Dancing Devils of Yare

What are the Dancing Devils of Yare

The Dancing Devils of Yare are a cultural-religious manifestation celebrating the triumph of good over evil, held every year on Corpus Christi Thursday, where vow-keepers wearing colorful masks and red suits go out to dance through the town of San Francisco de Yare to give thanks for favors granted by the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.

Origin of the Dancing Devils of Yare

The origin of the Devils of Yare Our ancestors tell that it was in colonial times, when the large estates were worked by slaves (black people brought from Africa and indigenous people captured during the conquest), there was a year of great drought. This situation began to worry the slaves who were afraid of reprisals from the landowners (the Spaniards) for losing the harvest. Worried, they began to perform rituals and petitions to their gods for rain, but time passed and nothing happened. At that time the Spaniards indoctrinated them with the Catholic faith, so the slaves decided to turn to the Blessed Sacrament, since their gods and rituals were not helping them, perhaps Jesus in the Eucharist (the idol of the Spaniards) could. On Corpus Christi day in the year 1749, it began to rain torrentially, the crops were saved, they bore good fruit and the harvest was abundant. From that date on, the dance in honor of the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar (a purely religious manifestation) has been celebrated. Exact mathematics dictate that nine (9) Thursdays after Holy Thursday is Corpus Thursday, the day of the Dancing Devils throughout Venezuela.

Attire of the Dancing Devils of Yare

The attire of the Yare dancing devils was not always red; in the beginning, they used colorful costumes like other brotherhoods. It was starting in 1948 that they began wearing a single-color suit, when they were invited to the inauguration of Rómulo Gallegos as president, and for the event, rolls of red fabric were donated to them to make all the costumes. It is worth noting that all the men dress completely in red (shirt, socks, and pants), as well as the First, Second, and Third female Foremen, and a white shirt with a red skirt (the rank-and-file female vow-makers), both with red socks.

All the promisers carry three crosses of blessed palm which they place, the first on the side of the heart (which means Jesus before me), on the back (Jesus after me), and the third on the mantle of the mask. They also carry rosaries, bells (announcing the presence of Jesus Christ), and the whip (which generates respect).

Masks of the Devils of Yare and their Hierarchies

At first, the masks were not so colorful, and the predominant shapes were: the dog, the pig, and the witch. Over the years, artisans began incorporating new characters and designs, as well as a color palette.

• Masks can only be used by male promiser dancers for dancing (women need authorization from the foremen and can only use them to dance at a permitted altar).
• The hierarchy of the male promeseros is identified by the number of horns on their mask.
• First Foreman: wears a four-horn (4) mask that represent the four (4) cardinal points and identify him as the highest authority within the brotherhood.
• Second Foreman, Third Foreman, and the Drivers: they use masks with three (3) horns that signify the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), the three kingdoms (water, plant, and animal).
• Ordinary promiser-dancers: they use masks with two horns (2), which signify the dualism of each person, good and evil.
• The female Capataz (First, Second, and Third) differ from the other female promissaires only by their all-red attire. The first female Capataz was appointed in the year 1910.

Role of women within the brotherhood

In ancient times, both women and men had the same role in the dance of the dancing devils (Read Why are women not allowed to have the same role within the Devils of Yare?Currently, she is in charge of protecting the child vow-keepers, preparing the altars, and handling the logistics for the days of the dance.

When are the Dancing Devils of Yare celebrated

Exact mathematics dictates that the Dancing Devils of Yare are celebrated 9 Thursdays after Holy Thursday, on Corpus Christi Thursday, and it is because of this that it never falls on the same date; however, by simply doing this calculation we will have the date of the celebration every year without fail.

Music of the dancing devils of Yare for download

Click on the three dots and you will be able to download the music of the Devils of Yare.

Source: Ernesto Herrera, former president of the brotherhood and historian