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Who of you has heard speak sometimes of the "Cavallot", and of the "Balladora"? If you ask some neighbor of Organyà if it knows who had been these personages, most probable it is than it shrinks of shoulders and frunza the eyebrows. Only some -very little- those that happen of the eighty, instead of thus reacting, bending their venerable eyebrows, say to you:
Hammock! The Cavallot and the Balladora... you say... Either they sound to me... or... And, after thinking it moments, perhaps they will be able to give some distant reference you. He is not strange. Reason why we know, "the Cavallot" and the "Balladora" disappeared thing ago of about one hundred years.
Indeed, until the last years of century XIX - and perhaps also during first of the XX the day of Christmas, when coming out of the Greater Mass, they appeared these mysterious figures. The Cavallot Lucia a showy red velvet dress similar to which shone farcical the medieval ones, with its bells in the legs including. The face was practically anonymous, thanks to abundant flequillo formed by one retahíla of pendants and hair that left from a capricious hat. Altogether, "flequillo" and the hat wanted to represent the head of a horse. The long tail that hung to him completed the aspect of being ecuestre and, simultaneously, it gave a certain demonic touch him. Also it brought hanging a heavy key and, to finish off its antisocial air, tralla or whip counted on the one aid that balanced in a hand (a utensil, thanks to God, little used nowadays). Although, if you want to enrich your practical knowledge theoretical, you can request references to some fan of the sado one). Of the "Balladora" we will only say that, at least in its last times, he was a disguised man of fat person woman and a little idiot. Little cachondeo, we are sure that we were before one of the most genuine precursors of travestis and, consequently, also of present " drag queens ". (But you do not comment too much: in the times that run, this could give more fame us than own Homilies). The performance began finalized the Mass, when the priests left and- while the canons existed. Then, "the Cavallot" and the "Balladora" initiated the first dances in their honor. Later they made other evolutions, during which, in essence, " the Cavallot " looked for the " Balladora " and this one made see that it fled. During the wild persecution, the woman hid between people, chillaba and she even got to raise the particular houses. When "the Cavallot" catched it, this one simulated that" the Cavallot" beat to him with the whip... and later they were put to dance... until the "Balladora" became to escape. And thus they were crossing all the streets of the town and their environs, with the company of the laughter of the crowd that enjoyed following, smiling and retozona, the formidable representation. In its good times, it had to be a spectacle with a great reputation, since it attracted many strangers who added themselves to the celebration. "the Cavallot" was tributary of a respect and prestige such, that the simple fact of not leaving to receive to him, was considered a absolutely unforgivable scorn.
One said that "the Cavallot" represented the feudal gentleman who put under the town, customized in the " Balladora ". It seems to be, that we were before one parodia medieval and - by as much of remote origins. I would like haceros a reasoned commentary here, from a base solidly documented, with the purpose of acercaros to the authentic meaning of our "Cavallot". The moan, but this is absolutely impossible. The one that subscribes is a simple observer, an absolute ignorante in the matter, that has read four papers by pure chance. On the other hand, to obtain other sources of information, it is necessary to have a pile of time, to have a patient character and, in case this outside little, is essential to know Latin! We, who far from it we have these conditions, will leave the investigation to the specialists (by the way, where demons hide) and we will limit ourselves to make a pair of fast and chapuceras annotations- you will already pardon digresiones- to me while the reinforcements arrive.
We will leave from the most important date for our Villa: the 1234. In this year, in Organyà the bad uses -that is to say, the absolute submission from the town to the gentleman feudal- was abolished by vizconde of Castellbò, by means of the " Pariatge " (pact or union) signed with the Prior de Organyà. It was at this time when " the Cavallot " and the "Balladora" began to patalear, or perhaps, one is a much more old tradition, related to practiced pagan rites during the winter solstice - the dates of the calendar are coincident - with the purpose of favoring the mating and the fertilization and that, like so many others, adapted to the new situations? Of being certain, perhaps the constructors of the millenarians dólmenes of the neighboring Valley of Cabó would have been watching of exception, and why no, even contributor perhaps. What it is clear is that in this parodia, the feudal gentleman is certainly routed. They put the horse forehead to him, a ridiculous dress and a taken apart body. Up to here, all normal one: one was the opresor evildoer. But what calls singularly the attention is that the " Balladora " is authentic pánfila and that -as "the Cavallot"- a paper makes laborious frankly. And this being the personage who represents the town! It is possible that a town es reflex mng itself of if same? To ours to seem, to arrive at this situation, previously is necessary to have obtained a reasonably elevated degree of independence. A slave, for example, would not reflx mng itself of the pernada right of, if his master could have his woman freely. He needs to us to be owners of we ourself, before being able to us to autoparodiar to us. Thus, -eye, not you embobéis, that now comes the Great Deduction we create firmly that "the Cavallot" and the "Balladora" left year after year to celebrate the freedom of our town. Surely, the fact that the formal objective of the act was one collects that it became, dedicated to the cult to the Virgin Maria de Gracia, and without forgetting that the clergy was specifically homenajeado (in the first dances or dances), it helped to maintain during many centuries the tradition. Probably the decay and later disappearance of our pair must to the conjunction of an accumulation of circumstances. Some we can imagine to us. With the arrival of century XX, they improved the communications spectacularly, appeared the electrical light, the running water arrived at the houses... in short, vertiginous transformations in a country that with great difficulty had changed since the last románicas churches were constructed, six or seven hundred years before. Before this new situation, we insisted, in a period of very short time, is likely that many of the old traditions were taken like something anachronistic and, even, shamefaced. Other elements that took part in this "etnologicídio" you will intuit you yourself, if you read the article of Joan Besora de Cal Abrigader (leedlo, yes pleases to you: you I will not give everything it chewed). We will not speak too much of the Banyut, flag of our publication, because we hope that other companions do it in some other corner. We will say yes, that, that he was related with " the Cavallot " and the Balladora": it also appeared in days next to which did these and gathered bottoms for collects for the Virgin Maria de Gracia. The hermanamiento was still more far: also they died together. Like véis, the knowledge which we have of this formidable tradition is well precarious. With great difficulty we intuited as these grotesque personages went dresses, and still would enter a much more uncertain land, if we wanted to know which were the evolutions of their dances. It is possible, that some details have been transmitted orally of parents to children. A request: yes you have some news of these personages, or by oral tradition or by other means (written by hand, bibliography, photographies... etc.), we it would like that us you let it know. We have our magazine opened to these and other collaborations that you want to us to offer. By the way, you have asked sometimes abuelos/as of Organyà what know of "the Cavallot" and the "Balladora"? If sometimes they return we would want to be well safe of being able to recognize them.
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