1. 1. Semana Santaby Rutger Coucke
2. 2. Semana Santa was printed byImprenta Milhojas, Sevilla. www.milhojas.esSemana Santa is a publication of ArtaCarta,Hilversum, Nederland,www.artacarata.nlDesign Rutger Coucke The translation from Dutch to Englishwas done by Hester Coucke and Gerry RouffISBN 978-90-811263-2-8 Rutger Coucke 2009 No part of this publiction may be reproduced or made public in any waywithout written permission in advance from the publisher
3. 3. The floats are not on wheels, but rather carried by strong, proud young men, the castaleros. They have a costalo aroundtheir heads, a cloth which is folded into a small pillow, resting on their neck to ease the strain of the weight. During Semana Santa, the holy week before Easter, the streets of Andalucia become the domain of the fraternities. They haul their floats, the pasos, inseemingly unending processions ofsometimes thousands of nazarenos through the cities, day and night, around the clock.
4. 4. Each parish has its own fraternity, the hermandad.Each hermandad is identified by the nazarenos robes.Some walk in socks or just their bare feet, while others have a tightly wound rope belted around their waistBut the real sound of the Semana Santa comes fromthe cornetes y tambores, and it is this rather shrill, high pitched sound of the cornets which seem to cry The processions are accompanied by fanfares-- marchingout about the suffering of the Jesus. bands, playing music to keep the procession going.
5. 5. It is the day before Easter, siesta, with the sun high in the sky. At this time of day one can usually find Mercedes on her fathers small patio in the shade of the grapevines, playing with her doll or with the kittens. There is always something for a small six year old girl on a patio to do.But today Mercedes is not on thepatio. She is lying in bed, pale andfeverish. Mercedes is sick, very sick. The doctor has visited many times;he was at his wits end and said thatthe only thing left to do is pray.
6. 6. Don Enrique was still prayingwhen the members of the And praying is what Mercedes father,hermandad began to trickle in,Don Enrique did to his Virgin. For hethe casteleros, the nazarenos andcould call her that, couldnt he? He had the musicians. served her his entire life. First as a caste- lero with bravado and machismo, and later as a dignified nazareno. And now,finally, as capitate, the man who is responsible for the paso and who keeps the casteleros in check.Holy Mary, my Mercedes, save her. Arent you a Motheryourself? Take my life instead Only when the paso with the Christ figure was alreadyoutside, did he stop praying toattend to his duties as capitate, and even then he kept talking to the Virgin Mary.
7. 7. In the middle of the night Don Enrique took the Virgins float ona journey to the other side of theriver to the imposing cathedral.
8. 8. Although they were among the thousands walking along, itfelt to Don Enrique as though he was alone with the Virgin. He heard no music, saw no nazarenos, he only saw theVirgin Mary leading him as a ship through the sea ofanonymous people. Don Enrique told her how he had become reconciled to not having children, until six years ago when unexpectedly Mercedes was born. How is little girl has brought sunshine tohis and his wifes existence and how nothingshould be allowed to happen to her, except a miracle, now
9. 9. MERCEDES,OH NO! When the nazarenos came back from the chapel the next day after the procession, Don Enrique didnt take part in the customary festivities, and even refused his beer. Sad news awaited him, his little daughter had died while he was gone.
10. 10. Don Enrique didnt shed a tear, but erupted in angeranger against the Virgin Mary who not only had kept him away from hishome while his daughter was dying, butalso was unable to perform one smallmiracle for a faithful devoted servant as himself. He wanted nothing to do with her ever again, that Holy Mother Virgin ofNothing, never again! She could go through Easter nighton her own for all he cared, but no longer with him!And if you want to see me, Enriquethe devoted, Enrique the fool, you will haveto come and find meIn the chapel the Holy Mother cried her at my home, and then eternal tears of plaster, but there were those I will know that who could have sworn that there were more you still caretears than before, and that she had neverfor me! seemed so grief stricken.
