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Amazing! Thank you for sharing this. I listened to the saeta and to me it sounded a lot closer to the Azaan. The cadences are exactly the same.

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Great analysis Pallavi. As you point out the Semana Santa processions are beautifully grotesque, passionately supported by tradition rather than religion. I agree with the gipsy influence , but I also see Roman goddess….A celebration of the murder of God by humanity; parallel to toreros triumphs at bullfights?

Spain is certainly different

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I guess you had written on it a couple of years earlier.

The KKK type dress you hadn't mentioned then, but you alluded to the similarity with Muharram.

But the pagan roots are not discernable, Catholic monks or Free Mason were known to do self injury for penance connecting to Good Friday, in France or UK or some other country.

Dan Brown alludes to it.

As for Ganapati idol, the church authorities were scolded later it seems.

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