Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 5 1887.djvu/304

296 involuntarily look upon Spain and the Spaniards as something apart—as a sort of further Europe, in the sense that Burmah and Siam are further India.

In its physical characteristics, this portion of Spain very nearly approaches that of North Africa, with which geologists believe it was once united: these two countries resemble each other in their vast dry and barren plains, bounded by sterile hills, or lofty rugged sierras; the level districts are only amenable to cultivation, where irrigation is possible, and at the cost of considerable labour. The same likeness exists between certain Eastern customs and those of the people of some parts of Spain; but it is not within the province of these papers to enlarge upon this point. We will now proceed to describe some secular dances.

The Boleras, the Seguidillas, and the Sevillanas are secular Spanish dances, whose names at least are very familiar to all of us, even though we have never seen them performed; but probably few who have not visited Spain have heard of the fan-dance, which none but natives of that country could execute to perfection.

It is generally said that a Spanish lady can talk as well, or perhaps better, with her fan than with her lips: the closed fan repels the advances of the male sex, the half-open one gives the admirer a little encouragement, and when fully expanded the fan is a sign to the suitor that his lady-love looks favourably upon him. From this it may be imagined that the fan-dance is a most expressive one. At the commencement, a young lady is seen walking along with a fan in her hand; her face is partially concealed by a white blonde mantilla. A richly-dressed youth, enveloped in a cloak, passes by; he looks back, turns aside, and decides to follow her. The girl, by intuition almost, seems aware that some one is near: she baffles all the young man's attempts to see her face, by constantly changing the position of her fan, as she continues her promenade. This sort of game of bo-peep goes on for some little time; the youth and the maiden walk up and down, each trying to circumvent the other, till at length the cavalier, in order perhaps to soften her heart, springs forward, takes off his cloak, and throws it on the ground for her to walk over. As soon as she has passed over it, he takes up his cloak, puts it on, and