| Show possesses X 11 az I 1 t q Q MIA V 51 X M z Z ak I 1 ibi N q RIN i K weird easter 0 rites 0 of the penitentes IV with the approach ot of bioly aek ve ek the Peril forsake the role of stupid geons peons and unite once more tale take up their yearly scourging afeei the passing of easter because of trie rigors each brother it lias is accomplished one more act to he be used for tits ills sal has ins talen taken another step that thai should bring him closer to henen all the year around the penitente are indifferent mexicans ming living in their adobe tints nuts which they have made with their own hands existing in a land of ennana nin nana sometimes ral ing little fields of 0 stunted corn or chill peppers or mexican blex icon henna beans sometimes tending their few scrawny chickens or goats they are never hurried never do anything yet have little time it if anyone asks them for something they invariably answer hay H ay poco tiempo 1 hilve have laile time thus theirs Is a life of poco tk ampo except during lent rarely at any other time rime during the year scar do the penitentes become it if they doft do it Is on all souls dinv inv two days after time clr p they make a procession to their aeme tery wi lipping their hacks a they mi go occasionally when one of if their theirly broth th erhold ila hns died they ei convene HI at his hi house to 10 hold h ita prayer pr aier a strange wing none inte into the night for fir the departed soul son lenten observances all during lent though the amid secluded praying g going in ore oo cessions sessions ces in the delit indulging in some self claying flaying hut but it II Is tinly holy fri day which awakens their zeal to the highest pitch raw ilaw blistery winds wand 4 ol 01 0 march or april blow swaying ahi blackish green pinion trees dolling the file region where the penitentes live the ihland has been picturesquely camp named I 1 the sangre tie le cristo range blond 0 christ hy by the spanish explorers ws tie be cause ot of the red stained rooks rods on in tho he rocks a ferric 11 on friday afternoon tile Peni teme brotherlin tod wild leold the greatest of dilill 1 spectacles they have bren been leivin off and on in all during iol week backs are tims of if cola gealer liloon and outraged raged flesh nev erth eless they begin begill again ich elih flu aus tenor shortly after no noon n coming ceasing slut out clid silly only it in still and beginning lite hie big liln lite hie en acting of hie file n Crew Grew sonne some ceremonies one of tile ahe 1 Is ci lobell tu ti tale take tile hie part of el cilito cur curriea riet the cross a 8 heay crude which he usually us ran hardly irue drug btag staggering gering under tile the weight him come clime the hie others the hingers and those v ablio ho flay themselves with whip made from ilie file yucca or fillip weed wei di the plant Is common throughout the southwest and hears long blades it Is used hy by the peons geons ti it make crude soap the bladed are also used as twine usually those seso scourging urging th einsel v ev take title one step forward and then hen jiuu pause be bringing down the cutting fibers of the whip upon their already much bleeding backs with a dull thwack the rhythm of the chant hills their regu larity of motion if any lag in his fervor of laying on blows or shrink under them then a master lo in lasto gp will remind him by bring ing down a blacksnake on his shoulders of tits remissness the lie leather whip cuts the air alth ith a sharp whistling ing no limit to self torture often these rigors are not er enough sough the cholla cactus one needle of which has lin known to drive horses to fury Is s packed about their chests or yet again the Peril walk across these with their bare feet or ling fling the he branches of needles on their backs the cholla needles are long and ma Il gnant they stick in the flesh as it if barbed and burn like ore work working ing their way inward where they cause pustules pus tules imagine many of these needles to in oness flesh I 1 and yet the penitentes with zealous cries con dinue their way to the place selected as el calvario Cal varlo all their pain gated hy by their religious fanaticism amid loud lamentation the die pilgrim age of it the cross Is enacted the man staggering under the weight I 1 ot of flip ile he precedes the group hl ble hack back Is now flow bleeding now clotted when he reels show sho ins ing signs of being about to fall one of the elder brothers in rank helps him once attain in ing the he spot chosen as calvary el cristo Is usually tied with ropes tu to hist hl cross and raised indeed want it spectacle the sky lowers like a cloud ed opal and the hie raw penetrating breeze fans the trousers of lite lie pent these people believe that hart bad weather Is synonymous nith holy week that the weather must he had bad because it Is a time when every ont on mourns nio urns and they worship oro or lioulous olous li ot of the cold winds lifting ellett cries and chants whipping ur ly el crafto hangs bang until he no nit langei shows much sign of life and trien then IQ I 1 taken down wrapped in a cloth ond and away deaths not uncommon formerly balling the I 1 lie victim to ahe th cross was quite quile co common ninion death c came e also as often to their ranks I 1 lie corpses were ferreted ferre led away and liah bulled tut flut nil nothing thing definitely ila lias ever leen been proved against ile hie ull 1111 in the past rumors have about this Peril tente or that not he be fit ing seen lifter after linly neek eel nien holve lieve lieen been known to die I 1 le from the fanatic imn if f theli ritual now fit alip news that thai tine one nf tapin cinq apen killed during flip spreads diw tie ne tins has died filin nril too nr rigs rous self hul but carlp ctr lp are lived Slim lift is chiq hl then llian flip lopo inn Is lo 10 to hp he burled alive colip gnp hlo hii i ever fall pol 11 mever nt lit vre split hie file II la IQ more s anil flip rely lakis hip flip nivin of tying the rhe 1 l erllin Is lo 10 the eros ero s nath ropes ken een now the atie of 0 tying el cristo Is beginning to be eliminated or else performed at night on thursday evening guards with guns are usually posted at the ceremonies in order to keep beep away the overcurious ous stranger any one ap pron ching too close Is duly threatened boys have taken hikes into the mountains to behold the spectacle of the penitentes whipping themselves many blany have crouched behind a rock or a bush on a hill watching the ritual closely while expecting any minute to receive from their rear the shot ol of dreaded and doubtful bacon rind such hikes provide great thrills for the youths and also material for or a story which they can recount to theft less fortunate comrades A person not having seen the penitentes Is considered unworldly wl wise e find and a ninny cult Is t dwindling thus does the cult flourish in nw new N w bl mexico exico southern colorado southern utah and eastern arizona rut put each year this sect Is becoming less and less conspicuous withdrawing more and more into the fastnesses fast nesses of the mountains undoubtedly tourists have beheld the penitente mini miniature crosses erect ed along some highways as they have ridden over the rough dirt roads in the lite neighborhood of the colonies piles lies of rocks hold these thee crosses up right they are some three feet high but the passing of the holy week marks tile lie cesso cessation lort of their cere monies and of their greatest activity during the file rest sit ol the entire year they are peaceful people nho carry on their meager farming As a pen pea pie they are superstitious imbres sio and are commonly known at as iii that Is half breeds of 1 in dinn spanish descent hui but oftener they pre are of andion descent rinne aanne |
