Festive giants are large figures representing kings, nobles or people with traditional clothing of the Spanish Middle Ages. They are a very prominent element in most towns in Catalonia (Northeastern Spain).
Origin.
During the late Middle Ages,, in court festivals of various European countries began to adopt the custom of including anthropomorphic dolls, made from wood and cardboard, large designed to hide a man inside. This man, holding them in armor or wooden easel, made the doll dance to the sound of a melody. In the fourteenth century, these dancing figures were incorporated into the procession of Corpus Christi.
In Catalonia, the tradition appears in Barcelona and begins to spread to Valencia and Mallorca. The female figure "giant woman" appears in the sixteenth century.
During the nineteenth century, towns and cities discovered, giants, an expression of local identity. With the arrival of democracy, these figures became a symbol of cultural identity. In 1984, the Association of Groups of Giants of Catalonia is created.
Types of Giants:
- Giants of Arenys de Mar. In this population are the Giants: St. Elmo and Carmen (a fisherman and a fishwife)
- Giants Barcelona. In this city are the giants: King Jaime I "The Conqueror" and Queen Violante of Hungary.
- Bellvís Giants of. In this population are the Giants: Pedro de Bellvís, Lord Bellvís and Ermesinda Moncada, Lady Moncada.
- Giants of Palamos. In this population are the giants: King Pedro III "the Great" and Queen Constance of Sicily.
