duende

Duende is a Spanish term with several related meanings. In traditional Iberian and Latin American folklore, it denotes a supernatural being—a goblin or elf—though in everyday speech it more often conveys a sense of a live, elusive spirit.

Beyond folklore, duende is used in arts criticism to describe a heightened state of emotion, expression, and authenticity. In flamenco, duende refers to an urgent, visceral depth that transcends technical polish and connects performer and audience to core life experiences such as struggle, danger, and mortality.

Federico García Lorca popularized the term in his 1933 essay The Theory and Function of Duende, where he argues that duende is a non-rational, earthy force that compels artistic performance. It arises in the presence of danger or deep feeling and is characterized by immediacy, intensity, and ambiguity. For Lorca, duende is distinct from talento (skill) or the angelic beauty of form; it is something that invades the body and the work and is not fully controllable by the artist. A work that evokes duende is felt as authentic, vulnerable, and alive, often leaving a lasting impression on the audience.

Usage has since broadened: critics describe poems, novels, music, dances, and even performances or places as having duende when they convey a compelling, grave charm and a sense of fate or destiny.

Etymology traces to Spanish duende, originally meaning a spirit or demon in folklore; in modern usage it names a mood, a spiritual force, or the emotional core of artistic experience.