrical performance.
Here, too, each epoch has left a mark on the people’s collective memory. When the Carnival started, the 1862 Battle of Puebla against the invading French army must have been still very fresh on everyone’s mind. That battle is re-enacted every year during the festivities and here again one can observe dancers dressed in 19th century military garb wearing “whiteface” masks with cartoonish beards and pipes. Apart from the French soldiers, there is a battalion called turcos (Turks) wearing turbans and sharp, pointy beards – perhaps the French had brought along troops from their Muslim colonies, or it is a trace from the older Spanish Moros and Cristianos tradition. Whichever it may be, there is an undeniable sense of humour and pride in the processions.
The other two theatrical performances also reflect the local folklore. One is the first Catholic indigenous wedding from the 16th century, and the other is the story of a Robin-Hood type hero, by the name of Agustin Lorenzo who fell in love with the mayor’s daughter at the turn of the 18th century.[vii] The bandolero and his paramour met at the Franciscan monastery (which still stands today near the town square) and ran from the authorities, but ultimately met a tragic end.
Smoke was rising from the faux rifles of the dancers the same way it was rising from the Popocatepetl brush earlier. That volcano has been a silent witness to all of the events depicted in the people’s dances, just as it will be witness to the future events yet to be added to the Carnival mosaic of collective memory.
[i] Aurelio Gonzalez, “Mexico tradicional: Literatura y costumbres” (El Colegio de Mexico, 2016).
[ii] http://www.pueblosmexico.com.mx/articulo_carnavales_en_mexico.php?id_article=31605
[iii] http://www.lajornadadeoriente.com.mx/2015/02/13/documenta-colegio-de-historia-el-origen-del-carnaval/
[iv] http://www.diariocambio.com.mx/2017/regiones/angelopolis/item/9480-se-promueve-en-otros-estados-el- carnaval-de-huejotzingo
[v] https://www.elsoldepuebla.com.mx/estado/van-cuatro-danzantes-con-quemaduras-desde-primer-hasta-tercer-grado-en-carnaval
[vi] https://www.elsoldepuebla.com.mx/local/detenciones-efimeras-alcohol-y-polvora-en-carnaval-de-huejo
[vii] http://huejotzingo.gob.mx/festividades-y-tradiciones/
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