Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-03-27
liiY NiIss Ndclc Gnss.l

A rs the only emma left similar &
that of the FlaRellents, who were
4 prevalent in the Middle Ages.
The Penitentes we're once very nu-
merous in New Mexico. but owing te
the gruat effort made by the ehurct
TO stamp out their fanatical ideas Of
pcnnance and seif-torturc. they are
found only IN wayside placcs- and,
too. tho severity of their sclf-inflicteG
torture has been greatly lessened To-
day YOU may visit them without fear
Of being harmed. You Will find their
ceremonies both fascinating and re-
pulsiye. and deep in our heart YOU
Will pity them in al their ignorance.
We Will speak Of thcm as they ex-
listed until the time the church. which
by the way. never sanctioned their
methods Of p%ennance. could make its
power sufficiently felt TO modify their
religious views
As their name implies, the Peni-
tentes are an order Of men who be-
love they can be clcansed OF their
sins through self-torture. No matter
what they have lone through the
year. thecv think that this means Of
| cleansing once a year will purify
them, and that All their sins win be
forgiven
Few people have seen the terrible
ceremonies Of a few years ago. FOR,
unless one were a member OF this or
der. or had strong friends among the
number. no endangered his life by
approaching them at this time. Even
III the latter case II was a difficult
matter to he granted the privilege. As
an illustration. a party went with
a member as guide. When they
reached the sacred grounds they were
met by an infuriated brother, who
demanded Of the guide why he was
accompanied by strangers. Fortu-
nately The guide had just enough
presence Of mind TO answer, They
are from the other world They
often went 10 extreme measures 10
remove a stranger from tho promises.
throwing sticks and sharp stones, and
even turning on the intruder with
firearms.
Tho number Of "hermanos." broth
ers, MS they are called. is composed
81 Mexican men. a few Indians arc
found among the number. The mofh-
bers are ignorant and fanatical. The
better classes, although ashamed TO
mention their connection with the orr
der. belong to it TO insure safety and
To gain power over the hamlets. The
different offices are gained by doing
30 much o%ennance.
The two places Of worship 70 ma
Ia each settlement are the chapel,
merely an altar in each habitable hut.
and the Morada, the sacred meeting
place Of the order.
The Mortda Is adobe, with rounded
ends. It's walls are five and six feet
thick, the floors Of hard mud. The
only opening Is a door. There nra
few besches. since their belief re-
auircs them to go through the entire
service on their knees. The poorest
kind az an altar, rudely decorated
with the cheapest materials and an
abundance of highly priced paper
flowers, is usually the sole ornament.
In some Moradas, "A fow pictures ot
the saints have adorned the walls;
In one an 'estatua" Of st. Joseph has
been seen. This was merely the carv- ,
ing OF the faciat features on a board I,
fipe feet high and barely an inch IN
thickness a fringe OF coarse, black f,
hair was fastened near the facc 10 :
represent q heard. All Of these cn :
blems of their faith are holy and :
beautiful in the eyes of the Peni !
:
When a new hcrmano joins the or |
Ter, which he IS allowed to do at any :
he mus go TO the Morada. md 9
40 the roadside drop to his knees at,1 q
this proceed to the DOR '
md into the building. With an ac. ]
ompanying service and still knceling I
lo has three deep lines cut on both y
ides Of his back below the shout p
iers. The instrument used for this n
operation Is a piece Of black vot'orts C
class, Children are 1pt Scared, how o
'wer, until they are older. r
After being SCARED. the new broth e
n is escorted back 90 the road by a
vo "acompanadorcs." OF singers, men e
Nho nave gained office through yeara y
" ppnnancc. should a member ever ;.
,etray the secrets OF the order a long J..
inc is cut intersectlng the first six ~
ines Entrance to any other hamlet :.
s thus barred, for he is a branded :,
II
Tho great season for fasting and c
iennance comes during the forty DAYS
II Lent. The ceremonies begin in I
'arnest about nine days before T.as- g
usually in the month OF Mary. u
ninc fires are built about the II
and kept blazing day and OF
light. Every evening marches are
10y the Penitcnte band from the %
ihapcls Ca the Morada. The signal Is N
lvcn on a reed whistle. p
The notes 81 this instrument arc a
.cyond description. SO shrill and II
liercing their unearthly shrieks can Il
.e heard miles away. The whistle is Il
q uncanny, so horrible. SO wild hat q
hould one hear Il but once it viii II
him long after. and he VIII s,
ever forget il. s
Each evening when the signal or
sscmblr Is given. thc pcmrfcntcs M,
ueed like the VIM toward the Mo- y
once there they haerl and FRAY =,
ud whip their barred hackA The -
eoufgCs arc made about "a loot lone -
ina uf aloe uhcr. Tho ends are fray "
"a about five inches and tied TO pieccs
q TINT. in using thesc they 20 u
through three m ,ti0ns. from rigat to ~
tlicn over the heads, sech tine ~
triklng tho back. After the march 6
hey shut themselves zap in the Mo- m
ada cviinguish an lights. chen prey cl
ma chant and Whip IN mslNes. n
The fast begins the We tntsiay 70 u
Easter and lasts three GAYS. Dur 81
lg this umc they eat n mush and tl
baked cakes ma 81 ~ sprlutcl IN
rain ground fin tlfy touch no al
ther food but tins FOR IA everything OF
90. |u every acrtfics they rakr. n
hey are true n faithful. These d.
DAYS becprrc more aud more a,
ruel until rfiutx. when the horrors u.
e that day crown an that have x ne n,
oforc. IN
Tile pcultcntts select for their sa- I,
rcd ground the most beautiful spot ~
can find. Eclern'lv soo- ser :.
D the mountains W.tril this thev =,
iek out O. hillock. rough III COW ~
rod with shurn stones n possible
on Bus summit plant n cross hrNn 81
h.