
The ''ball de diables'' (;
Catalan
Catalan may refer to:
Catalonia
From, or related to Catalonia:
* Catalan language, a Romance language
* Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia
Places
* 13178 Catalan, asteroid ...
for "Devils' dance") is a dance
tradition
A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays ...
originating from
Catalonia
Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy.
Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the no ...
, though it is also observed in the
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community ( ca-valencia, Comunitat Valenciana, es, Comunidad Valenciana) is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous comm ...
and the
Balearic Islands.
Over the course of centuries, the ''balls de diables'' have evolved into the modern day ''
correfoc
''Correfocs'' (); literally in English "fire-runs") are among the most striking features present in Valencian and Catalan festivals. In the ''correfoc'', a group of individuals will dress as devils and light up fireworks – fixed on devil's p ...
s'' (''fire runs''). Participation in the form of
passacaglia
The passacaglia (; ) is a musical form that originated in early seventeenth-century Spain and is still used today by composers. It is usually of a serious character and is often based on a bass-ostinato and written in triple metre.
Origin
The ter ...
(processions) and ''correfocs'' is an essential part of celebrations in many towns and cities.
History
The origin of the ''ball de diables'' is uncertain, but they are believed to have come from medieval street theater, passed down through the oral tradition, evolving in the process.
Though the ''ball de diables'' is popularly known as a dance, it is more appropriately an
entremés Entremés, is a short, comic theatrical performance of one act, usually played during the interlude of a performance of a long dramatic work, in the 16th and 17th centuries in Spain. Later it became the sainete.
Dictionary of the Literature of the ...
since the performance was presented in between the entrees of the
nobility
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy (class), aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below Royal family, royalty. Nobility has often been an Estates of the realm, estate of the realm with many e ...
in the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
.
The theme of ''ball de diables'' is a theatrical representation of the struggle between the
good
In most contexts, the concept of good denotes the conduct that should be preferred when posed with a choice between possible actions. Good is generally considered to be the opposite of evil and is of interest in the study of ethics, morality, p ...
and the
evil
Evil, in a general sense, is defined as the opposite or absence of good. It can be an extremely broad concept, although in everyday usage it is often more narrowly used to talk about profound wickedness and against common good. It is general ...
. In its scenic context, it has been used mainly for
Corpus Christi festivities, in ecclesiastic
procession
A procession is an organized body of people walking in a formal or ceremonial manner.
History
Processions have in all peoples and at all times been a natural form of public celebration, as forming an orderly and impressive ceremony. Religious ...
s as accompaniment to provide a more ceremonious and spectacular aspect. The
demons used to lead a procession to announce its arrival make a racket. They used loud noise they used to clear a path through the public for the procession.

The figure of the devil or little devil is in all the spoken dances. It has no relationship with the play represented, but makes the audience laugh with its stunts. At the end of the play satiric verses are recited that are related to the
political
Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studi ...
or public life of the local area and that everyone awaits with delight.
This could have been the origin of the ''ball de diables''. Starting from a character that each time was taking more prominence and exceeding the importance of the original play, and as a result the devil part became the most popular one.
The first written account of a ''ball de diables'', according to
Joan Amades, was in 1150. The act was represented at the banquet of the wedding of the Barcelona count,
Ramon Berenguer IV with the
princess Petronilla, daughter of the king of
Aragon
Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to so ...
and
Catalonia
Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy.
Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the no ...
. The chronicle tells us that it represented the struggle of some demons, commanded by
Lucifer
Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passage ...
, against the
Archangel Saint Michael and a squad of
angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles inc ...
s.
The second written reference, quoted in the book of solemnities of Barcelona, is about the festivities of 1423 commemorating the arrival to
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ...
of King
Alfonso V of Aragon
Alfonso the Magnanimous (139627 June 1458) was King of Aragon and King of Sicily (as Alfonso V) and the ruler of the Crown of Aragon from 1416 and King of Naples (as Alfonso I) from 1442 until his death. He was involved with struggles to the ...
from
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
.
Also in
Cervera
Cervera () is the capital of the ''comarca'' of Segarra, in the province of Lleida, Autonomous Community of Catalonia, Spain. The title Comte de Cervera is a courtesy title, formerly part of the Crown of Aragon, that has been revived for Leonor, ...
, the devils participate for the festivities of Corpus Christi in 1426. In Barcelona, on the occasion of the arrival of the
duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, t ...
of
Calabria in September 1467, parties were organized and devils were present.
In the beginnings of the 15th century, the processions of Corpus Christi in Barcelona were closed with a short play, formed by one squad of angels and another of devils.
References
{{Culture of Valencian Community
Catalan folklore