The origins of the tradition go back to 12th century medieval Spain. The vejiganterepresented the evil Moors who were defeated by St. James. People dressed as demons (vejigantes) in a procession thrown to honor St. James.
In the 17th century the vejigantes began to more generally represent good v. evil. In Puerto Rico, the Taino culture is also a part of the festival, and the vejigantes are heavily influenced by music, more specifically bomba and plena.
The mask itself is known as a “máscara careta,” which literally translates into “grimace mask”, and poignantly describes the scary look on its face. The vejigante is the person in costume who carries a vejiga (cow bladder) gigante (giant). The cow bladder is inflated and dried in the sun, then filled with seeds or beans and the vejigais used by the vejigante as a “weapon” during the parades and celebrations, as they playfully bop people with the rattle. Today, manufactured store-bought rattles are used. As with other Carnaval celebrations, the Vejigante Festival in Ponce is a burst of color. You are surrounded by not only the masks, but incredibly ornate costumes that glitter and mesmerize.