Giants and Cabezudos, Santiago de Compostela, July 24,25, 2023

The 25th of July is the celebration of St. James arrival in Santiago. There is a traditions of giant sized figures and others with enlarged heads, cabezudos. I asked several friends why they did that. The answer was it was a tradition. They have preserved the form but forgotten the reason. One friend identified the two first giants as Cuco and Cuca but she didn’t know any more about them. I searched for them on the internet. They are supposed to be scary figures, boogey men. As you may have noticed, you can see the person carrying the giant. That is a new practice because the giants scared children which is precisely what they are supposed to do. From the boogey man information, I think the original giants were fighting fire with fire like dharmapalas. You make something so evil looking to frighten away evil and little children with over protective parents,

[@janevonmaltzahn2667]

Cuco and Cuca are looking lively!

[@TiffanyCHoyt]

thanks for explaning why the skirts of the giants open so you can see the humans beneath them. I thought it was a design flaw--much better now I know the explanation