Gigantes y Cabezudos
Many Spanish festivals include costumed figures known as gigantes y cabezudos, roughly, "Giants and Big-Heads. The main feature of these figures is typically their Paper Mache heads and bodies draped with elegant wardrobes that match the costume’s theme. Typically, the themes for the gigantes would be that of Spanish royals like Isabella and Ferdinand, or other key figures in Spanish history or mythology.
In Zaragoza the key festival was that of the Virgen de Pilar (the Virgin of the Pilar). The entire city is involved, it is a massive festival lasting several days. All government services close for the week as the entire town comes out to celebrate day and night along with eating, drinking and getting a bit crazy, most likely do to the free-flowing wine of the nearby region. There are dance and singing performances, traditional music and clothing. It is common, still, to see people in the streets wearing traditional costumes reminiscent of the clothes worn in medieval times.
Gigantes in Zaragoza
All the kids in the city would look forward to the appearance of the Gignates and Cabezudos, and every day the newspaper would list the locations in the city in which they would appear. As kids it was our goal to be at each of the appearances to taunt the Giants and Big Heads as they marched down the streets of the neighborhoods.
The Gigantes are usually hollow figures two to three times the size of an adult. Their frame is usually made of wood or aluminum, with carton-pierre —a mixture of papier-mâché and plaster of Paris — used to make the head and hands. The frame of the body is hidden by cloth, and the arms typically have no structural element to allow them to swing in the air when the giant is turned.
Within the frame itself is an individual controlling the giant. He (and typically it is a “he”) carries a harness on his shoulder that is linked to the internal structure, and will move and shake the gigante in a dance, usually accompanied by a local marching band. Typically, these dances will include at least two giants, the male gigante and the female giantess, called giganta or gigantona, though some towns have multiple couples.
Cabezudos in Zaragoza
Cabezudos are typically adult size figures and have oversized heads. I remember them chasing me and the other kids around brandishing a whip and smacking, lightly, if they caught up with you. At the time it was particularly frightening in that sometimes the cabezudos would be a bit too forceful with the whips!
It was our mission, as kids, to run faster than the cabezudos and to try and infuriate them as much as possible, but I do remember some of them being particularly agile in their costumes and catching and pretending to flog me.
All in fun though, it was great to celebrate with all the characters from Spanish history along with the other kids our age.
