Monjas Coronadas/crowned Nuns

[brandelynmarie]

I found this video depicting a young Mexican woman entering the monastery. I found it beautiful. Does anyone know anything about the monjas coronadas?




[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amhAicoi6D8&list=PL9C28DDC85F9461BE&index=31"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amhAicoi6D8&list=PL9C28DDC85F9461BE&index=31[/url]

[cmaD2006]

From a search in spanish: see [url="http://www.museonacional.gov.co/sites/monjas/monjas2.html"]http://www.museonaci...as/monjas2.html[/url] (in spanish)

cma's two second summary:

a) they were from the colonial times (XVI century). Remember a woman in that day and age had two choices -- marriage or give herself fully to God and reject the world.
b) entrance to the monastery was restricted to those of european descent. Those of indigenous, African, Jewish, or Muslim descent (or mixed with those cultures) could not enter.
c) there is a mention that the monasteries came about between XVI and XVIII in what will be known as Latin America to provide a sort of protection for the daughters of the conquistadors.
d) a lot more is mentioned ... but two ceremonies are mentioned in particular -- entrance ceremony and the funeral ceremony

what was in the video looks to be the entrance ceremony.

Per the webpage -- the entrance ceremony was performed after a one to two year novitiate. The ceremony was performed after an appropriate payment is made to the community (in accordance to the resources of the young lady's family). Vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and enclosure would be made, and a new name given. She would be called using the Sor pronown, which comes from the latin word Soror meaning sister.

Her form of dress and adornment was elaborate ... with precious stones and jewels. That as seen in the video are exchanged for the habit. She is crowned with flowers and carries a bouquet.

In the funeral ceremony, since it is a celebration of the consumation of her mystical espousal with Christ, she is again adorned with a crown of flowers and with a bouquet in hand.

If you look at the page I pointed to ... the entrance and funeral ceremonies were depicted in paintings.

Edited September 29, 2011 by cmariadiaz

[brandelynmarie]

Oh wow...thank you! This would be a very intersting topic to explore. So the paintings with the nun reclined were funeral ceremonies? I like the shields they used too. (This is the romantic side of me coming out!) I had wondered if the costume & flowers was supposed to be in remembrance of the Blessed Mother...I had a hard time finding info since most of it was in Espanol .

Edited September 29, 2011 by brandelynmarie

[Clare~Therese]

Wow.
Muy bien!

[brandelynmarie]

Creo que si . (Yo hablo Spanglish .)

[Clare~Therese]

[quote name='brandelynmarie' timestamp='1317267136' post='2312100']
Creo que si . (Yo hablo Spanglish .)
[/quote]




Si!

I hablo Spanglish!

[faithcecelia]

I must admit the gasping made me wonder what sort of video it was to be!

Interestingly, it was this and similat thet St Teresa was keen to do away with, as the monastery she has been in before her reformation of the order had been run (as was common) in social status with those who entered wealthy staying so and those who entered poor being their servants and often going hungry. So with the Descalced Carmelites she was very keen that they were kept equal, and education and intelligence was the main reason one might be a lay sister, not money (actually one of my former sisters had entered as a choir sister and asked to become a lay sister as she felt that was her calling). One of the Compiegne Martyrs was French royalty too.

[brandelynmarie]

Yeah...I wondered & debated if the breathy sounds would be an issue . The breath sounds & drums I think are to mimic her heartbeat, such as when one is going through a profound change, in her case her entrance ceremony.

I think it is wonderful that St. Teresa made those changes in Carmel & that eventually the class system of forcing one to be a nun or lay sister (according to class) was done away with.

Edited September 29, 2011 by brandelynmarie

[Feankie]

since my husband is from Mexico, I can tell you a bit about the Monjas (nun) and their customs. These portraits were usually commissioned by the families of the nuns and were done by famous artists in Mexico at the time. We actually have 2 colonial paintings of 2 young Monjas decked out in fine robes, the flower crown (usually made from wax flowers), the candle decorated with flowers (again wax), and the large shield called an escudo on the front of the habit plus they are holding a religious image, usually a statue. Most of these escudos were buried with the nuns, but many have survived and are in private collections. I have had the privilege of seeing and holding several of them and they are exquisite and heavy. They are H U G E and handpainted by artists on tortiseshell, porcelain, or even precious metals. They were very "busy" and represented a nuns most favorite saints and devotions. One of the portraits we have (dated 1835) has the name of the girl before she entered the monastery, the date she entered, who her parents were and where they were from, her name in religion, her profession date. If she "rose" in the monastery to Abbess, etc., that designation and date was added by an artist to the original portrait. If you ever see a portrait of the famous Sor Juana de la Cruz you'll see her escudo which is incredible. When I said these things are huge, I really mean it. They can range up to a 10 inches or so in diameter.

