Dance of Los Mantudos Day in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in León, Nicaragua

Los Mantudos is a traditional Nicaraguan religious dance that is popularly performed in the Pacific region of Nicaragua, mainly in the cities of Chinandega, Chichigalpa and León.

In 1862, ancestors of the Mejia family of the "San Benito" region began the tradition of the "Mantudo dance" dancing in honor of the saint accompanied by a philharmonic band that performed the so-called "son del Mantudo". As the years went by, more and more dancers joined in, which is why it began to be called the "Mantudo dance".

Every year, on May 17 and 18 during the religious festivities in memory of St. Pascual Bailon, this dance is performed by devotees of this Catholic saint of Spanish origin in the neighborhood of "El Calvario" in the city of Chinandega, departmental capital of the department of the same name.

In the city of Leon, every December 12 during the festivities in honor of the Blessed Virgin of Guadalupe, the dance of "Los Mantudos" is performed by a group of fourteen characters: the "Galán" and the "Dama" plus twelve soldiers.

The masks of the gallant and the lady reflect faces of Spanish types. The soldiers wear their faces hidden under masks with fangs sticking out of their mouths in the popular representation of the devil's face.

This variant is an indigenous folkloric manifestation of the indigenous community of Sutiava. It is an expression of protest, mockery and repudiation against Spanish rule. Its origin is a reflection of the Amerindian's experience with the Spanish colonization that imposed their language and religion.

On December 12, the dancing group meets at the Mayordomo's house. From there, the parade departs to the Guadalupe temple square. After the day of Guadalupe, the representations continue for 12 consecutive days in the houses indicated by each one of the soldiers and conquerors.