The text that accompanies east article has been written - in Spanish by Sebastián Diaz Churches (great piornalego).

Every year, January 19 and 20 (Saint-Sébastien), has place with Piornal, ceiling of Extremadura and cradle of good ham, the festival of Jarramplas; where confluent much of the basic contents of the general folklore: festivities, beliefs, music, rites, gastronomy, clothing, etc....

Jarramplas is identity of this village of mountain and is pride of its inhabitants.

One does not know the precise origin of the festivity, however, exist several theories, since mythological (fights and the punishment which violated Hercules with Caco): the conclusion of rites of fertility and expulsion of the winter, as that which believes that its origin is based on the ceremonies seen by the first conquerors of America between the Indians, extended between the inhabitants of Piornal, in which one speaks about the character as a robber of cattle which is subjected to the punishment and the mockeries of the villagers.

Currently, the bond between these mythical traditions is indisputable and Saint-Sébastien, undoubtedly the church knew to include/understand what is deep social rooting of the popular habits and adapted the periods more the symbolic systems to its principal references of festival. The piornalegos were proud of this festivity and year after year they live it with an unusual intensity.

Development of the Festivals

The preparations for the festivities of the next year begin the afternoon of the 20. Jarramplas and its Masters of hotel are offered with one to taste succulent, on the basis of exquisite spine piornalego, in the house of future the Masters of hotel.

During all the year the Masters of hotel conclude the clothes industry of the combinations, the masks, will cachiporras them and the tambourine, like other preparations necessary. Passed Christmas, the mozas, the child that repeats and Jarramplas test what is traditional "by Alborás", typical songs of the folklore of Piornal.

During the last years there is a new habit which consists of that Jarramplas somewhat devotes time to the children. The 18 the Jarramplas afternoon visits the college, wearing a combination and its tambourine. With the discovered face, he visits initially all the classrooms. These moments are of a great emotion for the small ones.

While already concluding its course by the classrooms Jarramplas, with the put mask, it leaves in the court where it runs behind the children while those reveal paper balls.

In the morning of January 19, Jarramplas and its Masters of hotel traverse the streets of the villages and visit some residences to take again foods and gifts. These contributions would be used in making of crumbs which are offered in the next paddle and tasting it with which the Master of received hotel offers Jarramplas and to his Masters of hotel the day 20 times concluded the festival.

About midday Jarramplas leaves to traverse the streets of the village equipped with its mask and by playing the tambourine. This one is the first occasion to launch turnips to him. This same situation is repeated after having eaten when Jarramplas goes towards the church. While falling, the protagonist of the festivity, with the head discovered observes as Saint-Sébastien is lowered by his throne to equip it and place it in litters where it will remain until the following afternoon.

And the evening, one makes sound the bells and Jarramplas, without mask, is laid out to traverse the streets of the people accompanied by the Masters of hotel and other neighbours who sing with A his tambourine. Little before midnight they will leave again in direction the church, where will request three Ave Maria and a Salvo.

When the bells of the church give midnight, Jarramplas, with vis-à-vis with discovered and while working behind, is accompanied in procession by the multitude. During the way one would sing the traditional ones "by Alborá" until arriving again at the church.

At the paddle, the quintos are already given the responsibility to distribute crumbs and wine to everyone. With this the day before concludes from Saint-Sébastien.

The 20 starts with the sound of the rockets launched by the Masters of hotel, who traverse with Jarramplas the streets and the houses of the people of Piornal to request from his neighbours gifts.

To 10 H. of the morning the procession starts which will leave the door of the church. Jarramplas, with the head discovered and its usual tambourine goes in back without separating the sight of the saint.

By finishing the procession one carries out an adjudication which it will determine those which present will have the honour to introduce with the saint into the church.

Towards the end of the mass the women and child who repeat start to sing the Spiral of Saint-Sebastian, while Jarramplas between stanza and stanza plays of the tambourine. In the final part of the spiral the rate/rhythm of the song is accelerated and the emotion is felt in the atmosphere, much present leave the church to await the more important exit of Jarramplas. When it makes an appearance, a turnip rains its product around him.

Careers succeed, cries of enthusiasm, turnip launching, and the sound of the tambourine... This part of the festivity is prolonged until the physical fortress of Jarramplas supports. The afternoon, Jarramplas goes to the rosary, the besapies and the adjudication so that the rise with the throne of Saint-Sebastian and occurs just after the conclusion and the exit of this emblematic character. Finally Jarramplas moves towards the house of the Master of received hotel, people of Piornal know that its festivity arrives at its end, and benefit from last turnips to launch them with an unusual force, while trying to seize itself at these times, by knowing that until the next year they will not see any more Jarramplas.

Jarramplas is discovered, the Masters of hotel help it with removed the mask, they assembles it on shoulders and everyone applauds the fortress and the gravity with which Jarramplas carried out its function.

