These are called Gigantes (giants) and Cabezudos (big headed one... best translation I got at the moment... they are still carrying the heads in the picture). They are usually brought out during fiestas. The gigantes are paraded around and the cabezudos run after children trying to scare and hit them with large bean bags. It´s pretty funny to watch. Jorge saw them coming and got a twinge of fear leftover from the good old days...
Thanks for your great comments in the last post. I can tell my kids to move their tushes so many different ways now. Which is when they usually stop doing what they are doing and break out into a dance. They are soooo funny...
¡Dos besos!
30 comments:
Lovely.Out for San Antón, aren´t they? We must take a coffee one of these days.
These are great! I'd love to see them in person... can they move their tushes too?
the image of them carrying those heads is well weird but it sounds like great fun.
Great traditions.
Oh, they used to TERRIFY me, and I'd kind of forgotten about them for a while! I really should go back to Spain soon! :)
My kids will love the giants!
Today i blogged a bit of my style already, i was preparing that all week and then i read the Cv for this week, so already a little peek and wednesday i'll show you my vintage stuff ;-)
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this is the most hilarious trick on the ojos. they can't decide which ones to focus on, the big or little guys. i can almost feel the zoom lens in my eyes going in and out!
this is really cool, I love to learn about Spanish culture!!
If they have the gift of being funny -- it's because of their South Philly mom!!! (No offense to Jorge!)
Note to self, not to visit Spain during festival time- or I will need therapy. It would be fun if I wasn't so afraid... xo
Oh I love these - I've never seen them before! How fun to see them in real life!
Here in Portugal we have the some giants, they're very funny and usually they play "bombos" (you know, like drums?!)
How interesting. Scaring children used to be an important part of many "fiestas". My mom still remembers with fear celebrations on St Nicholas' day in norther Italy. Pedagogy is not quite the same any longer!
PS I love Janis' comment!
wonderful photos, guess we need a Jane in Spain photo book
Oh that's funny you know because in my region in France we do have the exact same tradition.
here is a link for you to see (scrioll to see the pictures):
http://www.le-nord-pas-de-calais.fr/les-geants-de-la-region-nord-pas-de-calais.php
Maybe it comes from when we were spanish (yes, we came back into france under Louis XIV)
I fact you can ask yourself: who are at the right size??
Love it
Emma from San Francisco
These giants remind me of something they used to do on a show called It's a Knockout on British TV in the seventies... google it. :)
Loved the Holiday CV btw... you are too cool!!!!
How cool is that???? You have to see the image, as talking about carrying the heads around is odd...but I love it!
they terrify me too when i was little....
Hello Jane - In Toulouse, we have this giant too ! Is the same ???? =^^= Lovely photo of course
Hello Jane - In Toulouse, we have this giant too ! Is the same ???? =^^= Lovely photo of course
This tradition exists also in Belgium : I guess it was imported when Belgium belongs to the Spanish Empire (Spanish Low Countries) ? Or the other way around ?
What an incredible picture of an incredible tradition. I am totally at awe, seriously, it takes a strong artistic playfulness to develop such a serious tradition, and you my friend, captured it, again.
Funny !! I saw giants once... in the North of France ;)
lovely photo, lovely tradition :)!
Now that's the stuff of nightmares! That would put me on edge too. Love the photo though. See you tomorrow on CV :>)
Oh, these guys would be amazing to see in person! You lucky 'Spaniard' via Philly!
Que linda tradicion!
What a cool post. Thank you for sharing some Spanish culture.
Awesome! Being hit by a bean bag by a bigheaded giant seems better than getting eaten by them, I think. :oD
I had heard about the statues before but never seen them up until now.
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