Asociación  Bágoas da Terra

Aquelarre na eira das Meigas

Viveiro

bagoasdaterra@gmail.com

www.bagoasdaterra.com

"El Aquelarre"...The big WITCHES' SABBATH

Picture of Aquelarre na eira das Meigas (2000).

...Great Show (repeated now every year) named “AQUELARRE NA EIRA DAS MEIGAS” (“the traditional Witches’ Sabbath”) where are recreated myths, beliefs and superstitions like the “Santa Compaña”, deeply rooted in the old times people minds and shire places.

This show mixes theatre, dance, legends and old heritage and is supported by a huge documentation and set design work, related to those witch & wizard councils with its magic rites, food orgies, etc. These councils were usually celebrated on Saturday midnights. Since the beginning, Bágoas da Terra depicts one of local legend of the Viveiro Village; this legend meets with the magic witch night and  turns it into a real Witches’ Sabbath. Sometimes Bágoas da Terra performs some set design and the plot of the witch night over a different day’s anniversary, like Mozart’s and others.

The show of this great WITCH NIGHT or WITCHES’ SABBATH needs the act of more than 80 people among characters (dancers/actors), set design team, show coordinators, music, sound and illumination team, staging, performers, etc.

At the end of the show, either wizard or their helpers give to the assistants the magic drink (Potion), called Queimada (traditional destilled beverage of Galicia), which is prepared (firing it) within the show goes on in big pots.

The aim of Bágoas da terra is set this “Aquelarre” as an institutional event. In 2008 will see its 8th edition.

SPELL OF “QUEIMADA” POTION 

  (In Galician language)

(Listen the Wizard Voice: José Martínez Blanco, "Pepe do Galicia")

Mouchos, coruxas, sapos e bruxas
demos, trasnos e diaños
espritos das nevoadas veigas
corvos, pintigas e meigas
feitizos das menciñeiras.

Podres cañotas furadas, fogar dos vermes e alimañas

Lume da santa compaña, mal de ollo
negros meigallos, cheiro dos mortos
tronos e raios.

Oubeo do can, pregón da morte
fuciño de satiro e pe do coello
pecadora lingua da mala muller casada cun home vello

Averno de Satán e Belcebú
lume dos cadaveres ardentes
corpos mutilados dos indecentes
peidos dos infernales cus.

Muxido da mar embrabecida
barriga inutil da muller solteira
falar dos gatos que andan a xaneira
guedella porca de cabra mal parida.

Con este fol levantarei as chamas deste lume

que asemella ao do inferno
e fuxiran as bruxas a cabalo das suas escobas
índose bañar á praia de Area e mais de Covas

Oíde, oíde os ruxidos que dan as que non poden deixar

de queimarse na augardente quedando así purificadas.

E cando este brebaxe baixe polas nosas gorxas
quedaremos libres dos males da nosa ialma e de todo
embruxamento.

Forzas do ar, terra, mar e lume
a vos fago esta chamada
si e verdade que tendes mais poder ca humana xente,

aqui e agora
facede que os espiritos dos amigos que están fora
participen con nos desta queimada.

Pictures of Aquelarre na eira das Meigas (2006).

(BACK)

Since many years ago and parallel to the International Mostra Folklórica takes place there are plenty of complementary activities proposed by Bágoas da terra as the “Ethnographic Museum”, by employing local shop windows, the Xacobean Dance choreography, the traditional costumes catwalk with live scenes of the old Galician customs, many exhibitions, many of them as hi levelled as the traditional jewellery among them. In 2000, according to its expansion trajectory, it was performed a...