A graphic novel around the Holy Week processions in Sevilla. Rutger Coucke

1. Semana Santa
by Rutger Coucke

2. Semana Santa was printed by
Imprenta Milhojas, Sevilla.
www.milhojas.es
Semana Santa is a publication of ArtaCarta,
Hilversum, Nederland,
www.artacarata.nl
Design Rutger Coucke
The translation from Dutch to English
was done by Hester Coucke and Gerry Rouff
ISBN 978-90-811263-2-8
©
Rutger Coucke 2009
No part of this publiction may be reproduced or made public in any way
without written permission in advance from the publisher

3. The floats are not on wheels, but rather carried by strong,
proud young men, the castaleros. They have a costalo around
their heads, a cloth which is folded into a small pillow,
resting on their neck to ease the strain of the weight.
During Semana Santa, the holy week
before Easter, the streets of Andalucia
become the domain of the fraternities.
They haul their floats, the pasos, in
seemingly unending processions of
sometimes thousands of ‘nazarenos’
through the cities, day and night,
around the clock.

4. Each parish has its own fraternity, the hermandad.
Each hermandad is identified by the nazarenos’ robes.
Some walk in socks or just their bare feet, while others
have a tightly wound rope belted around their waist
But the real sound of the Semana Santa comes from
the ‘cornetes y tambores’, and it is this rather shrill,
high pitched sound of the cornets which seem to cry
The processions are accompanied by fanfares-- marching out about the suffering of the Jesus.
bands, playing music to keep the procession going.

5. It is the day before Easter, siesta, with the sun high in the sky.
At this time of day one can usually find Mercedes on her father’s small
patio in the shade of the grapevines, playing with her doll or with the kittens.
There is always something for a small six year old girl on a patio to do.
But today Mercedes is not on the
patio. She is lying in bed, pale and
feverish. Mercedes is sick, very sick.
The doctor has visited many times;
he was at his wits end and said that
the only thing left to do is pray.

6. Don Enrique was still praying
when the members of the
And praying is what Mercedes’ father, hermandad began to trickle in,
Don Enrique did to ‘his’ Virgin. For he the casteleros, the nazarenos and
could call her that, couldn’t he? He had the musicians.
served her his entire life. First as a caste-
lero with bravado and machismo, and
later as a dignified nazareno. And now,
finally, as capitate, the man who is
responsible for the paso and who keeps the
casteleros in check.
Holy Mary, my Mercedes,
save her. Aren’t you a Mother
yourself? Take my life
instead…
Only when the paso with the
Christ figure was already
outside, did he stop praying to
attend to his duties as capitate,
and even then he kept talking to
the Virgin Mary.

7. In the middle of the night Don
Enrique took the Virgin’s float on
a journey to the other side of the
river to the imposing cathedral.

8. Although they were among the thousands walking along, it
felt to Don Enrique as though he was alone with the Virgin.
He heard no music, saw no nazarenos, he only saw the
Virgin Mary leading him as a ship through the sea of
anonymous people.
Don Enrique told her how he had become
reconciled to not having children, until six
years ago when unexpectedly Mercedes was
born. How is little girl has brought sunshine to
his and his wife’s existence and how nothing
should be allowed to happen to her,
except a miracle,
now …

9. MERCEDES,
OH NO!
When the nazarenos came back from the
chapel the next day after the procession,
Don Enrique didn’t take part in the
customary festivities, and even refused
his beer.
Sad news awaited him, his little daughter
had died while he was gone.

10. Don Enrique didn’t shed a tear, but erupted
in anger—anger against the Virgin Mary
who not only had kept him away from his
home while his daughter was dying, but
also was unable to perform one small
miracle for a faithful devoted servant as
himself. He wanted nothing to do with her
ever again, that ‘Holy Mother Virgin of
Nothing’, never again!
She could go through Easter night
on her own for all he cared,
but no longer with him!
And if you want
to see me, Enrique
the devoted, Enrique
the fool, you will have
to come and find me
In the chapel the Holy Mother cried her
at my home, and then
eternal tears of plaster, but there were those
I will know that
who could have sworn that there were more
you still care
tears than before, and that she had never
for me!
seemed so grief stricken.

