Basilica of the Macarena

Did you know that the Macarena was originally called La Magdalena, but that Madgalena is the Spanish equivalent of calling someone a ho (after Mary Magdalene, purported prostitute) so they changed the name to the Macarena after the area of Seville? Someone who knows these kind of things told me this before I looked it up on the wiki. Oh, you don't know what I'm talking about? Here. Enjoy. And please tell me why someone thought this was appropriate for my generation of elementary school kids. It'd be like Soulja Boy in schools today. Oh wait...

Anyway, the Basilica of the Macarena is in this part of town and it's dedicated to the less controversial of the Marys, Mary the mother of Jesus. The basilica houses a couple of statues of Mary, including one called Nuestra Senora de la Esperanza, Our Lady of Hope. It's brought out on Good Friday for the processions around town, which explains why she's crying.

Crying crystals.

Really, it seems like this entire building was only built to house this one statue. It's certainly an appropriate statue for this city- Our Lady of Hope is the patron saint of matadors and a favorite of Spanish gypsies who call Andalusia home. She's connected to the matadors of Seville by the story that one famous matador in Seville spent a large part of his fortune to buy the four emeralds the statue wears. When Joselito died in the ring, she wore mourning clothes for a month.

Looking around, there are scenes from the life of Mary in this tiny church, almost a chapel. Each alcove holds a new statue of Mary.

And the Baby Jesus of Prague! I knew he'd be back!

The only figure distinct from this is the wax figure of Jesus in his purple robe sitting down behind the altar in the chancel where la Macarena is housed. As you walk in, classical music plays, accompanying those who walk through the side door leading to the chancel to kiss the hands or feet of the statue of their Lord.

I don't often understand this kind of devotion. I mean, even Mary Magdalene wasn't allowed to hold onto Jesus when she met Him in the garden after the resurrection. Why should we hang onto figures of Him like this? But it helps, I think, to have something to venerate. I sat down for a while, looking to recognize scenes and wondering about the different ways of seeing a person. And wondering why Our Lady of Hope had to cry.