As much as I agree with your view in general terms, as I am Galician, I would like to correct a few things you’ve stated in this article.
Santiago de Compostela is not a city known as “home to a tribunal of Spanish Inquisition”. It was founded to established a new capital city of the faith replacing Braga, that, not only was the old capital of the Kingdom of Galicia, but one of the most important cities of Gallaecia before the roman invasion (for more information, research, if you will, about Diego Xelmirez and his Pium Latrocinium in 1102).
About Compostela, as a place where inquisition trials and executions were taken place, absolutely true. As they were celebrated in many other places such Toledo, Seville, Barcelona, Paris, Bavaria, Milan or London. Because Christianity was present in whole Europe, his most famous coercive tool too. About this subject, I’ll return later.
Now, the main subject I want to explain correctly, the “effigy”, as it’s addressed in the article.
That “effigy” is known in Galicia as “O Meco”. It’s a human size doll exposed during Entroido (a celebration that coincides in time with spanish carnival, although it has a pagan origin, and therefore it’s older than “Carnaval”).
“O Meco” represents someone who didn’t behave properly with the rest of society. Nowdays, as well, it can be a representation of someone who was bad treated (for example, old people who died victims of COVID).
I want to be clear in this. Most of the population don’t agree in the representation as “O Meco” of Carmen Calvo. This was only an action made by some misogynists who supports the sexists behaviours of the “queer” ideology.
Precisely, this individual action represents the absolutely ignorance about the origins of “O Meco”, and I think I must explain it here in order to foreign people can understand how serious this unique Galician tradition has been vandalized.
“O Meco” was a foreign priest located in the parish of Sanxenxo, a coastal town in the north of the province of Pontevedra. This mas sexually harassed women repeatedly. An example: when a couple wanted to get married, “O Meco” required to have sex with the future bride first or else they couldn’t get married.
People got enough of this unbearable behaviour of continuous abuses and they hanged “O Meco” in a tree. When authorities demanded who killed “O Meco”, the whole town, men and women all at one told “We all killed O Meco”. And that’s how it ends the leyend. Galician writer Martin Sarmiento wrote about it in 1756 if you want to read the complete story.
It’s a story about fighting patriarchy and literally defending the basics rights of the women. Nothing to do with queers.
The meaning of “O Meco” is pointing that someone who takes advance of his power or position and uses against the people will face consequences, because people will fight against it.
And I would like to emphasize that in any case, when a Meco is hanged now is a death threat or anything at all. It’s just an expression of social unrest. “O Meco” was executed in a time and place where church members and nobility were simply untouchable. This was one of the few exceptions in the history of the Kingdom of Galicia that people were forced to take the justice into their own hands, as Rosalía de Castro, XIX century writer and feminist would say.
Therefore, Carmen Calvo cannot be represented as “O Meco” because she hasn’t behave in that way. In fact, she has ben one of the very few politicians who have made reservations concerning “trans” Law project (not as full frontal as many of us would like, though).
Turning to the subject of inquisition. In my humble opinion, inquisition should be addressed as just inquisition, or Christian inquisition (more accurate) or even European inquisition, because such abhorrent practices were established in the whole continent. And I want to declare that I’m not even christian, nor affiliated with other religions or such chauvinistic ideologies. I actually despise them equally.
About the introduction of inquisition in “Spain” ( in XV century definitively there wasn’t anything near to that concept), it’s true that the usurper Isabel of Trastámara (known as self proclaimed queen of Castile) established in “her kingdom” regulations on tribunals, etc. But, the introduction and implementation of the Inquisition in the Iberian peninsula was in the XIII century, in the crown of Aragón, during the kingdom of Jaume “the conqueror” and by the hand of Ramon de Penyafort.
And finally. If you allow me, I suggest instead, as we do today in Galiza, to remember the victims of such disgusting practices, commemorate their memory (as we do, for example, with Maria Soliña, in Cangas) and educate so society won’t allow this happen ever again.
I would like to you understand that our ancestors were the victims of this insane practices and not the executioners.
I hope this explanation can enlighten the general vision. I apologize about the length although I’ve tried to shorten as much as I could. And of course if anyone would like an explanation about something specifically I’m glad to help.
Excellent article Iseult. This is gaining pace worldwide and it's very scary. iv'e come off Facebook for a while, was last on there in November as if I brought this subject up I got absolutely no response NONE! Women seem to be not bothered or don't relise what we will all lose. It's like one of those movies like The Stepford Wives people are like robots devoid of feelings. I know lots feel like me as I meet them on Twitter but I'm hiding behind an alias myself because of family issues. I'm hoping to be brave soon but it would help if Women had support from the Government. I feel for those Women in Spain but fear we are on the same journey.
People don't understand what is happening. All we can keep do is keep talking about it. I think we need to write to our politicians too. I think Spain is in better shape than we are here. They have a lot of strong feminist politicians.
