Santa Fe Barrio Mural #2 - Murals on Waymarking.com

There are many themes intertwined here, Aztec, Christian and frequently, the two combined. Of all the images presented here I think I'll look at the Virgin of Guadeloupe now. I need to preface the following sections with a disclaimer stating that this is Carp-theology, and those interesting in perusing what is presented here are encouraged to seek other sources. The Guadeloupe is omnipresent in northern New Mexico appearing on churches, shrines, party stores, homes, bumper stickers and an almost endless parade of prison tattoos. For those who don't know her history I'll do a brief recap here. On December 9, 1531, a female figure clothed in both robes and light appeared to Don Diego, a poor peasant, at a hill called Tepeyac in what is now Mexico City and told him to go to the bishop and tell him that a temple to her should be built on that site. The bishop demanded proof from the poor farmer who returned and discovered the hillside covered with "Castilian flowers" (roses - see mural), a flower then unknown in Mexico, and which would, in any case, not be blooming in December. The bishop was convinced and the rest is history. However, there is more to the past. Anita Brenner, in her book "Idols Behind Alters" (1928) quotes an early Spanish sources as saying "In this place (Tepeyac) they had a temple dedicated to the mother of the gods whom they call Tonantzin" The Guadeloupe is thus a link between the Aztec and Catholic religions in Mexico, and from there to New Mexico. The barbed wire has an interesting background too, let's see what can be done with that.

Anchored at both ends in the Guadeloupe's roses and running across the bottom of this mural is a strand of barbed wire. This is a symbol for the Penitentes, the Penitent Brotherhood. The Penitentes were a religious movement that grew out of the Third Order of St. Francis, a group a lay "priests" that arrived in NM with Oñate in 1598. Although good works and charity were prominent parts of their program it is the belief that the atonement for their sins could best be achieved through physical suffering that has made it into the murals. Flagellation, cross carrying and for hundreds of years actually crucifixion were alternately encouraged, tolerated occurs and banned and allowed by Rome. If I were so inclined I could go out on Good Friday, (less than a week away today) and observe Penitentes dragging a cross to various shrines, and although actual crucifixion no longer occurs, at least in public, the mortification of the flesh does. Often crosses are erected along the road where traffic fatalities occur and a close inspection of them will at times reveal a crown of barber wire above the crossbar indicating that the deceased was a Penitiente. So, the barbed wire symbolizes Christ's Crown of Thorns as well as the piercing of his flesh. An allusion to this can be clearly seen in this mural where the hands offering the pyramid are pierced and bleeding.

And then there are the Aztec references, the feathered serpent, the stepped pyramid, the circular calendar and more but I'll let you have the fun of figuring that stuff out for yourself. Oh yes, I visited it on March 28, 2007.

City: Santa Fe, New Mexico Location Name: wall surrounding a privat residence Artist: unknown Date: c. 1980s Media: Not listed Relevant Web Site: Not listed

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