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People often address me with sweet words. Things like: Frieda, you are so kind, helpful, and always in a good mood. I have to admit, those comments really flatter my ego. Other flamingos notice that too. They give me compliments like, "Frieda, your feathers are so shiny."
But don’t be fooled. My personality also has a darker side. I’m fascinated by the strange and sometimes even the macabre parts of Spain.
A good example of that was after a long fluttering trip to Verges. This small village in Catalonia becomes, every Maundy Thursday during Easter celebrations, the setting for a macabre spectacle. It’s called Dancing with the Dead. Around midnight, five dancing “skeletons” walk through the streets. Their costumes look terrifying. They are accompanied by more “skeletons” with scythes, carrying signs like “I spare no one” and “Time is short.” These companions carry torches and move through the village in a choreography full of tragic symbolism.
As a newcomer witnessing this emotional event, which takes place in almost complete darkness, it’s hard for me to put my feelings into words. The behavior of the local audience is very respectful. There is almost complete silence, only interrupted by the slow beat of funeral drums. The sparse illumination of torches and oil lamps made from snail shells makes the scene even more hypnotic. This effect is enhanced by the “companion skeletons” who carry bowls of ashes and a clock without hands. That last symbol is clear: death can strike at any moment.
Which brings us to the question of why Dancing with the Dead came into existence. Its origin goes back more than 300 years. All of Europe was ravaged by the devastating effects of the plague. This horrific disease claimed the lives of one third of the entire European population. To illustrate how indiscriminate the plague was, the group of five dancers always consists of three children and two adults.
What I found most strange about my day in Verges was that the audience was more surprised to see a flamingo than moving skeletons. I guess I’ll never fully understand humans.
