TRADITIONS

THE GIANTS, H POPULAR HERITAGE

THE"GIANTS" ARE HUGE, FESTIVE FIGURES, BUILT OF WOOD AND CARDBOARD. THEHISTORY OF THE GIANTS GOES BACK A LONG WAY IN CATALONIA,WHERE, TRADITIONALLY, THEY "COME OUT" DURING LOCAL FESTIVALS AND OTHER IMPORTANT OCCASIONS IN TOWNS AND VILLAGES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

PERE CATALA I ROCA HISTORIAN

n the last ten years, Catalonia lona, dates from the second half of the sa" and "Pepona", both 4 metres and has seen a marked increase in 16th century. 100 kilosl-, and again in Barcelona rthe number of figures known as There is no way of knowing for certain -the "Gegants del Pi" ("Elisenda" and "giants", festive figures that tradition- what these early giants looked like or "Mustafb", both 4.30 metres and 90 ki- alty "come out" during local festivals how they behaved. In fact, it seems that los). and other important occasions in towns giants like those of today, built of pa- Various giants in Catalonia weigh, or and villages across the country. Al- pier-maché, only began to appear at have weighed, somewhere around 90 though there is no definite census of the beginning of the 17th century. Now- kilos (every carrier, or "geganter", these representative characters, I esti- adays, the construction of these figures gives his own account). Amongst the mate that the present giant population includes such materials as wood, pa- most majestic, we have "weighty" of Catalonia amounts to no less than six pier-maché, cane and fibre-glass. As examples in Vilanova i la Geltrú, Mata- hundred individuals, often forming the well as the basic structure, there are the depera, Sitges, Súria, Manresa, Man- "giant"1"giantess" pair. clothes, the hair, the ornaments, etcet- Ileu, Granollers, Cardona and Lleida, to But giant and giantess haven't always era. We can therefore understand why name but a few. Amongst the tallest, gone hand in hand. The first Catalan it is that in the last century and even in two attract our attention because of town to record the existence of a giant this century -before the introduction of their height of 5 metres: the "Baron of was Barcelona, where the Corpus new, lighter materials-, there were Savassona" and his companion, the Christi procession of 1 391 included "the giants like the "Giant of the City", in "Baroness", both from Roda de Ter. King David with the giant and Saint Barcelona, that weighed 1 10 kilos, while They date from 1952 and weigh no Christopher". The giant would have she, the giantess, weighed a mere 90 more than 60 kilos each. been Goliath, and Saint Christopher kilos. Other imposing giants are to be In 1902, what is thought to be the first -the name means 'carrier of ChristS- found in Berga -the "New Giant" (3.85 gathering of giants from al1 over Cata- was another spectacular figure. But the metres high and 98 kilos) and the "New lonia took place in the Catalan capital. earliest reference to a giantess, in the Giantess" (3.80 metres and 80 kilos)-, The tens of giants that paraded around traditional Corpus procession in Barce- in Terrassa .-the "Old Giants" ("Robe- the streets of the city during the festivi- TRADITIONS

THE LES CABANYES GIANTS. A GATHERING OF GIANTS, SANT CELONI (1 989).

ties of the "Mare de Déu de la Merce" and Isabel"; Castelló d'Empúries exalts Gathering of Giants", held in Matade- caused quite a sensation. It would not the count and countess "Pong Hug" and pera on 29th August 1982. The presence be out of place to mention the fact thit "Adelaida"; etcetera. The artist Adria of guests "of elevated rank" from other the wounds inflicted by the loss of the Gual took his inspiration for the giant of countries, made it possible to establish Spanish colonies had not yet healed. the city of Barcelona from the fact that similarities and differences, which are The proximity in time between the histo- King Jaume I "stood more than a hand reflected, in part, in a book which bears rical circumstance and the festive event above al1 his peers". o the inscription "Amics dels Gegants de provide material for a separate study. In 1930, another gathering of giants Matadepera" (Friends of the Giants of According to the experts, it was the took place in Sabadell. It was attended Matadeperal. guilds who were originally responsible by sixteen couples. And this brings us to the many and va- for looking after the giants, before the The 1936-1939 war caused the loss of ried events of this kind which are taking town halls took over. several giants. Many of those who had place now. There have been a number The giants provided a means of express- travelled to Barcelona -in vain- for the of valuable initiatives which have given ing an artistic -and also critical- spirit. opening of the Popular Olympiad never rise to annual gatherings at the "giant In the last century, for example, a lot of returned. towns" -Sallent, Tona, Vilassar de Dalt, people felt that the giantess set the After the havoc of the war, the giant Molins de Rei, Sant Celoni, etcetera-, fashion in clothes, hairstyle, etcetera. In tradition slowly recovered. We know to artistic events -"Monument als Ge- I'Arbog del Penedes, in 1827, "General that in I'Espluga de Francoli the con- gants", photographic exhibitions-, ap- Chabran" appears, entertaining every- struction of the new giants was unpopu- preciation of the giants's music -pre- body with his dancing. This was one of lar because of the birth-tax levied on sentation of new dances, homages to the few giants with a name at that time, each household. In the end, though, the the old flabiol players-, a design con- Chabran being the French military of- "Giant" and "Giantess" went down well test for the "Gegants de I'Agrupació de ficer who, a few years earlier, had with the local residents. Geganters de Catalunya", trips abroad given the order to set fire to the town. In In Terrassa in 1950, giants from 25 (to Japan, for Saint George's Day; to some cases, giants and giantesses are towns in the province took part in a Paris, for the Bicentenary of the French identified with real people: Ripoll has meeting-cum-contest. The following Revolutionl, etcetera. representations of "Guifré el Pilós" and year, in Tarragona, there was another No doubt, wherever the excitement the "Countess Guinidilda"; Tona has the gathering of giants from the province. mounts around the giants, we shall hear "Lad from Tona", who was a famous Following the reviva1 in 1950 of the "Fes- the voices of boys and girls, and older tooth-puller; Sallent delights in its "roya1 tes de la Merce", in Barcelona, the fes- children, chanting the words, "Fal-lera, giants", "Bernat" and "Ermessenda"; tivities and merrymaking, as far as the fal.lera, falslera gegantera!" Amposta, like certain other towns, has giants were concerned, reached their its "Catholic King and Queen: Fernando peak at the famous "lnternational