therefore assumed that they worshiped the devil. For this reason, one of the characters in the festival is called the "diablo," or devil. The diablos dress in intricate masks carved from balsa wood. The masks represent the defense of the indigenous against the Spanish; in the face of the Spanish's advanced weaponry, the indigenous had only natural defenses and believed in the power of animals like the jaguar. Thus, the masks display fierce animal and devil designs painted in bright, acrylic colors. The diablos also dress in "sacos" made from the cloth of "gangoche," which are covered in large banana leaves, or "munshi" in the Brunka language. This costume represents the natural spirit of the indigenous, and practically, can help protect players during the festival. The Spanish conquistadors are represented as one character is the festival—the "torro," or bull. All interactions between the diablos and the torro are symbolic of the historical struggles between the indigenous people and the Spanish. The ultimate triumph of the indigenous, or diablos, at the end of the festival symbolizes the survival of the Brunka and their culture in spite of Spanish colonial power. The festival, also called the dance, begins the night of December 30. Around 9 pm, the diablos, played by local males ages 14 or older, assemble in a clearing in the mountains near the town of Boruca. This location is said to be the birthplace of the diablos. There, they organize themselves and wait for the signal of the "Diablo Mayor," or elder devil. The Mayor is typically an older male in the community that has participated in the festival for many years. The Mayor directs the festival proceedings. Carrying his conch, he instructs the other diablos where to dance and how long to remain at each location. At midnight on the night of the 30th, which soon becomes the morning of the 31st, the Mayor blows his conch to signal to the diablos the beginning of the celebration. To notify the rest of the town, the church bells ring to the tune of the funerary song, marking the death the year. At the commencement of the festival, the diablos stream down the hill and dance to the central square, where they celebrate together until the early morning hours. The dance of involves jumping and connecting back to back in order to raise a fellow diablo off the ground. The tune