En la pampa los diablos andan sueltos: Demonios danzantes de la fiesta del santuario de La Tirana

the article deals with those dancers clad as devils in the feast of la tirana who are known locally as loose devils. both the ethnohistoric components and the symbolic universe of their attributes as dancers are studied. social, cultural and musical data about the devils are presented. the autonomy of the dancers is outlined as their main feature as they do not belong to any of the religious groups attending the feast at this important shrine in northern chile.