The Ball dels Cossiers (

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 #1 ...

for "Dance of the Cossiers") is the most popular traditional dance on the island of

Majorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean. The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bal ...

, in the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands ( es, Islas Baleares ; or ca, Illes Balears ) are an archipelago in the Balearic Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago is an autonomous community and a province of Spain; its capital is ...

. In the dance, three pairs of dancers, who are typically male, defend a representation of good, the "Lady," who is played by a man or a woman, from a

demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, ani ...

. Normally the dance is done in a circle, with the Lady in the center, although some more solemn dance troupes (such as La Oferta, the Mocadors, the Bandanas, or the Mercançó) deviate from this tradition. The ball dels cossiers is traditionally performed at festivals, fiestas, and other public events.

History

The ball dels cossiers has been found on Majorca since the 14th century, when it was brought to the island 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 north ...

following the Aragonian conquest of the island under King Jaime I. The earliest recorded evidence for the dance has been found in a 1544 manuscript in

Sóller Sóller () is a town and municipality near the north west coast of the Balearic Island of Mallorca, Spain, 3 km inland from Port de Sóller, in a large, bowl-shaped valley that also includes the village of Fornalutx and the hamlets of Biniarai ...

. However, some scholars argue that the dance has its roots in pagan nature spirit worshiping rituals native to the island, and that the modern dance is a synthesis of these ancient rituals and relatively modern Catalan traditions. Because of

Francisco Franco Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War ...

's repression of

Majorcan Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean. The capital of the island, Palma, Majorca, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous communities of Spain, autono ...

and

Catalan culture 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 #1 ...

, the dance all but disappeared during the 20th century. However, it began to be revived in 1962, when Spanish film director José María Oliveira began hosting performances at his hotel in Palma and supporting local dance troupes. This revival has continued into the 21st century, as tourists and local governments have developed an interest in the dance. However, it is still nowhere near as widespread as it once was, as the ball dels cossiers is only practiced in Palma and five other towns and villages on Majorca —

Manacor Manacor () is a town and municipality on the island of Mallorca, part of the Spanish autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. It is the second largest town in Mallorca, after the capital of Palma. The municipality has tourist areas such a ...

, Alaró,

Algaida Algaida is a municipality on the Spain, Spanish Balearic Islands, Balearic island of Majorca. It has an area of 89.70 km2 with 4,528 inhabitants (). Geography The municipality of Algaida is located in the south-east of the island of Majorca, ...

Montuïri Montuïri is municipality in central Majorca, one of the Balearic Islands, Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(E ...

and

Inca The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, (Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The admin ...

References

{{reflist Culture of Mallorca Catalan folk dances