This is my entry into the challenge of a short story this monday and the topic or shall I say ending must contain the sentence below.
I hope you enjoy my story below
"and the devil did dance with abandon that night but still I slept in peace knowing that he would tire and fall down dead at my feet for all things evil eventually die we just don't often get to see it" .
The Devil's Dance
I thought we might take a journey a journey of a different kind.
Bolivia in South America is home to a vast array of culture and heritage and is considered to be a cosmic synthesis of the world.
This is a place like no other and a majority of its inhabitants are Roman Catholic although, religion is a Freedom of choice in this wide biodiversity of Amazonian jungle, high snow clad peeks, valleys and cities.
Our journey takes us to La Paz and from there we go to Oruro and it is here where our purpose has come to its thrilling climax.
You see we are here to watch and participate in a dance. An ancient dance of a distant era and we are here for The Diablada Dance.
The Diablada Dance is a dance form that originally comes from the Department of Oruro. It is a material representation with a deep religious significance, which begins with the discovery of the miraculous image of the Virgin Candelaria.
Found in the shelter of a famous thief called NINA NINA, in the 18th Century, when the Oruro miners decided to declare The Virgin as Patron Saint of the workers and to dance disguised as devils precisely to avoid provoking the anger of the mines "TIO" (Uncle).
This mestizo dance is also dramatized as a Catholic Story. It is a story of devils, enclosing a mystic plot supported by traditional belief, the eternal struggle between good and evil, a fight to the death between the devil's legion and Archangel Michael, who bestowed peace on everyone with kindness and beauty. Once defeated, the devils stopped their fighting and there was Peace on the Earth, stamping out discord, evil and rage.
Our guide Diego is a guide extraordinaire as he introduces me to this dance and the highlight of our journey. It starts with a dialogue between two powerful Angels, one represents harmony (Michael) and the other represents discontent and bitterness (Lucifer).
The meeting takes place right on the limit of Hell, and then the Diablada bursts in warlike attitude. At the call of Archangel Michael, heavenly legions arrive and the first battle starts. This is won by the devils, who invade the Earth to exterminate Christianity.
The second battle takes place and the mortals are awaiting frightened.
When the battle is over, the devils are defeated and they must suffer the shame of confessing their sins, "The Seven Deadly Sins", to the Holy Light.
As described above, the Diablada is the devil's dance. It was created by the miners and it represents the pagan-religious symbiosis of respect to the Uncle or Devil (lord of the tunnels and shafts) and devotion to the Virgin Candelaria, Patron Saint of the Miners. Its choreography represents the struggle between good and evil and the defeat of the seven deadly sins.
My trip here some two seasons ago had me also totally engrossed and participating with all my energies and exuberance. When my dancing had subsided into a total exhaustion I found myself trance like and succumbing to the dance of my subconscious as I recalled deep within my memory my experience "and the devil did dance with abandon that night" but still I slept in peace knowing that he would tire and fall down dead at my feet for all things evil eventually die we just don't often get to see it.
Milli 2006
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