Flanking The Standard-Bearer, at the heart of the formation, are the smallest and most poignant figures of the famous Verges Dance of Death: The Platets.
Typically portrayed by children aged 7 to 8, these two small skeletons create a perfect mirror image. They wear the same black leotard with painted bones and skull mask as the adults, but their presence conveys an even more powerful message: death knows no age or innocence.
What’s on Their Plates? (Hint: It’s Not Soup)
First-time visitors to the procession often mistake what these two children carry. It isn’t food or soup; it is Ash.
Each child holds a small plate filled with real ash. This is a tangible visual representation of the Christian concept from Genesis: “Pulvis es et in pulverem reverteris” (“For you are dust, and to dust you shall return”).
While other characters carry tools—the scythe, the standard, the clock—the Platets carry the final result. They show what we will all become, rich or poor, young or old: a handful of grey dust.
The Movement: A Rhythmic Offering
Despite being children, the Platets have a significant choreographic duty. They must maintain the symmetry of the cross formation that defines the Dance of Death.
- The Turn: With each beat of the drum, the children make a half-turn (180 degrees).
- The Orientation: If on one jump they face inward (toward the Standard), on the next they jump to face outward (toward the audience).
- The Offering: The key moment is when they face the crowd. They extend their arms slightly, presenting the plates of ash to the onlookers. It’s a fleeting visual reminder—a “flash” of mortal dust—that appears and disappears to the rhythm of the Drum.
Symbolism of the Platets in the Dance of Death
The Verges tradition has retained the use of children to amplify its pedagogical message. Seeing a child, a symbol of new life, dressed as death and carrying the ashes of the end, creates a stark contrast.
It serves as the ultimate lesson in humility: not even youth or purity exempts us from our final fate. Death extends its arms—the sides of the cross formed by the Platets—to everyone equally. The role of children is so integral that Verges even holds a dedicated Children’s Procession.
The Most Delicate Moment
Throughout the route, especially in the dimly lit Snail Street (Carrer dels Cargols), the children must maintain perfect balance to avoid spilling the ash while jumping. This creates an atmosphere of tension and solemnity that captivates all who watch.
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The End of the Dance
Closing the formation, behind the Platets and the Standard, comes the final character—the one who marks when it will all end: 👉 Meet The Clock.
