Traditions and Tales

THE CAVALLETS

THE CAVALLETS

THE CAVALLETS DE FELANITX The Cavallets of Felanitx are an ancient cultural heritage, initiated by the Augustinian friars in the 17th century, and today they are the most important and representative element of the folkloric culture of Felanitx. Since 1881, the town council has been responsible for the preservation of this tradition and appointed a teacher to instruct the Cavallets, although even after the Confiscation in the second third of the 19th century they were still associated with the monastery. The group comprises seven children, six Cavallets (boys) and one Dama (girl), who...

SANT JOAN PELÓS

SANT JOAN PELÓS

Every year on the 24th of June, his saint's day, you can see Sant Joan Pelós dancing in the streets of Felanitx to the characteristic sound of a piccolo and other string instruments. He always accompanies a young man, who represents St. John the Baptist, wearing a white shirt, white stockings and shoes, a red skirt and cloak, a wig, a crown and a mask. In his right hand he holds a crucifix with the inscription that characterises the Baptist. We found the same representation as early as 1511 in masses in La Seu, the cathedral of Palma. That character is dressed in a fur cloak, hence...

ELS DIMONIS DE FELANITX

ELS DIMONIS DE FELANITX

(FELANITX DEVILS)

Those two Dimonis (devils) always accompany the Cavallets and the giants on the feast days of St. Margaret and St. Augustus, clearing their way as they parade through the streets. Although both of them carry a pitchfork, they do not chase or frighten people; perhaps because of the kind, friendly nature of the two men who played the role of the devils for many years: Sebastià Campet and Jaume Bonjesús. They are dressed in a red coverall, buttoned at the front, and with two griffins (mythological animals) painted on the back. A hood with green horns and goatskin ears covers their...

ELS SALERS

ELS SALERS

The melody Ses Sales is typical of Easter Sunday. A group of singers used to walk from house to house, asking for panades and rubiols (savoury or sweet filled and baked turnovers). With their songs they invited people to a dance held on the second Sunday of Easter. In Felanitx, a group of young people began singing and playing the same music for the same festive purpose in 1978, when the town and the socio-cultural context had already changed completely. Out of this arose again a tradition that has continued without interruption until today. At the same time, there were Salers in Cas Concos...

LA CAPTA DE SANT MARÇAL

LA CAPTA DE SANT MARÇAL

In the past, the guilds used to collect money to cover the expenses of the feast of their patron saint. Therefore, the workmen went to collect (captar) and handed out devotional or holy cards to those who donated. The St. Martial community also employed musicians to accompany the fund-raising, setting their collection apart from the others in the town. The oldest written evidence that suggests a musical accompaniment of this capta dates from 1842. From 1931 onwards, there were several interruptions and short-lived revivals, but by then the melody had become so popular, that people were...

COLLA DE XEREMIERS

(THE BAGPIPE-ENSEMBLE)

The Colles de Xeremiers (bagpipe-ensembles) belong to most of the festivities all over Mallorca, and are therefore a cultural reference, traditionally associated with festivals. With their characteristic instruments xeremia, flabiol and tamborino (bagpipe, one-handed flute and drum), they play different melodies for traditional dances and to accompany the authorities during religious celebrations and processions. They also perform with figure dances, such as the cavallets in Felanitx, and the dance of the giants Gigant del Maculí and Maria Enganxa.

SA FONT DE SANTA MARGALIDA

SA FONT DE SANTA MARGALIDA

(St. Margaret fountain)

The St. Margaret fountain is one of the most important cultural elements of the town, and features in several tales. One tells that on a 20th of July a man from another village rode to Felanitx and tied his horse to a bunch of reeds on the square. The horse was thirsty and began digging the earth with a hoof, when a miracle happened and water emerged from the dirt. The whole place was amazed, and they say this is how the fountain was discovered. The elders say that the fountain had the shape of a horseshoe in memory of the famous horse.

EL GEGANT DEL MACULÍ

EL GEGANT DEL MACULÍ

(THE GIANT GEGANT DEL MACULÍ)

The tale says that the giant depicted by this figure lived on the mountain Sant Salvador. Imagine how big he was: one day, when he was heading back to the summit, he felt a discomfort in his shoe. He took it off and removed a little stone, that's the huge rock on the side of the road, just before you reach the Capelleta, the little chapel. On the feast day of St. Margaret in 2006, the couple of giants of Felanitx were presented to the public. The figure of the giant is 367 centimetres tall and weighs 41 kilos.

NA MARIA ENGANXA

NA MARIA ENGANXA

(THE GIANT NA MARIA ENGANXA)

SA FESTA DES CORBS

(THE RAVENS' GATHERING)

The legend says that in the castle Castell de Santueri there lives a pair of ravens and, if one day a hunter's bullet killed one of them, the following day a dense, black flock of ravens would descend on the When the swarm takes flight again, one of them, of the same sex as the one who was killed, remains at the castle together with the other one. This is how the pair of ravens that guard and protect the castle Castillo de Santueri will remain there forever. Reference: Per Terres de Mallorca. D'ací d'allà. Vol. 16, núm. 117 (set. 1927), p. 271,...