El Güegüense
In short: Discover how a merchant uses wordplay and dance in Nicaragua’s El Güegüense.
¹ Based on the number of Atlas countries, capped at 10. ² Editorial suggestion for reading this page. Discover Black Horse’s question
Origin and tradition
A Pacific Nicaraguan theatre tradition with Nahuat and Spanish elements.
El Güegüense is a merchant who confronts colonial officials. Wordplay, dance and masks turn an encounter with authority into a joke the audience can share. Daniel Garrison Brinton’s 1883 Philadelphia edition preserves a written text. The Diriamba entry dates UNESCO’s 2005 proclamation.
Dated records and sources
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2005 · Diriamba, Nicaragua
UNESCO · El Güegüense · original proclamation · Heritage listing -
1883 · Philadelphia, USA
Daniel Garrison Brinton · The Güegüence · Philadelphia
Country pages
Origin
Black Horse. El Güegüense. https://blackhorsestories.com/en/atlas-tale-el-gueguense/