The Tabal sets the rhythm of Verges’ Dance of Death. The local name identifies both the drum and the character who plays it. Behind the Clock, he accompanies the five dancing skeletons and coordinates the group with la Dalla.
The beat supporting the jumps
The repeated beat gives the dancers a shared reference for their impulses, turns and pauses. Serrà analyses the relationship between the drum’s beats and the jump’s different movements. The sound may evoke a heartbeat, but this is an expressive comparison, not documentary evidence of its origin.
Stopping and moving again
In the 1996 account, when la Dalla stops to accommodate the Procession’s progress, the Tabal plays successive strokes of decreasing intensity to signal the other dancers to stop. When the procession moves again, he repeats the signals to announce the restart. This coordinates the Dance group with the Procession as a whole.
Tunic and helmet
The Tabal wears a tunic instead of the dancers’ fitted suit, along with a skull-shaped helmet. The different clothing also reflects a different role: he walks and plays while the others dance. The helmet’s restricted visibility requires attention to the group’s movements.
Learning and passing on the role
Serrà documents the Tabal’s involvement in rehearsals, guidance for the children and preparation of successors. Playing, observation and experience form part of the same learning process. The book’s account of moving through different roles describes possibilities in that period, not a compulsory progression for everyone.
The Torchbearers accompany the Tabal and light the group.
Sources and context
Màriam Serrà, Verges i la processó que no es veu (1998), pp. 128–129; 132–134; account of the Procession observed in 1996.
