Glosas. Saint Anthony and Dimoni.
Glosas is a living poetic tradition of Mallorca, oral folk verses that sing on holidays, at the table, by the bonfires.. Usually a glosa consists of four lines, with a simple rhythm so that it is easy to pick up all together. There is no single author of the glosas: they are passed from generation to generation, change, supplement, invent new ones on the spot. Through the glands people joked, argued, teased each other, talked about life, love, work and what is happening around.
The most famous glosa in Mallorca is “Sant Antoni i el Dimoni”. It is known to almost everyone, and it is from it that many begin their acquaintance with the holiday of Saint Anthony. In the glosa of Saint Anthoni and Dimoni (demon, mythological character) play “thirty-one”, an old card game. Dimoni almost wins, but Saint Anthony always scores one more point. This simple and even ridiculous story conveys the main meaning: evil can be cunning and insistent, but in the end the good guy still wins.
Sant Antoni i el Dimoni
jugaven a trenta-u,
el Dimoni va fer trenta,
Sant Antoni trenta-u.
It is important that Dimoni in this glosa is not depicted as a terrible or absolute evil. He is more of a jester, a provocateur, a character who walks by, teases, interferes, but cannot win. This reflects the Mallorcan attitude to life: to not only fight difficulties and temptations, but also laugh at them. So the glosa sounds easy, fun and even suitable for children.
During the feast of Saint Anthony, this glosa is sung everywhere – around campfires, in the streets, in bars, at home with families. It is sung by adults and children, often many times in a row, sometimes adding new verses. For the Mallorcans it is not just a song, but part of collective memory and identity, symbol of celebration, fire, community and confidence that, despite all the devils around, life will still be on the side of the light.
