My friend Belin recently posted a video showing how he and sculptor J.F. Rios created their interpretation of "The Lizard of Malena". My friend is from Spain so this is all a rough translation. If you're a spanish speaker you can hear this info yourself on the video below. If you are not a spanish speaker you can still enjoy the video since that's the beauty of visual art...no language barriers :) Enjoy!
History of the Lizard (from Wikipedia)
According to myth, in a cave near the source of the Magdalena there appeared a large lizard (Great Serpent or the Dragon), which frightened people and at those who went for water or sheep in the vicinity. The neighbors of the Magdalena, frightened, not daring to leave the spring, sought a solution to the lizard.
Rough translation of first part of video
A prisoner sentenced to death applied for amnesty in exchange for killing the lizard. Such was the despair of the neighbors who gave him the chance to try. To do this, asked for a horse, a sack of bread and a bag with hot powder.At night, the prisoner went near the cave and was leaving a trail of bread. The animal woke up and was eating after the prisoner, who was still throwing bread while fleeing on horseback. On reaching the plaza San Ildefonso, instead of bread tossed the bag of gunpowder, which the animal ate the same way and, immediately afterwards exploded.
Many years later two artists decide to find and collect the parts of this great lizard and reconstruct the beast which has been a big part of the city of Jaen's history...
You can check out more of Belin's art at www.Belin.es