Jarramplas Characters.

Jarramplas:
Several are the theories which appear at the time to justify the origin of Jarramplas, although all they have a common aspect which is that to frighten and drive out the negative forces, or of the devils or the robbers of cattle, by the turnip launching. Its origins although dubious were proceeding with the appearance of Christianity in this zone.

Among all the theories that which has more acceptance it is that which affirms that Jarramplas was a robber of cattle, although after the union of the festival of Saint-Sebastian to the conclusion of Jarramplas a new theory appeared which affirmed that Jarramplas was a Christian warrior that was done Moslem.

What is really important more of Jarramplas than its origins, already lost in time, it is that Jarramplas represents the Community which is plain to fight against the evil, and this feeling of union and fraternity is that which resides in the famous village of Piornal.

The character of Jarramplas underwent certain modifications there is years the principal function of Jarramplas was that to maintain what is zagales, since those were what is alone which could launch turnips to him. These last years the possibility of launching turnips to them one extended to all the collaborators by whom Jarramplas in front of the ferocity of the impacts was protected with an armour from glass fibre and polyester which deprives to him of its mobility, Jarramplas already does not continue with small the things by alarming it and while launching to him will cachiporras them.

What is piornalegos incarnated the character of Jarramplas for various reasons, like social acceptance, the "piornalegos" (people of Piornal) recognize anger and the value which is necessary to support the battle naval which has certain similar to martyrdom that Saint-Sebastian suffered when one cover the body of arrows to him being Christian. Currently if a piornalego wishes to be Jarramplas must await a 10 years minimum being given the great popular desire to preserve alive the tradition and the awareness of rising generation piornalegas to maintain and preserve of them its folklore and traditions.

Quintos:
The Quintos have to say much in the festival of Jarramplas. In the past the fifths were going by the orchards of the neighbourhoods to steal the turnips which were launched against Jarramplas. Currently, and in front of the shortage of those, the town hall is given the responsibility to distribute in the streets, so that nobody misses turnip to reveal in Jarramplas.

19 of paddle the quintos are given the responsibility to offer crumbs to all the village, sprinkled with chocolate or wine accompanied by other products which the neighbours had given before Jarramplas and to the Masters of hotel.

The quintos take share more popular festivals, like Carnavals until its walk or departure for its incorporation with the files.

Saint-Sébastien:
The word Sebastián means "that which obtains happiness to live in the city which is in top", namely, that which obtained eternal glory.

Sebastián, coming from Narbona and close to Milan, was enumerated in the Roman militia, where thanks to their honesty they proposed the first troop (unit of the Roman military service), whose office consisted in giving escort to Undertaking.

Who was going to suppose that a few years then Saint-Sébastien would perish by order of these Emperors to which it accurately was useful.

The Emperor Orodné that they leave it to the field, which would attach it to a tree and which a group of soldiers would germinate its arcs against him and they would kill it. People charged to achieve this order with the saint, by leaving him the body full with darts. But Sebastián, in spite of the gravity of the torment, did not manage to die, then, when the soldiers went away, somebody untied tree and a released.

A few days then Sebastián, to the meeting of the emperor for him began again by the control went which followed against the Christians.

Diocletian ordered that they seize it again and that covers it blow until they are sure that they had killed it, and that they throw then the body with a sewer so that the Christians cannot recover it nor to pay with their remainders the worship with which honoured with its martyrs.

At the following night the Sainte Lucia saint appeared for him indicated where his corpse was, so that it can thus be buried beside the apostles.

Saint-Sébastien died martyred by mandate of the emperors Diocletian and Maximiano, which started to reign about year 187 after J-C.

Mayordomas:
The Master is the representative of the correct development of the festivity. Its work begins the twenty of the previous year, when Jarramplas is taken again, him and its Master of hotel goes to the house of the new Master of hotel to deliver his cloakroom to him. There they will be offered with which charms dinner. The family of the Master of received hotel undertakes the maintenance of the candles of Saint-Sébastien during all the year.

The Master carries out during the year the clothes industry of the complete combinations, the masks; will cachiporras them and the tambourine. It also chooses with the women who sing the Spiral and the child who repeats it. During the festivity the Master of hotel helps to get dressed in Jarramplas.

It is that which pays all the expenses of the festivity, although vicinity of Piornal, with this generosity which characterizes it assistance with its gifts to support a part of the expenses caused with the festival.

Mozas and child who repeat:
The mozas which sing the Spiral and the child which repeats are the essential elements of this festivity. The Spiral is a representation of the folklore of Piornal, in which one generally uses stanzas of religious love songs.

The Spiral of Saint-Sébastien is sung in the temple beside the Saint. The mozas sing the stanzas of the Spiral and a child repeats last the worms of each stanza, meanwhile, between stanza and stanza, Jarramplas touches its drum.