Vejigantes: A Symbol of Strength and Identity
Illustration of a Vejigante making a hand gesture.
Vejigantes have been around for a long time, and while they’re well known within the realms of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, they don’t get as much exposure anywhere else. If you’re familiar with my work, then you know that I love everything related to them. For the benefit of those who are not familiar with these fantastic beings, I will include a brief summary of what they are.
What is a vejigante?
A vejigante is a folklore demon in Puerto Rican culture, stemmed from medieval Spanish tradition. Their appearance usually includes a bright and colorful mask adorned with horns and fangs, and a one-piece suit with fabrics that resemble bat wings. On occasions, they wield blown up cow bladders (yes, really) that they fill with seeds or beans to “bop” onlookers.
Initially, these beings were meant to represent the defeated enemies of the catholic church, also known as the moors. There is also the belief that the church used them to terrify people back to church.
Some people may know the history of Puerto Rico, a colony of Spain (and later of the U.S.A) that suffered genocide at the hands of Christopher Columbus. When the Spaniards settled, they began construction. As it naturally happens when there’s an invasion, culture changes. Most Taíno traditions were eradicated, and Spaniard traditions took over. Now that you have an extremely simplistic summary of vejigante history, let’s fast forward a little bit (and by that I mean a lot).
Spring Vejigante from Temporada Enmascarada series.
Currently, Puerto Rico hosts carnival festivities where the vejigantes are the protagonists. The two most prominent examples that come to mind are the Festival de Ponce and the Festival de las Máscaras, in the town of Hatillo. For decades, islanders have made their own vejigante masks and dressed up for the occasion. While on the street, they dance and “bop” people with the cow’s bladder (or balloon). Despite the terrifying aspect they are meant to portray, vejigantes are beloved figures in the community. It is obvious to anyone that what was once used to instill fear and ridicule others, is now an essential piece in Puerto Rico’s history and culture.
By the time I was born, vejigantes were a normal aspect of my life as an islander. To my knowledge back then, they were a product of Puerto Rican lore and nothing more. I learned later that their origins went back to Spain, and it was then that I developed a keen interest. As I grew up and matured (a bit, at least), I began to see vejigantes as more than just a figure of historical lore. Being surrounded by them, and seeing the joy they brought every time they came to a festival, I understood that Puerto Rico (Borikén) had adopted these demons as its own. The masks were made by amazing craftsmen that poured their creativity and heart into their work, and these same masks were used by Puerto Ricans that participated in the promotion of our traditions and culture. All of these factors combined convinced me that the vejigantes in my time were not the same as the original ones. These ones were Puerto Rican vejigantes, and they meant something different to their original counterparts.
Should the day come when you visit the island, you will see vejigante masks in many tourist attractions. You will also see them hanging in households or painted on walls. They are a staple of Puerto Rico’s culture, an island that’s fought hard to retain its identity despite suffering two colonizing powers. Even though the island shares many of the U.S.A’s cultural practices and some of its visions, vejigantes are one of those things that belong to us. Taking into account the history of these beings, in parallel with that of the island, I am led to believe that vejigantes represent the best of the people of Puerto Rico. They are fierce, fun and strong, and more importantly, they are unique.
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About the author
Eurice Cruz, a.k.a Transforming Wagon
Eurice is a writer and visual artist from the island of Puerto Rico. He graduated from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, with a degree in Foreign Languages. During his formative years, Eurice collaborated with several artists in the musical, visual and literary scene. After years of exposure to all sorts of work, artistic and otherwise, Eurice is currently working on growing his collection of published books.
