The dance of the Tlacololeros. A Mexican dance.

By Oscar Cortes Palma

In the center of the state of Guerrero, in the municipalities of Eduardo Neri, Leonardo Bravo, Chilpancingo Chilapa, Mochitlán, Tixtla, Tecoanapa and Zitlala it is danced the dance of the Tlacololeros.

Near those towns that dance of Tlacololeros,  the dance of Capoteros is dancing in the municipality of Quechultenango. Capoteros Tlacololeros dances are very similar, we can say that are identical and differ only in name.


Another dance similar to Tlacololeros are Tecuanes dances.

Tlacololeros and Tecuanes gracefully represents a hunting Tekuani (Nahuatl word for the Tiger, Jaguar or Wolf).


Some of the characters Tlacololeros dances are:
1. Maizo Salvador
2. Tlacololero Tapachero
3. Tecorralero Teyolero
4. Green Chile Jitomatero
5. Dry Lightning Ventarron
6. Colmenero Frijolero
7. Xocoyotillo Maravilla (hunting dog)
8. Tecuani (Tigre)

In the dance of the Tlacololeros to growers and natural phenomena related to planting, for example, is represented some of the characters involved are the "The Maizo", who is the character most senior in dance and is what gives the orders his assistant called "Savior" who transmitted the orders to the other characters. Whose names are:

1. "Tlacololero". He sows in the hillsides or represents that land on the slopes called "tlacolol".
2. "Tapachero". It is the top seed after the land.
3. "Tecorralero". It is responsible for making the stone corrals.
4. "Teyolero". It is who snuggles stone for the Tecorralero build the tecorral.
5. "The Jitomatero". It is the sower of tomato, or represents the plant.
6. "The Green Chile". It is the sower of green chile, or represents the plant.
7. "The Gale". It represents the wind that brings rain.
8. "El Rayo Seco". It represents the lightning that precedes the rain.
9. "The Colmenero". He is collecting honey from the hives.
10. "The Frijolero" It is the sower of beans or represents the plant.
11. "Wonder". This character represents the hunting dog that accompanies the "Tlacololero" to keep track of the Jaguar.
12. "The Tecuani". Tiger is the Jaguar or damaging crops farmers.

All these characters dance so that there is good harvest, as we can see we have the land, represented by "Tlacololero" have land workers represented by the "Tecorralero" and "Tapachero" we have natural phenomena that attract the rain as "the gale" or "Lightning Dry", we have the plant such as "The Frijolero" "The Jitomatero", "El Chile Verde", ie everything is almost perfect for a good seed, just missing the character main "Water".

And just as we need the main character we can spare two characters, one is the hunting dog and another is the central character of the dance, I mean the "Tecuani" (Tiger or Jaguar).

So it's not unreasonable to believe that the Jaguar of Tlacololeros, if this dance is of Mesoamerican origin, representing rain, because if the Jaguar is no rain, their participation in this dance so unclear, and the Jaguars do not harm the crops eat meat. Jaguar is the herbivore is not carnivorous.

So if we know that the Dance of the Tlacololeros is to ask for a good harvest, but what role does the "Tecuani" or Jaguar in this dance?

Apparently, researchers on this topic not yet have a convincing answer, I suggest one, that in the event that the dance is pre-Hispanic tlacololeros take into account what the legend says about the relationship Zitlala "SACRIFICE "JAGUAR NAGUAL" = RAINS = good harvests. " Because, if we find that the character representing a rain dance to ask for good harvest, and noticed the Jaguar appears to have no role in sowing, then why not believe that the Jaguar is the representative of lack "the rain "in the Dance of the Tlacololeros? because just as the rains are the essential part for the good seed, also the Jaguar is the essential character of the Dance of the Tlacololeros.

Well this theory is in the event that the dance of the pre-Hispanic tlacololeros is because until now the oldest references of this dance takes us back to 1898, when tlacololeros and danced in the parade of 16 September Tixtla , Guerrero. According to a Mexican newspaper of the time called El Faro, dated September 15, 1898, which is located in the National Digital Newspaper UNAM.


DANCE BOOK Tecuanes

Information obtained from the book Dance of the Tecuanes.
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