THE 15 MAIN FOLK DANCES OF GUATEMALA - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The folk dances of Guatemala are numerous and are related to cultural celebrations. Among them, the dance of the deer, that of the monkeys, that of the conquest, that of the Moors and Christians, the dance of the 24 devils, among others.

The dances of Guatemala can be divided into two groups: the pre-Hispanic dances and the Hispanic dances. The dances belonging to the first group usually bear names of animals (such as the deer dance) and have a social function (the hunting ritual, for example).

The costume dance in Guatemala is one of the most important folk dances.

On the other hand, Hispanic dances tend to recall battles (such as the dance of the conquest), to reproduce scenes from pastoral life (such is the case of the dance of the pascarines) or to deal with religious themes (such as the dance of the Moors and Christians).

In this sense, the traditional dances of Guatemala reflect the cultures of the Mayans, ancient settlers of this country, and of the Spanish conquerors.

To these two cultures, we add the influence of the Africans, who were brought to America as slaves, and the Arab culture, which was imported into the American continent with the arrival of the Spanish (who remained under the rule of Muslims for almost eight centuries).

Most of these dances are performed on a fixed date, however, there are also numerous festivals in which you can enjoy the traditional dances of the country.

The National Folklore Festival, which has been held without interruption during the month of August of each year since 1972, constitutes a cultural space to preserve the indigenous roots of Guatemala. Also of note is the Rabin Ajau National Folk Festival, held in July.

If you like folklore and especially dance, you may be interested in learning about Aymara dances: history, mythology and description.

The most important folk dances of Guatemala

1- Dance of the deer

This dance is of pre-Hispanic origin and refers to the ancient deer hunting ritual, which was carried out as a method of sustenance for aboriginal communities.

This dance involves a tiger and a lion fighting to hunt a deer. Similarly, there is a group of young men accompanied by dogs that chase the deer in question.

The scene is completed by the elders in charge of the ritual being carried out according to the pre-established norms and a group of monkeys that adds humor to the dance. The dance is accompanied by a single musician who plays the marimba.

A month before presenting the dance, the participants must isolate themselves to purify their body and spirit, especially those who will represent lions, tigers and monkeys.

This dance, in which 26 dancers take part, represents the fight between humans and wild animals for deer meat. At the end, a feast is held in which meat is offered to all the guests.

2- Dance of the monkeys

Like the dance of the deer, the dance of the monkeys is of pre-Hispanic origin. This traditional dance refers to a myth belonging to the Popul Vuh, the sacred book of the Mayans, which tells the story of two twin brothers who, because of their envy, were transformed into monkeys by their older brothers.

This dance involves the use of a 35 meter tall pole that is placed in front of a church. Between the post and the church, a rope is placed on which one of the monkeys swings (30 m high), while below another 23 people complete the dance.

The musical accompaniment is made up of a marimba and a particular flute, called Ah Xul.

3- Dance of conquest

The dance of the conquest is of colonial origin. It refers to the events that occurred in 1524, the year in which Tecun Uman, the king of K'iche, died while fighting honorably for the freedom of her people.

The main characters in this dance are Tecun Uman and Pedro Alvarado (the conqueror of Guatemala). Another 20 dancers complete the dance.

At the end of the dance, Tecun Uman dies and the Mayans are converted to Christianity, which represents the victory of the Spanish over the Mesoamerican people. In this last part, both natives and Spaniards dance together, forgetting the struggles with which the dance began.

The instruments that accompany this dance are the whistle, the chimirria (a flute of Arabic origin that the Spanish introduce in the American colonies) and the drums.

4- Dance of the Pascarines

The dance of the Pascarines, usually performed in April, stages a pastoral theme that deals with two families of shepherds fighting over a woman. In this dance, 25 dancers take part.

The dance of the Pascarines is considerably aggressive since it involves the use of leather whips against one of the dancers.

5- Dance of the cowboys

The dance of the cowboys has as its theme the raising of cattle and refers to the bullfights that were carried out in the past on the farms and in the villages of Guatemala. This is why it is a satire towards Spanish traditions.

The characters that take part in this dance are the owner of the hacienda, some young women, a group of cowboys and shepherds and, finally, the bulls. 32 people are part of the cast of the dance of the cowboys.

6- Dance of the Moors and Christians

Image retrieved from Encyclopedia Britannica: global.britannica.com.

This dance of colonial origin tells the story of the reconquest of Spain by the Iberians. The dance begins in the 8th century and ends in the 15th century when the Spanish finally managed to expel the Arabs from Spanish territory.

This tradition was introduced by the Spanish missionaries during the 16th century, as a method of culturally colonizing the Mayas and introducing Christianity, since the dance emphasizes the power of the God of the Christians, which allowed them to prevail over the Moors..

The dance of the Moors and Christians takes place on June 30 and 10 people participate in it. The music that accompanies this dance is produced by a drum and a flute.

7- Dance of the 24 devils

The dance of the 24 devils is typical of Ciudad Vieja, Guatemala. This dance takes place in December and consists of a group of devils that roam the streets of the town in search of souls marked by sin. The dance represents the struggle between the forces of good and evil.

The dance was introduced by the Franciscan monks in the 16th century, as a method of transmitting the message of evangelization. The obvious message behind this tradition is to raise awareness of the price to pay in the event of transgressing God's commandments.

