Patum de Berga

The Patum de Berga (Catalan pronunciation: [pəˈtum də ˈβeɾɣə]), or simply La Patum, is a popular and traditional festival that is celebrated each year in the Catalan city of Berga (Barcelona) during Corpus Christi. It consists of a series of "dances" (in Catalan, balls) by townspeople dressed as mystical and symbolic figures, and accompanied either by the rhythm of a drum—the tabal, whose sound gives the festival its name—or band music. The balls are marked by their solemnity and their ample use of fire and pyrotechnics.

Patum of Berga
Date(s)	Corpus Christi
Frequency	Annual
Location(s)	Berga (Barcelona), Spain

Patum of Berga
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
Country	Spain
Reference	00156
Region	Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription	2008 (3th session)
List	Representative

It was declared a Traditional Festival of National Interest by the Generalitat de Catalunya in 1983. In 2005, UNESCO declared it one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity and, in 2008, inscribed it on its Representative List.

Balls

• Els Plens. Documented since 1628.
• Els Turcs i Cavallets (Turks and Little Knights). Documented since 1828.
• Les Maces. Documented since 1628.
• Les Guites (Folkloric "mules"). Documented since 1626 (Guita Grossa), 1890 (Guita boja).
• L'Àliga (The Eagle). Documented since 1756.
• Els Nans Vells (The Old Dwarfs). Documented since 1853.
• Els Gegants (The Giants). Documented since 1695.
• Els Nans Nous (The New Dwarfs). Documented since 1890.

Origins and significance

"La Patum" has its origins in pre-Christian celebrations of the Summer solstice, which were recycled and given new symbolism by the Catholic Church as part of its Corpus celebrations. In Berga, the earliest conserved reference to a Corpus procession is May 20, 1454^[1]. The festival evolved and incorporated more elements popular and religious theater in the Middle Ages, leading to a unique combination of giants, devils, angels, moors, and other bizarre-looking characters.

Despite the religious significance of Corpus Christi, and the Patum's descent from "eucharistic performances," in its present form it is rather a show of popular theater. It is unique in Catalonia. Anthropologists and specialists in folklore have been interested in La Patum.

Bruce Springsteen song

In 2016, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the "old giants" (Gegants vells) and the 125th anniversary of the "new giants" (Gegants nous), the Bruce Springsteen song If I should fall behind, arranged by Sergi Cuenca, was danced by both couples of giants.

Gallery

• 
  Ball de Nans Vells
• 
  Ball de Nans Nous
• 
  Salt de Plens
• 
  Ball de Gegants
• 
  Patum de lluïment
• 
  Guita Grossa

See also

• La Guita Xica

Bibliography

• Noyes, Dorothy (2003). Fire in the plaça : Catalan festival politics after Franco. Philadelphia: Univ. of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 978-0-8122-1849-7.

External links

• UNESCO page for Patum of Berga
• La Patum website
• Online videos of "La Patum" and other Catalan festivals Archived 2008-05-21 at the Wayback Machine