Majo (masc.,[ˈma.xo]) ormaja (fem.,[ˈma.xa]), alsomanolo andmanola, after the most popular names, were people from the lower classes of Spanish society, especially inMadrid, who distinguished themselves by their elaborate outfits and sense of style in dress and manners, as well as by their cheeky behavior.[1] They flourished from the late 18th to early 19th century, and to some extent later.Majos andmajas were one of the favorite subjects of some 19th-century Spanish painters.
Themajos andmajas outfits were exaggerations of traditional Spanish dress. The style stood in strong contrast to theFrench styles affected by many of the Spanish elite under the influence ofthe Enlightenment.Majos were known to pick fights with those they saw asafrancesados ("Frenchified" –fops).[2]
The word is suggested to derive from Spanishmajar, with the meaning of "bother,"[3] but aRomani etymology frommasha, "fascinator, enticer," is also suggested; this word is the root of Englishmasher.[4] Other sources try to connect it toMaia andMay queens.[5][6]
Althoughmajos of both sexes were frequent subjects of painterFrancisco Goya, two of hismajas,La maja vestida andLa maja desnuda (the same model, clothed and nude respectively), would gain international renown.
The outfit of themaja would influence the costume of the eponymous protagonist ofGeorges Bizet's French operaCarmen in the mid-19th century.[7]
In the 20th century, with the popularization of Spain as a tourist destination, themanola ormaja, often holding afolding fan, increasingly gained recognition as the image of a stereotypical traditional Spanish woman. Thus themaja became one of the popular and informal symbols of Spain, along with thebullfighter, who took the place of themajo.[8][9] Some of the 20th-century depictions of themaja became somewhat assimilated into theflamenco dancer (la bailaora).[10] Nowadays, the increasing popularity of themaja has ended up eclipsing that of themajo.
The image of amaja was the trademark of the Jabón Maja Myrurgiasoap, one of the classical souvenirs from Spain. The brand's portrait of themaja in the soap boxes and wrappings was based on the person ofCarmen Tórtola Valencia (1882–1955), a famous Spanish dancer of the early 20th century.[11][clarification needed]