The dance lasts for three hours. It begins with the laments of the chief of the devils, who was originally a heavenly being but who, due to his sins, fell from grace.

Subsequently, this character directs his anger towards humans and entrusts the other devils with the task of capturing men and women who commit sins.

Each of the subordinate devils represents a sinful trait, such as hypocrisy, greed, and alcoholism. Despite what the title suggests, there are only 20 devils in the dance. The other four characters are Death, the Monkey, the Angel, and the Soul.

In the development of the dance, the devils begin to call the sinful Soul and, subsequently, the Angel comes to help her. However, evil prevails in the end and Death sends the disobedient Soul to hell.

In the dance, scenes are interspersed in which the devils recite certain verses. Similarly, musical interludes are presented with instruments such as the marimba and the chirimía (a flute), both of which are of Mayan origin.

The inclusion of these instruments is believed to have been a method used by the Franciscans to make the natives willingly accept the dance of the 24 devils.

This folk dance was declared a cultural heritage of Guatemala by the country's Ministry of Culture and Sports.

8- Dance of the Mexicans

Image recovered from: flickriver.com.

This dance was incorporated in Guatemala in the 19th century. Originally, it was executed by the Chiapas, in Mexico, in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe and its practice spread to the coastal areas of southern Guatemala.

Like the dance of the bulls, the dance of the Mexicans represents a satire towards the life of the Spaniards on the plantations during the colonial era and towards bullfighting. In this dance, characters such as the head of the farm, the cowboys and the bulls take part.

9- Dance of the Xacalcojes

The dance of the Xacalcojes is of colonial origin; this dance develops the theme of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The dance takes place during Holy Week and begins on Holy Saturday, when the dancers begin to cry for the death of Jesus.

This display of sadness contrasts with the euphoria that follows on Holy Sunday, when the dancers celebrate the resurrection of the Savior.

This dance represents the fact that the death and resurrection of Jesus redeems the sins of human beings.

In the area where the dance is performed, an arch decorated with fruits and stuffed animals is built. At the end of the dance, the dancers climb the arch, cut the fruits and distribute them to the audience.

10- Dance of the flying duck

Also known as tum salajché, in this dance a group of men dressed as monkeys climb a pole or tree about 30 meters high to perform a bungee jump. It is a dangerous practice in which many participants have died.

11- Dance of the snake

Practiced by the K'iches during their patron saint festivities, this dance has a pre-Hispanic origin.

It has an erotic component and two men, to the rhythm of the movements of the dance, try to attract the attention of a woman. They come to let snakes slide down their body and into their pants, being a symbol of fertility and their reproductive capacity.

12- Dance of Rabinal Achí

Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Tradition of Humanity, it is a dance typical of Guatemala of pre-Hispanic origin, specifically from the Mayan era.

It is a mixture of drums, dance, theater and myths from the Rabinaleb and K'ich'e peoples. At present it is represented on January 25.

13- Dance of the giants

Own from Chimaltenango and Sololá, it is a dance performed during the patron saint festivities. In it, two pairs of man and woman, made of cardboard, are raised and moved to the rhythm of the sound of the marimba.

14- Dance of La Paach

Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, it is an agricultural dance dedicated to the "cult of corn", a ritual that took place at harvest time. It is of k'iche 'tradition and takes place in San Pedro Sacatepéquez

15- Dance of the macaws

Also known as Maa'muun, it is of K'iche tradition and is performed on May 3 in the town of Santa Cruz Verapaz. To the rhythm of the tun and the trumpets, several characters dressed in traditional costumes dance as they represent the story of K'iche 'Winaq, an Achí hunter.

Other folk dances

Other traditional dances of Guatemala are:

• Bortagel. A variation of the dance of the Moors and Christians

• The Cortez dance.

• The costume ball. Also known as the dance of the masked or the ugly.

• The Aba-i, the Aru Majani and the Chip Chip. Typical dances of the Garífuna ethnic group.

• The jungujugo. Dance accompanied by drums that has its origin in Haitian voodoo.

• The yancunú. This is a war dance in which men wear masks with women's faces. This dance commemorates the Battle of Roatán that took place in the 17th century.

• The Fierabrás. Variation of the dance of the Moors and Christians.

• La Malinche or La Malincia.

• The mahani, the sambai and the treat. Of Garífuna origin.

• The tip. Dance of Garífuna origin. It is one of the most popular dances on the Caribbean coast of the country.

• The black cow or the dance of the bulls.

• The foreign invasion.

• The 12 pairs of France. Dance that lasts for five hours. The main characters are Charlemagne and the King of the Moors. The production includes dramatic battles and deaths.

• The tucunes. Variation of the dance of the deer.

• The Yuruma. It is celebrated on November 26 and commemorates the arrival of the Garífuna ethnic group in Guatemala.

References

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3. Guatemala: Music and Dance. Retrieved on March 28, 2017, from worldyrise.blogspot.com.
4. Guatemala. Retrieved on March 28, 2017, from adventure-life.com.
5. Things to know about parties. Retrieved on March 28, 2017, from mayaparaiso.com.
6. Traditional dances: History and meaning of some Dance. Retrieved on March 28, 2017, from revistaguatemala.com.
7. The dancing devils of December. Retrieved on March 28, 2017, from tropicaldiscovery.com.