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Photos: the cucafera of Tarragona, Tortosa, Montblanc and Reus.

One of the fearsome beasts in Catalan mythology is the Cucafera.

It's more or less a mix of a giant turtle and a dragon, related to the Tarasca from Provence. It's said that female cucaferes lay a large quantity of eggs in the mud of lakes and shores, where the sun keeps them warm until it's time to leave the egg. But many eggs get sucked down the sand, and for this reason very few of these eggs result in a baby cucafera, explaining why there are so few of these animals. They eat sea sturgeons and other big fish and generally avoid humans, but when humans attack them or try to fish them, they defends themselves by fighting the humans with violence, moving incredibly fast. If the fight happens on land, the cucafera moves to hit its enemies with its shell, and if it happens at sea, its hits them until they drown. Sometimes the cucafera is also used to scare children, and is said that every day it eats 13 cats and 13 children alive.

There are different legends in different towns that talk of local fishermen who tried to catch a cucafera or people who have tried to tame one. These legends serve to explain why a cucafera takes part in the processons/parades of the town. The oldest written document that talks of a cucafera figure parading for these festivities is from Montblanc in the 14th century.

If you've followed this blog for a while or are familiar with Catalan culture, you'll know that festivities like festa major and Corpus are celebrated with traditional dances and figures that represent giants, dragons and other animals of the Bestiary. In some towns, a tamed cucafera also walks the parade. Some cucafera figures, like the ones from Tortosa and Reus, open and close their jaw to make a loud sound to scare children.

Children putting their hand in the cucafera's mouth in Tortosa.

Under the "keep reading", I've translated a legend from Tortosa about an adventurer who followed a wizard's words and who, with the help of follets (tiny elfs), fought a cucafera to save a princess. I hope you enjoy it!

A long time ago, a young man arrived to Tortosa. He was handsome and unusually tall, and wore a robe embroidered in gold and a beautiful stoat cape, proof of his status. From his belt hanged a long sword with which he had won a thousand fights, so heavy that only he could use it. His name was Rufolet, and he came from a far-away land in search of a princess called Rubí [Ruby] who had been enchanted by a wizard.

He went to see the city's authorities to ask for directions. The city councillors asked him how did he know that Rubí was in Tortosa. Rufolet explained that the wizard told Rubí's father "do not worry about your daughter; it will take many years until you see her again, as a punishment for your bad deeds and the mistreatment of your vassals, but the day will come when the bravest of your subjects will find the way and will know how to set her free from the spell. This subject will walk always towards the setting sun until he reaches a place where a wide river of clear waters crosses next to a city surrounded by city walls and seven gates, whose inhabitants are brave and hard-working, whose orchards give the most delicate fruits, whose garrigues produce the best oil, and whose temperature is sweet and pleasant all year long; near there Rubí will be found. As the most significant detail: that city has the Holy Ribbon, weaved by the Virgin Mary's own hands and which she used to tie around her waist when she was pregnant." [Relic kept in Tortosa's cathedral.]

And so, Rufolet continued, this city could only be Tortosa. Rufolet asked the directions to their nearest cave, which the councillors gave. The next morning at sunrise, he followed the directions: left the city, crossed the river and forests, slashing with his sword to open a path where the vegetation is the densest. It was already noon when he heard someone shouting "help!!! help me!!!!". He ran following the voice and arrived to a pond, where a follet [small elf] was drowning after trying to drink water. Rufolet quickly grabbed the follet's leg and pulled him out of the water.

"Thank you, noble sir" said the follet as soon as he could talk. "I'm Xaco, the oldest follet of our whole group. I would have died if it were not for you".

"Do not worry, it is not important. You would have done the same for me" answered Rufolet.

"Of course, do not doubt it" continued Xaco vainly, "because even though I am smaller than you, I am much more powerful."

"It is fine, there is no reason to get mad for something like this. I am happy I could help you" replied Rufolet.

"Very well, and I am very thankful. And to prove it, I and all the follets of this mountain range rest at your service to help you with the deed that brought you here. If you are in danger, just shout 'Xaco!' and we will quickly be there."

Rufolet continued walking up the mountain. When he reached the top, he saw the princess Rubí resting under a tree's shade. He stopped a moment to admire her beauty, when he heard a loud sound next to him: "Ggnnyyooff…!! Ggnnyyooff…!!"

He turned around and saw a terrible beast, with fire coming out of its eyes and fog out of its mouth. Rufolet started running downhill as fast as he could while desperately shouting "Xaco! Xaco!!!!" and seven follets came out of a bush, looking terrified because that beast had been scaring them all this time.

"Xaco, please, help me. I would never have thought that the beast would be so terrifying!" pleaded Rufolet.

"What did you expect!" said Xaco, laughing. "When I offered you our help, I did so knowing that you alone would never be able to defeat this beast, which we call a cucafera. You must use more skill than strength, and us follets have the secret to dominate it. Don't rush, for its head is so hard that no sword can slash it."

A second follet named Guarí continued. "First of all, you must know that the cucafera is harmless. Its disgusting body makes everyone believe it's an evil beast, but if you want it to be docile, you must only take your sword and cut off its ears and tail."

"But your sword", added a third follet called Canasta, "needs to be sharpened, because the cucafera's tail is very hard. Give it to us, and Xut and I will fix it."

Since it was already almost sundown, the seven follets and Rufolet had dinner and went to sleep. Right before sunrise, Xut and Canasta brought in Rufolet's sword, shining as the sun.

Rufolet and the follets went to the cave. The fight was short, since Rufolet knew exactly what he had to do. He slashed his left ear, then the right ear, and finally the tail. Suddenly, the terrible cucafera became calm and tamed, and slowly moved towards Rufolet and started licking his feet like a dog.

"Thank God, I'm free at last" said Rubí, still trembling of emotion. "Thank you, Rufolet, for taming the beast. Now we can go back to our country and we will get married."

"Yes, Rubí. And we will live happily ever after," answered Rufolet, "but we must take the cucafera with us so your father can have it in the royal garden as a reminder of this terrible adventure."

"What about us?" said Xaco, standing between them. "We also want to come and see your far-away lands and spend some time there among you. But only a short time, because we must come back here to work in our cave, which from now on will be called Rubí."

And so all the group walked back to Tortosa, with the follets dancing of happiness and Rubí and Rufolet holding hands. Near the city, they found the bagpipe players, who asked them who they are and where they come from. Xaco explained what had happened and asked the bagpipe players the same. "Today is the holiday of Corpus, and every year we play in the procession."

"The Tortosan people will be very happy to know we have caught the cucafera" said Xaco, "and it would be good for it to enter the city with the sound of the bagpipes." And the bagpipe players agreed.

And thus, with the music, the follets dancing, Rubí and Rufolet smiling and the cucafera walking calmly, they entered the city. But when they reached the Cathedral, the square was crowded with people who had gathered to watch the Corpus procession that was about to start. The only way to cross was right there between the crowd, and so they did right at the time when the procession was starting. Since that day, it was decided that the Cucafera, Rubí, Rufolet and the seven follets, followed by the musicians, would be the first ones in the procession. But nowadays they're not flesh and blood, because the real ones all went to Rubí's country and still haven't come back.

This legend is translated and summed up from the version published by Joan Subirats in 1957 (source).

Tortosa's cucafera and the giants, called Rufo and Rubí.

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