Here again, twisted half-columns repeat a motif seen 

 on a tin frame in the east morada chapel. In front of 

 the draped entry to the south morada sanctuary stand 

 two candelabra, one of which is shown in the doorway 

 to the oratory (Fissure 47) with tin reflectors and 

 hand-car\'ed sockets." There are also vigil light boxes, 

 kerosene lanterns with varnished tin shades, commer- 

 cial religious images and ornaments that are similar to 

 items in the east morada sanctuary. 



Embroidered textiles portray the Last Supper, and a 

 chapter banner, made up for the brotherhood after 

 1925, shows the Crucifixion in oil colors. This banner 

 bears the words "Fraternidad Piadosa D[e] N[uestro] 

 P[adre] J[esus] D[e] Nazareno, Seccion No. 12, Abiquiu, 

 New Mexico." The title fraternidad is that assumed 

 by penitente chapters that incorporated in New Mexico 

 around 1930, although the term cof radio often appears 

 in transfers of private land to penitente organizations.""^ 

 A second banner, this one on the left, reads "Sociedad 

 de la Sagrada Familia," which is a Catholic women's 

 organization that often supports penitente groups. 



In the oratory of the south morada, locally made 

 images merit special notice. Two carved images flank 

 the entry to the south morada sanctuary. The bulto on 

 the right, St. Francis of Assisi (Figure 48), has a spe- 

 cial significance. As we noted in the east morada, many 

 Spanish settlers in New Mexico honored San Francisco 

 as the founder of the Franciscans, the order whose 

 missionaries long had served the region. The second 

 bulto (Figure 49) reveals clues that it originally had 

 been a representation of the Immaculate Conception 

 {Inmaculata Concepcion) . In Abiquiu, however, this 

 figure is called la mujer de San Juan ("the woman of 

 St. John") , a phrase that indicates the major role Mary 

 holds for the penitentes. With this image they refer to 

 the moment in the Crucifixion when Jesus committed 

 the care of His mother to St. John. As introductions to 

 the south morada chancel, St. Francis and the Marian 

 image are excellent specimens of pre- 1850 santero 

 craftsmanship. 



Two more images of Mary occur on the altar of the 

 south morada sanctuary. The first (Figure 50) takes its 

 proper ecclesiastic position on the Gospel side, to the 

 viewer's left of the crucifix. The second "Marian" 



image (Figure 51 ) is less orthodox. Not only does this 

 bulto stand on the Epistle side of the crucifix but, like 

 the Marian advocation cited above as la mujer de San 

 Juan, this figure's identity has been changed to suit 

 local taste. Penitentes at Abiquiu refer to the image as 

 Santa Rosa, the traditional patroness of the area fol- 

 lowing its first settlement by Spaniards. 



Between these Marian images there are two large 

 hultos that are examples of the work of the "Abiquiu 

 morada santero" suggested earlier. Both are figures of 

 Jesus. The first, a Cristo (Figure 52), is the central 

 crucifix on the altar. As in the east morada, the focal 

 image is accompanied by an angelito, this time with 

 tin .wings.'' To the right stands the other image of 

 Jesus, the Nazarene, Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno 

 (Figure 53). Along with the nearby crucifix (Figure 

 52) and the figure of St. John the Evangelist (Figure 

 42) in the east morada, this representation of the 

 scourged Jesus reflects the style of the "Abiquiu 

 morada santero." This Nazarene bulto embodies the 

 penitente concept of Jesus as a Man of suR'ering Who 

 must be followed. 



The special character of the penitente brotherhood 

 is demonstrated also in the last two bultos on the south 

 morada altar. The prominent size and position of St. 

 John of Nepomuk (Figure 54) on the altar indicate 

 again the importance given by the penitentes to San 

 Juan as a keeper of secrets. The other figure is the 

 south morada's personification of death (Figure 55), 

 la muerte, here even more gaimt than the image in the 

 east morada. Probably made after 1900, this figure 

 demonstrates the persistent artistic and religious 

 heritage of Hispano culture. 



Summary 



The two Abiquiu moradas are clearly parallel in their 

 architectural design (including the constricted chan- 

 cels) , in their artifacts — especially bulto identities such 

 as Jesus {Cristo, Nazareno, Ecce Homo, Santo Nino de 

 Atoclia), Mary {Dolores, Immaculata Concepcion, 

 Soledad, Guadalupe), Saint John of Nepomuk, Saint 

 Peter, and death — and lastly, in the ceremonies held 



75. Henderson, p. 51, notes this pair of candelabra with 

 the 13 sockets. Fifteen is the ecclesiastically correct number 

 for tenebrae services. 



76. Acts of Incorporation, mirofilm, Corporation Bureau, 

 State Capitol, Santa Fe ; see also Land Records, General In- 

 direct Index, Rio Arriba County Court House, vols. I ( 1852- 

 1912) and II (1912-1930). 



77. Henderson, p. 51, describes the angelito, in the dim 

 light of the morada ceremony, as a "dove like a wasp." An- 

 other angel figure was given me through Regino Salazar by 

 one of the penitente brothers of Abiquiu. According to E. 

 Boyd, it appears to be the work of Jose Rafael Aragon, who 

 worked in the Santa Cruz area after 1825. 



140 



BULLETIN 250: CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY 



