from the inside

There is no return to the entroido Ourensán. Send my perspective, to the province of Ourense where another dimension meets. I cannot understand all the meaning of Entroid with all its variants, characters, traditions and rituals because it goes beyond what is a simple carnival. Or if it is enrichment and joining in respecting and learning the ancient wisdoms that have influenced us since time immemorial. This is the time of the year where the cycle is outlined or ends at the entrance to the tomorrow with all its fascinating displays.

I returned to the entroids of my childhood, recovered and somewhat transformed. Recovery, respect, preservation and pedagogy around times of transgression and transformation to continue to maintain the essence. One of the symbolic figures of these places in Ourense Maceda and Esgos are fellos. Characters with costumes, faces and rituals are different from each other, but with a well-established tradition and a canteira that maintains a devotion to the ceremony that guarantees continuity. On Saturday morning they sell Maceda felos for several villages in Serra de San Mamede and I like the interaction of people from the place and outside their route. The essence of the old local work was palpable with the actuality. Or are the earthly falls of the ancestors sharing the context with the cell phones of the last generation. A real contrast! And the same in Gomariz? Esgos coas Madamas e os Felos daquel concello. An excellent display, perhaps not as famous as Macedin’s, but in some spectacular case, full of respect and perfectly framed in the context that suits it. The baixada da Marela on Saturday afternoon in Maceda is different. A brutal show inspired by the origin, with an impressive aesthetic that mixes various own elements and alleys, but relatively recently created. Ben levado, vai camíno de se convertir no maior dos reclamos do Entroido da provincia, pero olo! you don’t even have to lose the north there. This is not just about entertainment, it’s about culture and heritage with a capital letter and people who want to enjoy it must do so with knowledge and double-edged sword.