Mountain of Spells

Description

Venezuela is a melting pot made of native Amerindians, descendants of Spanish settlers and African slaves. This mix has given birth to unique forms of worship such as the ones found at the Mountain of Spells where the colonizers' Catholicism has merged with all sorts of animist and shamanic rites of Ameridian and African origins. Located 300 kms away from Caracas, the Mountain of Spells is a place of pilgrimage with people coming from all over the country to participate in spectacular mystical ceremonies. Here, among the numerous and often most unusual saints, the most revered figure is Maria Leonza, whose power is so feared that her name is only uttered accompanied by the sign of the cross. Maria Leonza is very symbolic of Venezuela. The legend says that she is a Queen of Spanish lineage who reigns together with Negro Felipe, an African warrior, and Guacaipuro, an Indian chief.

Runtime

52 min

Subjects

Geography

Genre

Date of Publication

1999

Database

Alexander Street

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