His head on the side trying to imitate the movement of the bulls.
Photographs and text
Alex Villacis Guevara – Thought, Andean imagination
With horns, a cloth on the face that has three holes, sheep and cattle skins they are disguisedmove their heads from side to side and scratch the floor as if they were animals, make guttural sounds and sometimes they ram the distracted.
Van organized by neighborhoods or groups of friendsthere is also a cowgirl, who is in charge of taking the bull or mocho through the streets of the parish, she sells her ‘animal’ and in many cases asks for a collaboration.
Those who play the role of bull, do not speak, only they make a kind of moowhile the cowgirl speaks with a high-pitched voice.
This is the festivity for the eighth of Corpus Christi in Sucrea parish located in the Llanganates between Píllaro and Patate. According to the participants, it is a tradition that has been going on for several decades, no one has an exact date of when this tradition began, however, many remember that they were their grandparents who taught them how to dress and act.
Bryan Chiliquinga is 25 years old and is one of the bulls, for him this is a tradition with which grew. “I used to see this when my uncles and grandparents would go out, they would go out dancing in the Corpus Christi festivitiesthis is the culture of the Sucre parish and represents when the bulls are taken to the cities to sell”, he assured.
A cowgirl while walking through the center of Sucre.
The priostes feed everyone who participates in the festival, including visitors.
Outside the prioste’s house, people sit down to eat at lunchtime.
The Tungurahua in the background while these characters walk through the parish.
The children continue the tradition hand in hand with their families.
Imposing among the public, a bull gets ready to train in the central plaza.
The bulls and bulls dancing in front of the church of Sucre.
The Catholic faith is part of this celebration.
A bull in the crowd, looking up at the sky.
One of the traditional music ensembles that accompanies you at the start.
One of the groups of bulls and polls from Sucre.
One of the groups before their presentation in the central program on Saturday.
With the afternoon sun and between the mountains.