CONCHEROS

Mexican ritual dance that preserves many elements of pre-Columbian religious ritual. It apparently originated in 1522, after the Spanish conquest of the Chichimec tribe, as a means of continuing ancient ritual. Dancers belong to an intertribal society organized as a military hierarchy; membership is by vow and, unlike most ritual dance societies, the concheros admits women. Members perform at seasonal festivals, notably at sites oriented north (Villa de Guadalupe), east (Amecameca), south (Chalma), and west (Los Remedios) of Mexico City, reflecting the ancient religious importance of the four cardinal directions. The dances are preceded by processions and invocations, and the paraphernalia include floral decorations, banners, and concheros, small lutes made from an armadillo shell. The conchero lute and the music show Spanish influence, but the symbolism and most of the steps are pre-Columbian.