Catalunya’s Correfocs, Dracs, Diables and Fire Beasts

Summer and fall in Barcelona mark the season of city and neighborhood festivals, and no festa major or street celebration would be complete without a little fiery fun in the form of a correfoc (fire run), and the wild revelry of the local “devils” and mythical beasts. 

The tradition of wedding fire to public celebration isn’t unique to Barcelona or Cataluyna, of course; however, the specific way in which Catalans celebrate with fire tends to be both unique and entertaining. For example, the all-night bonfires of la Nit de Sant Joan are legendary; yet another famous celebration that dates back to ancient pagan traditions is the correfoc.

Fire Runs and Local Devils 

Corre, “to run,” and foc, “fire”: the combination creates a parade filled with devilish characters. Hoards of devils, or diables—organized bands of neighborhood locals, in costumes ranging from capes, hoods, and horns to more elaborate garb—are armed with spinning wheels of firecrackers on long poles (carretilles), vertical spark-launchers (francesos), torches and pitchforks. They march through the streets, chasing and playfully menace the onlookers with showers of sparks. A correfoc is nearly always celebrated on the last day of a festa major, usually after dark in order to maximize the effect of the shooting sparks and glowing flames.

Each neighborhood is proud of its individual diables association, which is non-profit and open to everyone; they work hard on their costumes and props all year in preparation for their yearly festivities. The local diables are accompanied in the correfoc by fiendish friends, including people dressed as witches and teams of tabalers (percussionists) who move along with the procession and give it its pulsating rhythm. A dozen or more tabalers playing together creates a primal, potent sound that can be heard from kilometers away.

The largest fire run in Catalunya is the correfoc at La Mercè, Barcelona’s city-wide festival in September. Local lore says that the first official correfoc took place in the La Mercè festival in 1978, when members of the performance collective Comediants decided to organize a spectacle in honor of the festival. The traditional ball de diables (“devils dance”) was accidentally transformed into something new when the observers began to interact with the show’s participants. 

Most Catalan festivals will include at least one correfoc in their festival programing, often on the final day of the celebrations. The revelry is not a children’s event: it’s aimed at adults, and can be too much for younger children. However, a kid’s correfoc is often included in larger festivals such as La Mercè; these take place earlier in the evening, with more restrained pyrotechnic elements.

Part of the appeal of popular street celebrations like the correfoc is the celebration of local tradition; another part is the socially leveling effect of collective participation. Amidst the chaos of firecrackers and smoke, people of all ages, backgrounds and belief systems come together for a shared experience that is both exciting and cathartic.

The Fire Beasts

And of course, the most impressive creatures in the fiery parade are the members of the local bestiari de foc, or compendium of magical fire beasts. Usually sculpted out of fiberglass and flame-resistant cloth, these gigantic creatures are armed with fire-shooting points, which allow flames and sparks to spectacularly fly from their mouths, horns, claws or tails. 

The origins of the bestiari in Catlaunya can be traced back to religious processions during Corpus Christi, when theatrical representations of the lives of Biblical figures formed a part of the celebrations. The participation of many of the traditional “beasts” have been documented in one form or another since medieval times; these include the àgila (eagle: a regal, revered figure representing “good,” as well as both heavenly and municipal power); the drac (dragon or serpent: an unpredictable, sinister element representing “evil”), the mulassa (mule: a playful, often chaotic comic foil to the heavier themes, and a hardworking creature closer to the common people); as well as el lleó (the lion), el bou (the ox) and la víbria (the female dragon).

During the Franco era, specifically religious processions were encouraged, while other secular celebrations were frowned upon. When the Franco dictatorship ended, Catalans were hungry to express themselves through local cultural events that went beyond Catholicism; part of this desire was channeled into creative outlets such as the creation of new celebrations, and non-traditional beasts for street processions. These new beasts were often fantastical creatures that existed purely in the citizens’ imaginations, and reflected aspects of local legends and popular culture.

The main federation is the Agrupació de Bestiari Festiu i Popular de Catalunya, which is an umbrella organization that brings together all the official bestiari groups and associations in the region. According to the organization, there are approximately 2,000 beasts in all of Catalunya, though not all of them of the fiery variety.

The beasts that traditionally form a part of the correfoc in Barcelona vary from neighborhood to neighborhood; their construction often references not only the fantastic or the mythological, but also something to do with the local character of the area or association they belong to. In the city of Barcelona, these include the drac volador (the flying dragon) and the sagresaure (a dinosaur)—both of these creatures from the neighborhood of La Sagrera —the drac de Gràcia (the dragon of Gràcia), the bretolàs (a three-headed dog inspired by Cerberus) from Sant Andreu, the porca (a diabolic pig) from Sant Antoni, the fénix (a fire-breathing phoenix) from Poblenou—and many, many others.  Correfocs continue to feature a large number of dracs (dragons), as well as other invented creatures that often reflect local legends and aspects of popular culture. While dracs and víbries (vipers, or female dragons) are the most popular type of fire beast, the bestiari de foc includes creatures ranging from spark-spitting mosquitos to angry billy-goats. 

Barcelona is also home to a unique couple: the gegants de foc, or “fire giants,” named Lilith and Nimrod. While gegants are another traditional part of nearly every procession you’ll see in Catalunya, these two towering figures are the only fire giants in existence in the region. Dressed in red and black and sporting diabolic faces, they were originally part of the porta de l’infern, or “Hell’s gate” show that kicked off La Mercè’s correfoc. After the decorations were vandalized, the city decided to save the two characters from further possible harm by transforming them into gegants.

While the diables, bestes, tabalers and other participants in the correfoc are careful to respect the onlookers’ and each others’ safety, excitement and adrenaline run high, and things can get a little wild. It’s best to wear old clothes and consider bringing a head covering, such as a hood or hat, as flying sparks can easily land on skin, hair and clothing. A scarf or neckerchief is never a bad idea, both to protect your head and face from sparks as well as to keep you from breathing in smoke. Close-toed shoes are recommended; they can help avoid burns as well as getting stepped on by fellow revelers.