L’ETNO, Valencian Museum of Ethnology of the Provincial Council of Valencia, has launched the tenth edition of the 'Espanta la por' campaign, which this year celebrates its ten years of trajectory under the slogan 'Per Tots Sants, monstres valencians' (For All Saints, Valencian Monsters). The initiative claims and disseminates Valencian folklore of fear.
At the museum's headquarters, the La Beneficència Cultural Centre, the novelties of this edition were presented and materials for the activities were distributed. Attendees included the Deputy of Culture, Paco Teruel; the director of L'ETNO, Joan Seguí; the director of the L'ETNO library, Amparo Pons; the poet Ismael J. Sempere, and the artist Miguel Hache.
Paco Teruel highlighted the Provincial Council's work in bringing culture to all towns in the province in a participatory and close manner, emphasizing the role of libraries, schools, and museums as transmitters of popular culture and keepers of Valencian stories and traditions.
Among the new materials are the book 'Mai no estem sols al bosc' (We are never alone in the forest), from the 'Espanta la por' collection, written by Ismael J. Sempere and illustrated by Miguel Hache, and an extraordinary letter from 'La Fallera Calavera', created with Zombi Paella for the tenth anniversary.
More than 90 municipalities in the Valencian Community are participating in this edition, organizing activities with resources provided by L’ETNO. The aim is to recover and promote characters, stories, and legends from traditional Valencian folklore.
Since 2016, 'Espanta la por' has promoted knowledge of Valencian fantasy, recovering figures such as La Quarantamaula, L'home dels nassos, El Caro, or Les Encantades. The campaign, awarded last year with the Reading Promotion Prize from the Fundació Bromera, seeks to disseminate traditional culture, reflect on contemporary fears, and encourage children's reading.
This year, four new characters created by Miguel Hache are introduced: El dimoni, La bubota, L'home dels nassos, and El Caro, represented by wooden puppets dressed in crafted clothing.
To mark the anniversary, L’ETNO is reissuing the 'Guia inacabada de la fantasia valenciana' (Unfinished Guide to Valencian Fantasy), by Joan Borja, Víctor Labrado, and Francesc Gisbert, illustrated by Marc Bou. Additionally, in November, the exhibition 'El viatge de Fantasia: de la paraula al producte' (The Journey of Fantasy: from word to product) will open.
The campaign extends beyond the museum with the collaboration of libraries, museums, and educational centers. The book 'Mai no estem sols al bosc' will be presented in four libraries: Bocairent (October 28), Guadassuar (November 16), Alcàsser (November 19), and Quatretonda (November 23).
Educational centers will host visits from Carles Cano and Aitana Carrasco, authors of 'Marieta i el mort', and the company 'Disparatario'. Since 2020, schools have had didactic material to work on the campaign across all subjects.
The family theater at the La Beneficència Cultural Centre will offer a special program during the four Sundays of the campaign, featuring performances by Disparatario, Dani Miquel, Carles Cano, and Almudena Francés.
For adult audiences, on October 31, the 'V Gran Torneo de La Fallera Calavera' (5th Grand Tournament of La Fallera Calavera) will take place, with 120 players receiving the 'Carta Extraordinària Espanta la por' (Extraordinary Fear Letter). On November 11, there will be a meeting with the authors of the 'Guia inacabada de la fantasia valenciana'.
The program also includes the fourth season of the podcast 'Els noms de la por' (The Names of Fear), titled 'Marieta ja estic al primer escaló: la por a la valenciana' (Marieta, I'm already on the first step: fear in the Valencian way), which will address the presence of fear in oral storytelling.
