Canarian Traditions: Dance, Sailing, Games, and Wrestling
Canarian Folklore Dances
Canarian Folklore dance reflects the temperament and psychology of the aboriginal Canarian people, influenced by various invading cultures. Popular songs and dances feature simple weaving and running steps, often expressing joy and revelry for missing relatives in the Americas. The origin of these dances dates back centuries, though remains unspecified.
La Folie
The timple is played in a stately bolero rhythm, slow and unhurried. Men and women dance separately with almost tragic seriousness.
The Dance of the Living
Unique to El Hierro Island, this mimed dance features a couple where the man takes on the role of a woman. It simulates grooming, looking in a mirror, and adjusting the waist, with the man imitating every move. The dance ends with a sudden slap on a hat, accompanied by a sad melody and rhythm.
Navigation
Ship Parts
- Hull: Obra viva, draft, waterline, bow, stern, deck centerline, starboard, port
Measures and Dimensions
- Length, Beam, Calado
Accessories
- Rudder (paddle, cane, wheel, action rudder), anchor
Ropes (Knots)
- Simple, plain, bowline, clove hitch
Elements of Work
- Bollard, cleat, dead, defense
Rigging
- Shrouds (hold the sticks laterally), Estay (lengthwise), halyards, sheets (hunting guide candles), boom vang
Sails
- Scale have, mainmast mainsail, jib (triangular bow), spinnakers (largest sailing downwind spinnaker)
Sailing Forms
- Lateen sail
Value of the boat with the wind (upwind or windward, through long, by the stern), windward (x is wind), lee (contrary), luff, arrive.
Tacks
- On ahead and round
Snipe, Canarian Optimiser J80
Traditional Canarian Games
History
One of the world’s oldest documented games, with records in ancient Egypt. In the Canaries, the first references date to the settlers in the sixteenth century. It was played in Lanzarote, also known as “ball hutch”.
Materials
Evolved from stone and wood balls to pulp balls.
Play Space
Next to bars and restaurants, with drinks as bets. 18×25 meters long and 3-5 meters wide.
The Ray
The place where the ball is thrown.
The Miche
A small ball launched at the start to be shared or to approximate the ball.
The Game
Starts with a draw. The miche is launched, followed by the first ball. The opposing team throws balls to get closer to the miche. Points are added for balls closer than the opponent’s. The game ends when a team reaches twelve points.
Palo Conejero
Functions
- Animal management, support, recreational small stick
Wood Types
- Medium stick, big stick (disappeared)
Medium height from ground to heart.
Maestro of Palo Conejero
Don Cristino Feo de Leon, 1987 Cabildo Insular de Palo Conejero School. Free classes on Tuesdays from 5 to 7 at the city fight dump.
Canarian Wrestling (Lucha Canaria)
History
Injured by lack of data, historians and chroniclers of the conquest indicate that Islanders practiced with skill and courage. Theories suggest a Berber origin from North Africa, as similar wrestling styles were spread across the islands before significant inter-island contact.
Evolution
Divided into three periods:
Historical Epoch (Folk Era)
Institutional forms, tricks, and styles similar to the present. Development of challenges, holding techniques, trick names, and noble struggle. Clashes were a battle run, using the Catamarca grip. Bodies were anointed with lard to hinder grip.
Institutional Epoch
The adversary system of three out of two best appears. Teams consist of twelve fighters. A unified hand grip is used across all islands. Competitions are institutionalized at island, provincial, and regional levels.