Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-06-20
sorrowful sunerings Of the Sinful
The Penitentes.

Among the many quaint and queer
sights of the early days. none were
more novel, more interesting nor more
gastly than the ceremony of Los Her
manos Penitentes," which was and is
a nearly complete enactment OF that
divine tragedy which initiated the
Christian era. The Brotherhood OF
the Pentents and its public ceremo-
MES was largely in vogue throughout
New Mexico until a very recent date
and Is still existent In remote districts
The order was established on the
Western Hemisphere by the Francis.
can Friars and came into the territory
now known as New Mexico with the
"Conquistadores" more than 300 years
ago.
! have many times witnessed the
procession of this brotherhood. but at
> time was | SO profoundly impress
e. as at my initiatory inexperience
7 arly a quarter of century ago.
use who visited the Fine Arts
ng In Chicago in 1883 will re.
cal the painting THE Flagelants."
which many considered as but the i'm
"a IN of the artist. but which was
in truth a reproduction OF the process
sion of the Penitentes as seen In old
Spain. In general detail It pictures
the present day procession. In little
plaza, hut few miles from Albuquer.
que. | first became acquainted with
the Penitentes. In mid.afternoon.
from ont the door OF an isolated adobe
house appeared several aged men. or
dinarily clothed. some with books, 9TH
ers without, chanting a mournful relig-
ious chorus in the Spanish language.
Following these were other men. sew
en- in number, each with n hood com
pletely masking his head and other
wise naked of clothing, except for a
scanty cotton breethclout. Around
the calf of each leg. and around each
thigh were tightly bound with raw.
hide thong. roughly and crudely per
forated pieces OF tin-seemingly taken
from old cans--the grating side i'm.
beded in the flesh. One of these seven
bore upon Ills head a wreath of cactl
the needles OF which are greatly more
penetrating and irritating and more
difficult TO remove from the flesh than
the thorn of any other tree. plant or
vine. This man carried, as Christ
had carried. a huge cross, the upright
beam fifteen feet in length with diam
eter ranging from ten inches at the
base to six inches at the top and with
corresponding cross beam Of a seven
foot length. the weight of which was
from 900 to 400 pounds.
Each of the other six men carried
peculiarly constructed braided whip
about three feet In length, made from
plated yucca leaves, vertical cato
nine tails, with the ends of each bear
ing the sharp tough needle peculiar to
this plant, In the order In which they
emerged this procession moved to-
ward the adobe church about a mile
distant followed Immediately by one
who was clothed and hoodwinked. hut
who had peep holes; then followed the
popuace. In slow measured tread
TO the tune OF the dirgeful chant, three
steps were taken. then a momentary
halt, and back over the shoulder, WELD.
ed by both hands. few the tails of the
whip. allghting cruely upon the max.
ed back. Three additional PAGES, the
slight hating, and over the opposite
shoulder again fell the whip with full
force, to cut open the ridges raised
by the first strokes. Again three meas.
ured steps and self castigation:
three more steps. a continuance of the
stroke: at each step the whip being
laid over the opposite shoulder these
people bindly made their way toward
the church, guided solely by the voices
of their chanting leaders. Los Her
manos de Luz" by-order OF the Peni.
tentes.
All anu uftttig
rear of the nagelants, was he whose
duty II seemed TO he TO see that pun
ishment was properly and sufficiently
inflicted.
At the crossing OF each irrigating
ditch, by some unheard order. the pro-
cesion would halt, when each scourge
would he moistened. and each bleeding
back drenched by the mGyordomo so
that upon resumlng the march. down
the back, through the blood stained
breechclout. over the thong bound
tins, through the holes of which the
morbidly enlarged flesh protruded,
flowed the miniature composite rivu-
lets OF blood, blood stained water and
pain produced perspiration. making a
well defined CORY trail, covering the
trail OF the cross