One of the peculiar religious festivals of the country is “La Procesión
del Pelicano” (procession of the pelican), a passion play held
annually at Quillota, one of the first communities established by the
Spaniards in Chile. To the old city in the valley of the Aconcagua,
there is an annual pilgrimage of thousands of devout Catholics, and
others attracted by curiosity, to witness the strange procession.
The Procession of the Pelican has no mythological origin or
significance, as is generally supposed, but derives its name from the
colossal bird, which has figured in the demonstration for more than a
century. The Cathedral of Quillota was built by the Bishop of Romero,
in the beginning of the eighteenth century. By the influence of the
Bishop the ladies of the community formed the society of the “Santo
Sepulcro” (Holy Sepulchre), and by collecting alms raised the funds for
this traditional procession. The annual arrangement was always placed
in charge of one of the ladies of the society, and as only those from
the first families were selected it was considered a great honor.
About the year 1776, Doña Amilia Alverez de Araya, whose family
founded the original town of Quillota, was selected to direct the
demonstration. Previous to that time the Santo Sepulcro, on which
the figure representing the body of Christ was placed, on being
lowered from the cross, was a common wooden box. With the help of a
San Franciscan monk, who was a good joiner, Doña Amilia planned the
receptacle since used, which represents a swan with wings extended.
The huge image, constructed of wood, represents the bird with arched
neck, picking at its breast upon which there is a bright red spot, in
imitation of a blood stain.
On Good Friday a cross is erected in the Plaza, on a miniature mount,
covered with green. During the day it is guarded by huasos, dressed
to represent the Jews. Previous to the procession a man is placed
upon the cross in imitation of the Crucifixion. In the evening the
Cura, standing upon the steps of the cathedral, preaches a sermon on
the “Passion of Our Lord,” after which the procession is formed. The
“andas” (floats), carried upon the shoulders of men, represent scenes
in the life of the Savior, such as “Christ Before Pilate,” “Christ
Carrying the Cross,” “The Virgin Surrounded by Angels,” etc. The
feature of the procession is the Pelican, which is borne by twelve men.
The procession marches from the cathedral to the mount, and the body
of the man representing Christ is lowered from the cross and placed in
the Holy Sepulchre, the Pelican. During the procession the wings of the
Pelican, which are covered with mirrors, open and shut mechanically,
adding a spectacular feature to the scene. After marching around the
Plaza, and through the principal streets the procession returns to the
cathedral, and the Pelican is placed back of the altar where it remains
until the recurrence of Good Friday, when it is again brought into
service in “La Procesión del Pelicano.”
The hotels in the provincial town are inadequate to accommodate the
people who journey annually to Quillota to witness the strange scenes
presented in the procession of the Pelican, and when the ceremony is
concluded there is an undignified rush for trains. The crowd, that
stands quietly with bared heads during the passion play, resolves
itself into a mob, each individual scrambling and fighting for the
most advantageous position at the railway station. Those who cannot
secure accommodation in the trains must spend the night in the streets,
and following “La Procesión del Pelicano” the usual quiet of Quillota
is turned into a drunken rabble. The police are unable to control the
crowd, and the scene of religious fervor and devout Christian spirit
shown by the multitude during the procession representing Christ
crucified, is changed to a bacchanalian carousal. The event brings
out the peculiarities of the Chilean character. One hour they are
intoxicated with religious excitement and the next on aguardiente,
entering as enthusiastically into the spirit of one condition as the
other, with never a thought, apparently, of the inconsistency of their
actions.