LOS NEGRITOS DE SAN BLAS. MONTEHERMOSO

DETAILS

Denomination: Los Negritos de San Blas.

Place: Montehermoso, Cáceres.

Date: 2 y 3 de febrero.

Most interesting moments::

Exit of Saint Blas from his hermitage.

Procession of Saint Blas.

Dance of Los Negritos in the main square.

How to get there: Montehermoso is located in the north of the province of Cáceres, in the region called the Alagón Valley, near the regions known as Las Hurdes and Sierra de Gata and the important towns of Plasencia and Coria.

THE HISTORY

Since the 16th century, the celebration of Saint Blas in Montehermoso has been constant, one of the oldest traditional festivals in Extremadura.

Each year, on 2 and 3 February, a series of cultural and folk demonstrations are commemorated which surprise every person present with their beauty and colour.

                        Folk dance of Los negritos de San Blas

The protagonists of the festival, together with the saint, are the Negritos, a group of seven dancers who, with the faces stained with cork bark burned and the sound of castanets (made with oak hearts), delights all those who witness their fascinating dances. The comic component of the group is the Palotero, the bearer of a skin pouch with sticks and other utensils which are used in the dances.

In the absence of written sources about the origins of this celebration, of evident antiquity, different versions exist. The most widespread says that, centuries ago, a very poor family made up of seven brothers came to Montehermoso to ask for charity on the day of San Blas. Every year they performed a new dance ritual. After 16 years and having performed 16 different dances, they thought that they would be recognized and they decided to paint their faces black to make them believe that they were others performing. Even so, they were recognized and this allowed them to return year after year, on the condition that they performed the whole repertoire with their faces stained.

THE FESTIVAL

At dusk on 2 February, the unstained Negritos come to the home of the mayordomos (superintendents) in their clothing.

When the bells peal the Velá, they go to the Church and collect the Priest. They visit the hermitage of Saint Sebastian where they venerate him and dance, and then to the hermitage of Saint Bartholomew, the habitual residence of Saint Blaise. In the hermitage, the Palotero is encouraged to dance, but is hindered by the other Negritos who stop him and dance one by one. After the ritual, they accompany the Priest to the Church and go round the houses of the current and former mayordomos as gratitude for the devotion awarded to the Saint.

On 3 February, Saint Blaise’s Day, the drummer collects the Palotero and each of the Negritos, all going to the home of the mayordomos, where they carry out the ritual of staining their faces with burnt cork bark.

When the bells begin to sound, the Negritos and mayordomos go to the Church, collect the Priest and, accompanied by numerous devout people, go to the hermitage of the Saint, where the religious services and blessing of the Cordones of Saint Blaise are performed. When the ceremony ends, the Saint is taken out of the hermitage and the Negritos honour him and venerate him with their dances.

Saint Blaise is carried in procession to the main square, where the dances are repeated again and transferred to the Parish Church where he remains for a time.
For the rest of the day, the Negritos and mayordomos go along the streets of the town asking for maná and selling the Cordones so that the people can tie them around their necks and be protected against sore throats.