The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1888-08-02
CRUEL MODERN PENANcE.
Self -Flsgellation as 1t Ii Practiceo now"
days in the Azores.

Self-Flagellation AZ 1t is Practiced Nova.
days in the Azores
One does not encounter every day
remnant Of bygone barbarism so start
ling as that which it has just been my
lot to unearth in the beautiful Island
Of St. Michaels. Certain vague rumors
had reached me limiting that the cruel
ceremony of fagellation, accompany
ing the festival of Nossa Senhora aos
Passos. on the third Sunday o! mo
Cuaresma (Lent), was still practlced aV
one Of the remote northeast villages
In the little ''lomban village OF Acha-
dinha, about five miles from our desti-
nation, we were greeted with the most
genial courtesy by the young village
padre, whose welcome to the Anglican
strangers was too sincere TO De
doubted for an instant, and to him, as
be did the honors of his curious little
church. put the query which was up
perm ost in nv thoughts. He at once
admitted frankly the existence OF the
practice Of publijhagellation at fenaes
d'Ajuda, speaking OF 1t In terms VI
strong reprobation as oaroarlsh'
both inhuman in itself and inconsistent
with the modern teaching OF his own
church. But 50 deeply rooted ne
ayerred, is the custom, and the hellel
in its efficacy, that even the influence
of the priests is totally powerless to
suppress it. Sincere as this protest
assuredly was, | subsequently found 4's
truth 10 be much questioned IN Ionta
Delgada, though the subject was al
most as foreign to that metropolis as
TO London Itself.
Arrived at Fenaces d d'Ajuda, short
ly made the acquaintance OF two other
priests, also Young and educated men;
and, after some hesitation, obtained
full confirmation of their colleague ;
information with a similar, though
less forrlhc, comment. 1t was during
an examination of the principal church
of Fcnars. dedicated to the RoyS
Magos JMagi). that the following facts
were communicated. The building,
which forua the headquarters OF the
ceremony lr-cribod. is an unattached
church known as Nossa Senhora
IAjuda. rounrrtrd with the now eX-
tluc1 Cunyeuto dos Trades, which joins
il The euitir,. Is q landmark to the
surrounding country, standing pronl-
nent.y uvar the head Of the Aluda
Point. ovrrtuuking the ocean, while
the Magos, or parish church, winch
disclaius these practices. is situated
in the center Of the village. The feat
/ ure Of the procession on the Sunday
q the Ia~~u- j. band OF Eighteen
men. whose luentity remains unkno"h
avt.r - ,-...4., vt tl.' i, o'r" follow-v1 a.
gers. They arc attired for the occas-
ion in a Whit. uondescript robe. tie
hood Of which entirely covers the
head and face. while the back is bare
for the inhictlou of the scourge
welded by each in his own hand. The
facei,a,iou never ceases during the
course Of the procession through sew
eral Of the struggling streets Of the
village and the hideous scene culml-
mates in tho little convental church.
where mass j. celebrated by one Of the
Fenaes priests TO this horrible accom-
panment The church is OF the type
common throughout the islands, nicely
kent. and NOT without architectural
pretenslons Of seventeenth century
character i was open to our insper-
ton on the occasion of our visit, and
here all question was set at rest by an
evidence which needed not the verihca-
tion it received on all sides Right
and left Of the altar | found the white
washed walls and the two confosslonals
dashed and spattered to a hrlght OF
| four or fy, feet from the ground with
the blood Of these poor self-tortured
martyrs, crying aloud, indeed, though
| in voice far different to that intend
| ed, TO the Heaven it thus seeks 10
propitiate.
The first of these weapons is a
scourge (azmrague). consisting Of
| short handle of dark wood with an
iron ring, and bunch of cord tcrmi-
mating in twelve hard twisted leather
thongs. This is bad enough sug-
gestively but the other (hagella) out
Herods it, A hard ball of wax, ,u~-
pended by looped string, and the size
of small hens egg, is set all over
with horrid splinters of glass about
half an inch long, keen as a needle and
razor combined, and making ones
flesh culver to realize the method OF
its Use as graphically pictured by the
gestures Of my informant, - Cor. Lon-
don Stand'UW.