212 



INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY PUBLICATION NO. 6 



one is going to betray him. The hoarse voice of 

 Jesus Guillen prompting from behind the cloth- 

 covered bench jogs Peter into inquiring "Is it 

 I, Lord?" The supper concluded, all walk ofi 

 the stage, and in a few minutes return, now hav- 

 ing assumed the role, by some magic, of the 

 learned judges who will hear the evidence 

 against Christ. Jesus, meanwhile, is placed in 

 prison in the sacristy. The audience is not at 

 all bothered that the stagehands walk on and 

 off at will, Chinese fashion. Judas comes on the 

 stage, offers to betray Christ, and after mutual 

 questioning on the part of both sides, is accept- 

 ed. At this point the representation is adjourned 

 until the following evening, and after a decent 

 interval, Jesiis Huipe leaves his cage to go home 

 for a night's rest. 



Good Friday 

 (Viernes Santo) 



Following Mass there is nothing until about 

 noon, when the small atrium is again filled to 

 overflowing. Pilate, wearing a yellow robe and 

 a white turban, sits midstage, aided by a scribe. 

 He reviews the evidence and announces that he 

 sees no reason for the crucifixion of Christ. 

 Christ is then dragged from his prison, which 

 meanwhile he has reentered, to the stage by a 

 multitude of "Jews" who shout "Justice! Jus- 

 tice!" He wears a crown of pine needles, sym- 

 bolizing thorns, and is covered with blood (a 

 chicken has been killed and Christ smeared with 

 its blood just before his entry). Pilate still main- 

 tains that Christ should not be crucified, but the 

 shouting wears him down and finally he signs 

 the death decree and washes his hands in an 

 enameled basin to absolve himself from the 

 blame. As Christ is dragged on and off stage, 

 he is thrown around unmercifully by his guards 

 who seem to take great delight in so abusing 

 poor Huipe. After the death decree a large hol- 

 low wooden cross is brought on the stage. Christ 

 shoulders it, and followed by the "Jews" and 

 a number of spectators, makes the Via Crucis 

 round of the atrium, passing by the tiny chapels, 

 and falling at the third, seventh, and ninth sta- 

 tions to symbolize the Three Falls. The chiri- 

 mia, clarin, and drum play, and the youth on 

 the centurion's horse, accompanied by two small 

 boys with machetes, goes along with the proces- 

 sion. By the time they reach the church door 



the spectators have already taken their places 

 inside, and there is scarcely room for another 

 individual. 



The Santo Entierro lies stretched on a bier, 

 its head taped and its body covered with white 

 cloth, and the two large wooden crosses with 

 life-size images of the thieves have already been 

 raised into position at each side of the front of 

 the church. Father Tovar preaches a short ser- 

 mon, tells the people that what they have just 

 seen really happened, and that it is not just an 

 act thought up by their ancestors. Getting his 

 dates a bit askev/, he announces that it all took 

 place 1945 years ago. Then he launches into 

 the general theme of how wicked and sinful 

 man is. 



This over, the actors file out the side door, 

 enter the sacristy and, accompanied by the en- 

 cargados of La Soledad, appear in front of the 

 main altar. Some of them uncover the Santo 

 Entierro, gently lifting and carrying it to the 

 huge cross waiting on the floor. Gilded spikes 

 are passed through the holes in the hands and 

 feet and bolted to the cross. The foot of the 

 cross is placed in a hole in the floor and with 

 ropes and poles it is raised into place. During 

 all of the act, the men carry white cloths in their 

 hands when they must touch the body. When 

 the cross is firm, two ladders, whose tops have 

 been wound in white cloth so that they will not 

 defile the cross, are placed against the back. An 

 encargodo mounts one and places a gilded cross 

 on Christ's head while another, on the other 

 ladder, places a jilaque on top of the cross with 

 the letters "Inri," signifying "Jesus, King of the 

 Jews." Then everybody leaves until 4:30 when 

 the representation of the descent from the cross 

 takes place. 



Again the matraca calls the people. Father 

 Tovar recites the story of Calvary, and then two 

 men mount the ladders, simultaneously taking 

 the spikes out of the arms, allowing them to 

 fall grotesquely. The spikes are taken out of 

 the feet and the body is lowered to waiting arms 

 which take it to the bier where it is stretched 

 out and covered. As the body is about to be low- 

 ered, the women and a few men break into a 

 loud wailing. This grows louder and louder 

 and reaches its climax as the body is carried to 

 the bier. The faithful say that they can clearly 

 see the sweat and blood running down Christ's 

 face, and weep for his suffering. I glance around 