11. I work hard and with deliberation, Years went by. Don Enrique lived his
God’s hand is not in my harvest, life in bitterness and without faith.
it is all my own work. He farmed through the years, and
each year was a bountiful one, with
rich harvests.
But Don Erique neither thanked God
nor the Virgin Mary. He no longer
visited the Chapel of the Holy Virgin.
And why would he? His harvest was
at least as plentiful as his neighbors
who did go to church.
The small patio where Mercedes once played had grown into a large
courtyard, for Don Enrique continued to buy more and more land
and needed more barns to store his harvests. His farm grew more
now than in all those years when he worshipped the Virgin Mary.

12. Monseigneur, do you think we can
have a procession for the occasion?
What a splendid idea!
Not far from Don Enrique’s hacienda was Valencina
de la Concepción, a sleepy little town surrounded by
olive orchards. There was also a little chapel which was
to be re-dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The Bishop
himself was coming, and the chaplain took this
opportunity to make a bold request.
And so the bishop determined that
the chapel of Valencina de la
Concepción should be visited by the
same Virgin whom Don Erique had
served for many years.

13. You have the prettiest
dress in the whole
village, I’m shure
Oh you!
The usually quiet town now had an atmosphere of excitement.
The Virgin would come to their village! The town became a beehive of
activity. Everyone wanted to look their best for the procession: The men
polished their boots and brushed their horses and harnesses, the women
put on their best dresses and also put flowers in their hair.

14. It was a wonderful festive day, with the town under a bright
blue sky, it was a feast of food, drink and music. The young
men showed their riding skills at the tilting competition.
The women danced the “Sevellanas” in flamboyant flamenco
dresses.Everyone was happy and excited, for the Virgin Mary
was coming to their chapel. What an occasion!
But Don Enrique, the richest
man of Valencina de la
Concepción was distinctly
absent. He did not take part
in the feast in which the
Virgin was to be the
centerpiece.Standing on his
patio he could hear the
booming of the drums and
the high pitched voices of the
singing women.
“Agh, what nonsense!”

15. The golden grain was high in the
fields, and a colorful stream
meandered through all that ‘gold’. A small cloud appeared at the horizon,
In the midst of it was the Virgin Mary but nobody took notice of it as the
who looked during this excursion just forecast was sunny and good. And just as the procession moved
as exalted as the casteleros. It was as if Then another cloud appeared, and then among the fields, the first drops fell,
all the animals in the fields and the another. The captitate looked warily the wind came up and the capitate
birds in the sky followed the parade. at the sky. looked for shelter from the rain.

16. There were lovely little farm
buildings all around, but none
were big enough to hold the paso
with the Virgin statue. Except
the one, in the middle of the
most prosperous fields.
There were barns big enough to
give shelter to the virgin. It was
Don Enrique’s hacienda.
Don Enrique saw the procession wind through his fields. He saw the Virgin’s canopy
rocking back and forth with each step like the humps of a drunken camel. He also saw the
sky and the threatening impending rain. At that moment Don Enrique did something he
had not done in years, and he didn’t quite understand it himself: he prayed. He prayed to
God and asked him for rain. This time his prayer was heard, as right after he uttered his
final words, the rain came pouring down on his fields and the procession. A moment later
Don Enrique heard a knock on his gate. It was the Virgin knocking on his door.

17. And so the people of Valencina
de la Concepción and the
participants of the procession
took shelter under the roof of the
hacienda of Don Enrique.
The horses were fed, there was
wine, sausage end bread
for everyone.
Outside it poured from heaven as if the end
of times has arrived. The Virgin was all by
herself in the big shed. All by herself?
Not quite. A small figure aproached the paso,
with hesitation, his eyes to the ground.

18. When Don Enrique stood in front of the wagon he raised his eyes. Tears streamed
down his cheeks, tears for his departed daughter Mercedes, whom he never cried
over in his bitter rage. But also tears of joy. Because only now Don Enrique
understood that all his prosperous harvests were intended to make his barns large
enough so that they would shelter the Virgin in her time of need.
You have come
You did not forget me!
You came to my home
Please forgive me!
Forgiving ... ah, forgiving is her daily work.
At that moment there were those that would have sworn that
her plaster face had spread into a smile …
The End

19. This story came to me through my daughter Sarah, who lives in Sevilla.
Gracias, Sarah.