Christians and Moors Fight in Soller - Majorca

If you find yourself around the Soller area of Mallorca on the 10th of May,  a trip to the port will give you the experience of a battle between the Christians and the Moors. Don’t worry though because it is the yearly re-enactment of the time when King Jaime of Spain routed the Moors from Mallorca. In fact, there are many such occasions on the island, but the Soller ‘battle' starts off the ‘season’.

 The battles themselves are scripted and turns are taken as regards who ‘wins’ but sometimes it is hard to believe there is a plan to the event at all. It is best to be in the port about four o’clock as the battle ‘kicks off’ around five. It is easy to spot who is who at first as the people depicting the ‘Moors’ cover themselves in dark body paint - the ‘Christians’ are dressed in modest clothes, the women wearing headscarves.

It should be noted that a great deal of drinking takes place on these occasions together with the use of hundreds of explosive devices, a bit like the ‘bangers and ‘rip rap’ type of fireworks we are used to around Guy Fawkes night (who incidentally was Spanish). There are also more heavy duty ‘ordinance’ used in the form of blank shotgun cartridges.

The various fireworks can be detonated anywhere around the festivities and very young children can sometimes be seen setting them off, so be aware of this. It also is traditional for those with body paint on to transfer this on to others completely at random, so again be aware of this and do not be offended if some strange ‘Moor’ puts a couple of black stripes on your face or arms etc. as they are passing - it is all part of the day.

Everyone in the town joins in and there are crescent moon and cross of St. George flags on nearly every balcony and house. The children dress up too and many have either straight or curved toy swords depending on who they are depicting. The trams that run into the port are very full today and if you are catching one (for it is best to park out of town) be prepared for a squeeze!

Both during the ‘battle’ and afterwards a copious amount of alcohol is drunk and it is not unusual to see groups of participants with 5 litre water containers full of wine! There was even a group with a barrel on a small cart on the day we attended.

Go and see this or another ‘battle’ if you can – it is well worth it.