March of the Nazarenos – Semana Santa Spain.

Even a brief look back at the history of Spain reveals episodes of religious and colonial intrigue. The Spain of today clearly still exhibits the hallmarks of what made it a powerful crusading force behind Catholic South America and the Philippines all those centuries ago.

Seville's « Semana Santa » parades are an enduring example of such religious heritage. These Easter parades are a fascinating yet solemn carnival of religion and pageantry. Essentially the brotherhoods of each church and their penitents march in processions. This annual event is a time when the devout and the curious come together to worship and participate in age-old traditions. The ambience has been likened to that of open-air temple with masses of people swaying to marching rhythms.

For the seven days of Easter the region of Andalusia, Seville in particular is surrounded by a spiritual aurora. Throughout the week, beginning early each afternoon, processions depart from Seville’s churches, shuffling their way morbidly through the labyrinth like streets of this old medieval city. The processions only return late in the evening or in the early hours of the morning, after up to eight hours of marching.

Many tourists come to Seville intrigued by what appears to be a slightly sinister manifestation of religion. Onlookers want to witness this eclectic fusion of medivalness and penitence. The first entirely false stereotyping, that requires strong clarification, is that Nazerones as not members of the American KKK. It comes as no surprise that there is no corroboree or association between these two groups; their only relation is a visual graphic one. Their polychromatic collection of hoods, capes, and tunics cloaks nothing sinister.

The Nazereno tradition marches back to the mid 1200s when King Fernando III liberated Seville from the Moors. During the battles ‘Hermandades’ or brotherhoods were formed to rescue wounded comrades. These catholicised brotherhoods evolved & prospered with the expansion of the Church throughout Spain. By the 1500s the brotherhoods in Seville ritualised the processions to depict the Easter Passion. The parades simply represent the events between Christ’s Last Supper and his resurrection.

The hooded Nazerones form only part of the captivating Easter processions or ‘Paseos’. The processions have up to 7 distinct groupings and create an occasion where religion and art merge into one. The parade is lead in by a brass and percussion band, followed by Nazerons carrying banners and flags. Following the Nazerons is the "El Paso de Christo" float, which is an ornately carved in wood life-size statue of Christ. These floats can weigh up to 2000 kilograms and are carried by fit men called "Costelleros” who consider it an honour & privilege to carry the float for up to 8 hours throughout its winding procession through the narrow lanes of Seville. The costelleros work out of sight, and wear towelling around their heads and necks to ease their burden.

The life size scenes are followed by groups of penitents who perform the solemn physical act of penitence. The extent of their penitence varies yet all carry large, man size solid wooden crosses. The most devote amongst them drag a ball and chain around their bare feet.

The penitents dress like the Nazarenos, yet with one major exception, they do not have a ridged cone in their ‘antifaz’ or hat tops. The fabric of their hat top hangs limp backward along their spin.

The final element of the procession is the “El Paso Palio". This float carries another life size and life–like statue of the Virgin Mary. The Virgins are almost considered as spiritual beauty queens, often evoking deep emotions and spontaneous outbursts of song from devote onlookers. The most famous of the Virgin statues is called the Macarena.

Even if you are not religious it is hard not to be transfixed by such spectacle. The processions are so alive with melody and colour. Drums beat with an entrancing cadence, and goose bump producing Flamenco like Saetas are sung.