Resumen

KOUVATSOU, Paraskevi. The Carnival of La Vaquita of San Juan Bautista de La Laguna, Jalisco State. Cuicuilco. Rev. cienc. antropol. [online]. 2021, vol.28, n.80, pp.183-200.  Epub 22-Mar-2022. ISSN 2448-8488.

This article presents the ethnohistorical study of a cultural tradition that is no longer practiced: the Carnival of the Vaquita of the town of San Juan Bautista de La Laguna. Firstly, a theoretical approach to carnival is offered, in relation to its symbolic dimensions and the specific functions regarding the context in which it is practiced. Its origins are investigated by way of the pagan rituals that gave way to the celebrations of Greco-Roman antiquity; thereafter, its transformations are studied with regard to its involvement with Christianity, throughout medieval times. Subsequently, the historical and anthropological dimensions of the festive representations of the bull, and its connection with carnival celebrations, are delved into. Finally, by describing the essential components of Carnival, and with the aim of relating it to the recurring motif of bullfighting, or the ‘petate vaquitas’ show (which are characteristic of both indigenous and Afro-descendant communities), an analytical look at the tradition of the San Juan Bautista de La Laguna Carnival is provided, encompassing a broad historical, social and political perspective.

Palabras llave : Carnival; San Juan Bautista de La Laguna; Jalisco; fiesta; cultural syncretism.