Moros y cristianos

Moros y Cristianos(Spanish:[ˈmoɾosikɾisˈtjanos]) orMoros i Cristians(Valencian:[ˈmɔɾozikɾistiˈans]), literally in EnglishMoors and Christians, is a set of festival activities which are celebrated in many towns and cities ofSpain, mainly in the southernValencian Community. According to popular tradition the festivals commemorate the battles, combats and fights betweenMoors(i.e.Muslims) andChristiansduring the period known asReconquista(from the 8th century through the 15th century). There are also festivals ofMoros y CristianosinSpanish America.
The festivals represent the capture of the city by the Muslims and the subsequent Christian reconquering fight. The people who take part in the festival are usually enlisted in local associations calledfilaes(singularfilà) orcomparsas(companies that represent the Christian or Moor legions). Each side consists of various companies that carry out activities throughout the year, organizing spectacular parades during the days of the festival and spending a lot of gunpowder with firing salutes from thearquebusin dramatized battles. The festivals last for several days, and feature festive parades with bombastic costumes loosely inspired byMedievalfashion. Christians wearfur, metallic helmets, andarmor, fire loudarquebuses, and ridehorses. In contrast, Moors wear ancient Arab costumes, carryscimitars, and ride realcamelsorelephants. The festival develops among shots ofgunpowder, medieval music, andfireworks, and ends with the Christians winning a simulated battle around a castle.
Due to Spanish Empire expansion, the performing art has been adapted in other places in Europe, America, and Asia, as in thePhilippinessince the 17th century and is a popular street play throughout the country. Unlike the Spanish version, the Philippine version is dominated by indigenous Philippine cultures which are used in language, costumes, musics, and dances of the play. The main story of the art, however, has been faithfully retained.Similar celebrations inZacatecas, México, are calledMorisma.
Theatrical festivities with this setting are already documented even before the end of theReconquistaitself, in1426in Murcia and in1463in Jaén.
The modern "comparsas" or companies of Moors and Christians have their origin in the oldSoldadesca, the local militia that carried out military acts of display or exhibition of the troops if required to pay tribute to some authority. Traditionally they carried out these troop parades during the so-called "royal festivities" for the visit of the king, a royal anniversary, commemoration of a victory or birth of a prince. In certain towns, these acts of the militia were also carried out to honor the localpatronfigure on his holiday, which is why it survived as annual celebrations.
The historical element is added by taking advantage of these festivities for the representation and exhibition of Moors and Christians comedies, normally with a moralistic or religious didactic character. It is from the beginning of the 19th century when the first texts ofLas Embajadas(the Embassies) appear, which require the need for two sides facing each other for the conquest of a castle.
The most well-known Moors and Christians festival are theMoors and Christians of Alcoythat takes place inAlcoi(Valencian Community) from 22 to 24 April, around the Feast Day ofSaint George(Valencian:Sant Jordi;Spanish:San Jorge), the patron saint of theCrown of Aragon(Catalonia,Aragonand formerly also of theValencian Community). According to legend, afterJames I of Aragonreconquered the city of Alcoi, the Moors, in turn, tried to recover it. As fighting was about to resume, Saint George miraculously appeared, and the frightened Moors scattered in defeat. Other traditions ascribe a miraculous saintly appearance toSaint James(Santiago), the patron saint ofSpain, particularly at theBattle of Las Navas de Tolosa(in what today is the municipality ofLa Carolina,Province of Jaén,Andalusia), sometimes guiding the Christians to surprise the Moors; else rallying Christian forces during the battle. The feast day of St. James is 25 July, so some of the Moors' and Christians' festivals occur at the end of July.La Vila Joiosa/Villajoyosacelebrates it in the last week of July, with a reenactment of the Berber pirate attack of 1538 (desembarc), according to tradition repelled whenSt. Martha(feast day 29 July) sent aflash flood.Especially in northern and western Spain (Catalonia,Valencian Community, and other places), parades associated withCorpus Christicelebrations may featuregigantic costumedMoors and Christians, also commemorating the Reconquest.
Other noteworthy Moors and Christians festivals are celebrated in the towns ofBocairent(a Medieval town, 1–5 February),Banyeres de Mariola(22-25 April),Villenawith approximately 12,000 participants (most crowded festival),Almoradí(early August),Biar,Cocentaina,Crevillent,El Campello,Elche,Elda,Muro d'Alcoi,Oliva,Ontinyent(late August),Orihuela,Petrel,Sax,Novelda,Monforte del Cid, and some districts of the city ofAlicante.
Andalusiaalso has very interesting Moors and Christians performances, especially in the former Moorish kingdom ofGranada. Performances are mostly organized in rural towns and villages, such asVálor, Granada, a small town in the EasternAlpujarras.
Spaniards took this tradition overseas. In thePhilippines,fiestasoften include amoro-moroplay. The show begins with a parade of stars in colorful costumes: Christians wear blue costumes, while Moors wear fully ornamented red costumes.Mexico,Guatemala,PeruandColombiaalso have festivals featuring Moors and Christians reenactments (the Mexican term ismorisma).
A significant amount of incidental music has been composed and still is composed annually for these parades. It is known asmúsica festeraand comes from military band marches. There are currently three main genres: the classic and popularpasodobles, the melodiousmarchas moras(Moorish in style), and the forcefulmarchas cristianas. In Spain amarching bandorconcert bandplays the repertoire for these parades, in the two latter types of marches the band's music is reinforced by timpani, concert bass drums and agong.
In thePhilippines, the performing art is officially calledMoro y Cristianos Street Dramaby theNational Commission for Culture and the Arts, the cultural agency of the government. On July 5, 1637, Jesuit priest F. Hironimo Perez finished the first Moro y Cristianos play in the Philippines. The first drama was played in a church, and was presented to the governor-general for a victory play againstMuslims in the south. Afterwards, the play became known in the common tongue asmoro-moro, which is the common name of the street drama today. The street drama itself, however, did not draw from actual Christian-Muslim conflict in the Philippines. The main precursor of its popularity in the Philippines was the indigenousawitandcorridotraditions in Philippine native cultures.
When performing, the representations for the Christians are in blue, while the representations for Muslims are in red or maroon. The street drama includespasa doblestune marches,rigodonin battles, courtships between a Moro prince and a Christian princess and vice versa, and a conclusion which usually depicts the Muslim converting into Christianity, the Muslim dying, or the appearance of the Virgin Mary or a saint as the intervention figure of the conflict. Thekomedyausually begins with aloa, followed by aparada. Usually, the main part of the story begins with a Muslimembahadordelivering a challenge to an equally-boastful Christian. The street drama became popular in the rural areas due to the inputting of folk traditions in the play and the need of the people for leisure, especially after a hard day at labor. Overall, the Philippinemoros y cristianosmay last from one to several days, depending on the Philippine-written script being used.
In 2011, the performing art was cited by theNational Commission for Culture and the Artsas one of the intangible cultural heritage of the Philippines under the performing arts category that the government may nominate in theUNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.