Matachines (Spanish matachín, or religious dancer) are bands of Mexican ? who wander and dance from village to village or from house to house. They are found in northern Mexico especially in La Laguna Region (Coahuila and Durango), Sinaloa, Monterrey, and Chihuahua. They are also very popular in Northern New Mexico around the areas of San Juan, Laguna, Jemez, San Felipe, Santa Domingo, and Taos all located near the Rio Grande river, and also in the U.S. and Mexico border towns of El Paso, Texas, Juarez, Chihuahua (Mexico) and Las Cruces, New Mexico.
The dancers are known for performing or reenacting a set drama based on the history of Montezuma. (?) Even though the dances are based on this story, people who join the Matachines do it for a deeper religious purpose, since most of them join to venerate either Mother Mary (Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Lourdes, Immaculate conception, etc.), a saint (the group usually chooses the saint that pertains to the church they belong to), or simply to worship Christ or God the Holy Trinity.
Dressed in traditional ceremonial dress and clothing, the chief characters are El Monarca the monarch (Montezuma), the captains (usually consist of 2-4 and are Montezuma's main generals), La Malinche, or Malintzin, the Indian mistress of Hernán Cortés; El Toro, the bull, the malevolent comic man of the play (also symbolizes Satan, or the Devil, according to Roman Catholic religious interpretations), dressed with the skins of the buffalo and wearing the horns of this sacred ancestor; Abuelo, the grandfather, and Abuela, grandmother. With the help of a chorus of dancers they portray the desertion of his people by Montezuma, the luring of him back by the wiles and smiles of La Malinche, the final reunion of king and people and the killing of El Toro, who is supposed to have made all the mischief. Much symbolism is seen in these groups. The most basic symbol of the dance is good vs. evil, with good prevailing.
All of the cultural artifacts associated with the dance are blessed by a priest. The dances are performed by the Matachines have significant symbolism.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.