Costa Rica Travel – Dance of the Spirits.

Julio and I were recently invited to the indigenous community of Boruca in the southern part of Costa Rica to watch and learn about the end of the year ceremony called “Baile de los Diablitos.”

Our friends in the community encouraged us to bring along other people to share in their most sacred and exciting festival. We invited some adventurous travelers to join us and we were quite pleased to have a cohesive, diverse and interesting group.

The Baile de los Diablitos is a four day festival that celebrates the fact that the Brunka people of Boruca were never conquered by the Spanish conquistadores. The phrase “Baile de los Diablitos” literally translates to “Dance of the little Devils,” but it would be best translated as “Dance of the Spirits.”

The dance is also sometimes referred to as the juego (game). Many of the men of the community dress up as diablitos (representing their ancestors) and fight against a bull (who represents the Spaniards).

At times it seems like the bull might win, but in the end the diablitos prevail! This ceremony is also coming to represent the struggle to maintain cultural identity in the face of Westernized influences.

All of the days of in Boruca were magical, but the finale of the baile was truly impressive. The last afternoon just before sunset, all of the diablitos and the bull met in the center of the town and the bull “killed” each of the diablitos one by one.

Symbolically each time that someone fell it was as if he had died and had to stay in the location where he fell. Some of the diablitos lost their masks that day because their encounters with the bull were so rough that they broke clean in half. The fallen diablitos inadvertently helped the bull to trip others so that near the end there were piles of diablitos around the area.

The last to be felled by the bull was El Mayor, an elder who acts as a cultural and spiritual leader of the community. We all believed that the bull was going to be easy on him because he’s elderly, but it was not like that at all!

After El Mayor had fallen, the bull ran to hide in the forest. The whole area was still, Borucans and visitors alike were quiet, waiting to see what would happen.

Then, breaking the silence, El Mayor rose up and sounded his conch shell to raise up all the other diabilitos and thus symbolize that the Spanish never conquered them. It was a very emotional and happy moment.

Written by Sarah Joy Staude

• Sign up now for the Boyero Tours trip to Boruca for a special workshop with the artisans. You can choose between textile dyeing & weaving or mask carving & painting. March 25-30, 2007 Limited space available!
• Sign up now for the Boyero Tours trip to Boruca for the 2007-08 Baile de los Diablitos: 29 December 2007 – 3 January 2008. Limited space available!

Customer Comments: From client/friends from the 2006-07 Baile de los Diablitos tour:

“Sarah Joy & Julio have built a bridge to the indigenous community that was educational, fun, and non-invasive to the people who live there… They provide tours with a heart. If one wants to see the common tourist sites that is very easy but with Sarah Joy and Julio one can experience the true Costa Rica with friendly and informative guides who will provide you with an unforgettable experience of your visit to ‘paradise’.” Annalisa Bandalera, San Isidro de Heredia, Costa Rica (originally from USA)

“It was beyond a doubt one of the best adventures of my life. What a unique and authentic experience. The landscape is beautiful and the people of Boruca are curious about us as much as we are about them. Living, eating with, and spending time with Boruca families gave me a first-hand insight into their unique lifestyle. Those five days felt to me like a real escape into another dimension.” Gosia Duszak, San Pedro de San Jose, Costa Rica (originally from Poland)

“You guys are great! What personal attention! What a great group of people! I am in love with the smiling Pedro (our local guide)! When can we go again?!!!” Laurie Burns, Heredia, Costa Rica (originally from USA)

These guided tours and solo trips are all designed to show you the real Costa Rica, it’s people, nature and traditions. Your hosts Julio (from Costa Rica) and Sarah Joy (from the USA) would love to show you one of the most breathtaking and ecologically diverse countries in the world – Costa Rica!

If you would like more information about these eco-adventure tours, please use the form below to email Sarah Joy and Julio:

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.