In the village of Texistepeque, El Salvador, every Holy Monday, masked characters dressed in red come out of the village church and into the square.
They are the Talcigüines, which in the Nahuat language means ‘evil men’. They wear red tunics and masks with moustaches and cat-like ears. They have whips in their hands and go around whipping people: according to tradition, the whipping of the Talcigüines is believed to remove sins and purify people’s souls.
After a few hours, a character representing Jesus arrives, who begins to confront the Talcigüines holding a cross and a bell.
Once defeated, the Talcigüines lie down in a line on the ground and Jesus walks among them dragging a rope over them: this represents the victory of good over evil.
This ceremony represents the temptations Jesus experienced in the desert before being captured and crucified.
