Witches transform into donkeys in Tenerife

Las Burras de Güímar Photo: By Mataparda

It’s Tenerife, it’s carnival and so the fun continues with yet more curious festivals that would make a night at your local BDSM fetish club seem a little dull. In Güímar, for instance, witches will once more turn into donkeys at their carnival closing festivities known as Las Burras de Güímar (The Donkeys of Güímar). 

Legend has it that during a funeral, strange donkeys suddenly began to appear and accompany the funeral procession. Upon arrival in the town square, the local people thought they weren't really donkeys, because there was something very "fishy" about them. Local farmers then came up with the [quite possibly stupid] idea of poking them with a knife and, when pierced, the alleged donkeys become terrible and disgusting witches who begin to invoke Satan. The witches start dancing until the bishop arrives and holds an exorcism, calling upon the Archangel Michael for help, who comes down from heaven to fight with the Devil.

When San Miguel (that's the Archangel Michael or Saint Michael, not the beer) manages to kill the Devil after a gruelling fight, the Bishop also mandates that the donkeys be burned at the stake to restore tranquillity to the town.

This piece of street theatre dates all the way back to 1992, when it was born with the objective of making the Burial of the Sardine celebrations more popular, drawing upon various local beliefs related to witchcraft, including the belief that witches were able to transform themselves into donkeys in order to gain entry into the homes of the country folk, to cast their spells.

It begins with the appearance of strange women in various balconies and windows. Once the sardine has passed them, they transform into donkeys. They make their way together to the square, where they scare the living daylights out of some peasants, who work out that they are these famous Burras.

So they turn back into witches and form a coven, invoking a demon, who appears as a large figure with a skull for a head, accompanied by numerous imps. The witches dance with the demons, filling the plaza with noise, until the sound of religious music is heard, which indicates the presence of the Inquisition. At that moment, a group of friars, accompanied by a Bishop arrive, who begins an exorcism, calling upon the Archangel Michael for help. The latter appears in the sky, accompanied by various angels and fight against the big demon. Once the demon lies defeated on the ground, the Bishop orders the burning of the witches on the bonfire along with the sardine. (And everyone lives happily ever after.)

It usually takes place on the Friday after Shrove Tuesday, in the Plaza de San Pedro in Güímar, starting at 9 p.m. And of course it’s free. Just think how much you’d have to pay for the drugs to have an equivalent experience anywhere else!