11. 11. I work hard and with deliberation,Years went by. Don Enrique lived hisGods hand is not in my harvest, life in bitterness and without faith. it is all my own work.He farmed through the years, and each year was a bountiful one, with rich harvests. But Don Erique neither thanked God nor the Virgin Mary. He no longer visited the Chapel of the Holy Virgin. And why would he? His harvest was at least as plentiful as his neighbors who did go to church.The small patio where Mercedes once played had grown into a largecourtyard, for Don Enrique continued to buy more and more land and needed more barns to store his harvests. His farm grew more now than in all those years when he worshipped the Virgin Mary.
12. 12. Monseigneur, do you think we canhave a procession for the occasion? What a splendid idea! Not far from Don Enriques hacienda was Valencinade la Concepcin, a sleepy little town surrounded by olive orchards. There was also a little chapel which wasto be re-dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The Bishophimself was coming, and the chaplain took thisopportunity to make a bold request.And so the bishop determined thatthe chapel of Valencina de la Concepcin should be visited by the same Virgin whom Don Erique had served for many years.
13. 13. You have the prettiest dress in the whole village, Im shureOh you!The usually quiet town now had an atmosphere of excitement.The Virgin would come to their village! The town became a beehive of activity. Everyone wanted to look their best for the procession: The men polished their boots and brushed their horses and harnesses, the womenput on their best dresses and also put flowers in their hair.
14. 14. It was a wonderful festive day, with the town under a brightblue sky, it was a feast of food, drink and music. The young men showed their riding skills at the tilting competition.The women danced the Sevellanas in flamboyant flamencodresses.Everyone was happy and excited, for the Virgin Marywas coming to their chapel. What an occasion! But Don Enrique, the richestman of Valencina de laConcepcin was distinctly absent. He did not take part in the feast in which theVirgin was to be the centerpiece.Standing on his patio he could hear thebooming of the drums and the high pitched voices of the singing women.Agh, what nonsense!
15. 15. The golden grain was high in thefields, and a colorful streammeandered through all that gold.A small cloud appeared at the horizon, In the midst of it was the Virgin Mary but nobody took notice of it as thewho looked during this excursion justforecast was sunny and good. And just as the procession moved as exalted as the casteleros. It was as if Then another cloud appeared, and thenamong the fields, the first drops fell, all the animals in the fields and the another. The captitate looked warily the wind came up and the capitate birds in the sky followed the parade. at the sky. looked for shelter from the rain.
16. 16. There were lovely little farm buildings all around, but none were big enough to hold the pasowith the Virgin statue. Except the one, in the middle of the most prosperous fields. There were barns big enough to give shelter to the virgin. It wasDon Enriques hacienda.Don Enrique saw the procession wind through his fields. He saw the Virgins canopy rocking back and forth with each step like the humps of a drunken camel. He also saw thesky and the threatening impending rain. At that moment Don Enrique did something hehad not done in years, and he didnt quite understand it himself: he prayed. He prayed toGod and asked him for rain. This time his prayer was heard, as right after he uttered hisfinal words, the rain came pouring down on his fields and the procession. A moment laterDon Enrique heard a knock on his gate. It was the Virgin knocking on his door.
17. 17. And so the people of Valencina de la Concepcin and the participants of the procession took shelter under the roof of thehacienda of Don Enrique. The horses were fed, there was wine, sausage end bread for everyone.Outside it poured from heaven as if the endof times has arrived. The Virgin was all by herself in the big shed. All by herself? Not quite. A small figure aproached the paso,with hesitation, his eyes to the ground.
18. 18. When Don Enrique stood in front of the wagon he raised his eyes. Tears streameddown his cheeks, tears for his departed daughter Mercedes, whom he never cried over in his bitter rage. But also tears of joy. Because only now Don Enrique understood that all his prosperous harvests were intended to make his barns large enough so that they would shelter the Virgin in her time of need. You have comeYou did not forget me!You came to my homePlease forgive me!Forgiving ... ah, forgiving is her daily work. At that moment there were those that would have sworn thather plaster face had spread into a smile The End
19. 19. This story came to me through my daughter Sarah, who lives in Sevilla.Gracias, Sarah.