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

What a fascinating video! Thanks for posting this.

[brandelynmarie]

Oh wow...thanks for sharing. I can see the portrait & shield as a way of remembering...

[quote name='IgnatiusofLoyola' timestamp='1317333884' post='2312560']
What a fascinating video! Thanks for posting this.
[/quote]


You're welcome

[Chiquitunga]

Wow, very interesting topic and unique video!! Thanks for posting! I wonder where it came from .. a documentary or something? And wait, so is/was there an actual order/congregation "Monjas Coronadas" ? The nuns in this video look like Conceptionists to me.

[img]http://www.traditioninaction.org/History/HistImages/B_013_Agreda.jpg[/img]

Venerable Maria of Agreda

[img]http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa23/holymusic55/Blessed%20Virgin%20Mary/Our%20Lady%20of%20Good%20Success/MotherMariana15631635FranciscanConc.jpg[/img]

Mother Mariana of Jesus (Our Lady of Good Success apparitions in Quito)


And [url="http://www.cesarvulcanouk.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/houseofguadalupe/monjascoronadas.html"]here[/url] there are crowned nuns from a few different orders -- even Carmelites And Sor Juana de la Cruz was a Hieronymite nun. Interesting ..

By the way, they are singing one of my favorite hymns at her entrance here! [i]O Gloriosa Virginum[/i] (though I like the chant version better!) It's a tradition in some Carmels at the entrance ceremony too!

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=377nMTqRsiA[/media]

At least a couple Carmels I know of have this other hymn to Our Lady at the entrance called [i]O Shelter Her[/i] and I still haven't been able to get the music for it. But the [i]O Gloriosa[/i] is always at the clothing and profession -- at least it's written in the Ceremonial that way. Anyway, random facts

[Chiquitunga]

Okay, this must be from this documentary, [i][url="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0342788/"]Monjas coronadas (1978)[/url] [/i]Seriously though, the clip here is really waaay too sensual when viewing it again.. on many levels It really casts religious life and the Church in a bad light -- though these customs were probably indeed very excessive and all. But aside from that .. just the way they showed the priest, and then the girl .. the way the nuns dressed her, etc.


But yes, interesting topic for sure!! I have a great love for Spanish customs/decor, so I appreciate this. I've never really read anything on this so far. Here's a whole book dedicated it - [url="http://www.amazon.com/Monjas-coronadas-Spanish-Alma-Montero/dp/970183223X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1317410147&sr=8-2"][i]Monjas coronadas[/i][/url] and another, [i][url="http://www.amazon.com/Brides-Christ-Conventual-Colonial-Mexico/dp/0804752834/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317410245&sr=1-1"]Brides of Christ[/url][/i]

[url="http://letraslibres.com/revista/artes-y-medios/monjas-coronadas-una-exposicion-de-pintura-novohispana"]Here[/url], another article with a couple Conceptionists, Discalced Carmelites and a Dominican I believe (you can read in the fine print). I feel like all the Carmelites we've seen crowned so far though, haven't been too excessive at least. And ..

[quote]In fact, Mexican colonial nuns had their portraits painted in great numbers, most when they took final vows and entered the convent for life. The most famous of these profession portraits are the so-called crowned nuns or monjas coronadas the Dominicans, Conceptionists, and Hieronymites pictured in flowered crowns holding the sculpted image of the Christ Child.

[url="http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-173374227.html"]http://www.highbeam....-173374227.html[/url][/quote]

But yes, faith this clip did immediately bring to mind St. Teresa's desire that all the Sisters be equal and especially that there be no superfluity in the habits nor ornamentation in the monastery, "except for the Church." She even went as far as saying there shouldn't be any addition of color in the habit, "even though it be something as small as a band." (Chapter VIII) I don't think this would include the simple crown of flowers they wear on their clothing though, and profession and all. But yes, interesting topic for sure ..

[brandelynmarie]

[img]http://www.cesarvulcanouk.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/houseofguadalupe/monjas coronadas/monja3.jpg[/img]

[img]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nMIGZNhF6a4/TMInqfNlkLI/AAAAAAAASGo/eestyKN_KZY/s1600/DSC00228.JPG[/img]

[img]http://www.tam.itesm.mx/art/colonial/144.jpg[/img]

[brandelynmarie]

[img]http://www.museonacional.gov.co/sites/monjas/escumonj.jpg[/img]