As much as I agree with your view in general terms, as I am Galician, I would like to correct a few things you’ve stated in this article.
Santiago de Compostela is not a city known as “home to a tribunal of Spanish Inquisition”. It was founded to established a new capital city of the faith replacing Braga, that, not only was the old capital of the Kingdom of Galicia, but one of the most important cities of Gallaecia before the roman invasion (for more information, research, if you will, about Diego Xelmirez and his Pium Latrocinium in 1102).
About Compostela, as a place where inquisition trials and executions were taken place, absolutely true. As they were celebrated in many other places such Toledo, Seville, Barcelona, Paris, Bavaria, Milan or London. Because Christianity was present in whole Europe, his most famous coercive tool too. About this subject, I’ll return later.
Now, the main subject I want to explain correctly, the “effigy”, as it’s addressed in the article.
That “effigy” is known in Galicia as “O Meco”. It’s a human size doll exposed during Entroido (a celebration that coincides in time with spanish carnival, although it has a pagan origin, and therefore it’s older than “Carnaval”).
“O Meco” represents someone who didn’t behave properly with the rest of society. Nowdays, as well, it can be a representation of someone who was bad treated (for example, old people who died victims of COVID).
I want to be clear in this. Most of the population don’t agree in the representation as “O Meco” of Carmen Calvo. This was only an action made by some misogynists who supports the sexists behaviours of the “queer” ideology.
Precisely, this individual action represents the absolutely ignorance about the origins of “O Meco”, and I think I must explain it here in order to foreign people can understand how serious this unique Galician tradition has been vandalized.
“O Meco” was a foreign priest located in the parish of Sanxenxo, a coastal town in the north of the province of Pontevedra. This mas sexually harassed women repeatedly. An example: when a couple wanted to get married, “O Meco” required to have sex with the future bride first or else they couldn’t get married.
People got enough of this unbearable behaviour of continuous abuses and they hanged “O Meco” in a tree. When authorities demanded who killed “O Meco”, the whole town, men and women all at one told “We all killed O Meco”. And that’s how it ends the leyend. Galician writer Martin Sarmiento wrote about it in 1756 if you want to read the complete story.
It’s a story about fighting patriarchy and literally defending the basics rights of the women. Nothing to do with queers.
The meaning of “O Meco” is pointing that someone who takes advance of his power or position and uses against the people will face consequences, because people will fight against it.
And I would like to emphasize that in any case, when a Meco is hanged now is a death threat or anything at all. It’s just an expression of social unrest. “O Meco” was executed in a time and place where church members and nobility were simply untouchable. This was one of the few exceptions in the history of the Kingdom of Galicia that people were forced to take the justice into their own hands, as Rosalía de Castro, XIX century writer and feminist would say.
Therefore, Carmen Calvo cannot be represented as “O Meco” because she hasn’t behave in that way. In fact, she has ben one of the very few politicians who have made reservations concerning “trans” Law project (not as full frontal as many of us would like, though).
Turning to the subject of inquisition. In my humble opinion, inquisition should be addressed as just inquisition, or Christian inquisition (more accurate) or even European inquisition, because such abhorrent practices were established in the whole continent. And I want to declare that I’m not even christian, nor affiliated with other religions or such chauvinistic ideologies. I actually despise them equally.
About the introduction of inquisition in “Spain” ( in XV century definitively there wasn’t anything near to that concept), it’s true that the usurper Isabel of Trastámara (known as self proclaimed queen of Castile) established in “her kingdom” regulations on tribunals, etc. But, the introduction and implementation of the Inquisition in the Iberian peninsula was in the XIII century, in the crown of Aragón, during the kingdom of Jaume “the conqueror” and by the hand of Ramon de Penyafort.
And finally. If you allow me, I suggest instead, as we do today in Galiza, to remember the victims of such disgusting practices, commemorate their memory (as we do, for example, with Maria Soliña, in Cangas) and educate so society won’t allow this happen ever again.
I would like to you understand that our ancestors were the victims of this insane practices and not the executioners.
I hope this explanation can enlighten the general vision. I apologize about the length although I’ve tried to shorten as much as I could. And of course if anyone would like an explanation about something specifically I’m glad to help.
Excellent article Iseult. This is gaining pace worldwide and it's very scary. iv'e come off Facebook for a while, was last on there in November as if I brought this subject up I got absolutely no response NONE! Women seem to be not bothered or don't relise what we will all lose. It's like one of those movies like The Stepford Wives people are like robots devoid of feelings. I know lots feel like me as I meet them on Twitter but I'm hiding behind an alias myself because of family issues. I'm hoping to be brave soon but it would help if Women had support from the Government. I feel for those Women in Spain but fear we are on the same journey.
People don't understand what is happening. All we can keep do is keep talking about it. I think we need to write to our politicians too. I think Spain is in better shape than we are here. They have a lot of strong feminist politicians.