A Guide to Spain’s Maddest Fiestas, from how2holidayspain.com
Goat-Throwing
Where? Manganeses de Polvorosa, Zamora, Castilla y Leon, north-western Spain
When? 27th January 2008
A long, long time ago, there was a priest, who, having little to do with himself on most days of the week, travelled around the area of Manganeses de Polvorosa. He had his goat for company. Sometimes he rode the goat. Sometimes he walked alongside. Either way, he and the goat were always together.
At that time, the area was suffering with a great deal of poverty, and people were literally starving to death.
The priest, or rather the goat, fed the poor and destitute people with it's milk. No matter how many people were in need, the priest and his goat were, it seems, always able to help.
One day the priest was in the village of Manganeses de Polvorosa, 'kicking back', presumably after a long stroll when a loud noise startled the goat.
As goats apparently tend to do, it bolted off up the street. Seeing the source of their goat-based lactic comestibles 'hoofing it' away into the distance, the villagers understandably gave chase, which alarmed the goat even more.
The goat, pursued by half the village's population, ran into the nearby church, and as the villagers followed through the open door, (goats can't close doors very well) the goat made a frantic dash for the stairs to the belfry.
All might have been well at this point, except our favourite unfortunate goat reached the belfry roughly two seconds before the bells rang. This startled the goat so much that it leapt from the belfry window.
Catastrophe (or Goatastrophe) was avoided when a quick-thinking local (and there were precious few of them about in those days!) caught the goat in a blanket that he was carrying (somewhat fortuitously). Had he had a copy of his favourite paper and half an ounce of ready-rubbed instead, the story, and indeed the goat's life may well have ended there, but, him being in possession of a blanket was deemed miraculous. (I'm sure the goat was pretty relieved too!)
Consequently in celebration of such, each year in the village of Manganeses de Polvorosa, one of our goat's descendants is rounded up, manhandled to the ground, bound around it's ankles and carried through the streets to the church, up the stairs to the belfry, and then tossed out of the window to the blanket-wielding crowds 50 feet below.
Once (hopefully) safely caught, the goat of the day is paraded back through the streets in honour of his antecedant. Unlike his forebear though, the modern goat of the day becomes 'goat-du-jour', having been slaughtered and turned into a goat-flavoured addition to the fiesta's fare.
Dancing and music take over, and, emboldened by copious quantities of alcohol, loads of fireworks are set off. General revelry becomes the order of the day, and indeed, the order of the night, as the villagers celebrate this prelude to the fiesta of San Vicente.
You will not be too amazed to know that animal rights groups have targeted this fiesta as being a terrible example of cruelty to animals, nor be too amazed that throwing goats out of windows is pretty much guaranteed to enrage an animal rights activist.
They commendably succeeded in their wish to have the re-enactment banned, but hadn't taken into account the inexhaustible ability for Spanish politicians to 'fudge the issue'.
Whilst upholding the ban, a spokesperson said, 'We cannot be held responsible for the behaviour of the participants'
Therefore, to commemorate that priest's goat's leap of faith, each year, a trussed goat is thrown........
Source: http://www.ArticlePros.com/author.php?chris whewell
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