Manolo Albuixech Molina – Heritage Investigator
The Banyeres de Manola Parish Temple has three main access doors to it.
Until the mid-thirties of the last century, the entrance doors of the Plaza Major and the one on Calle de San Jorge were made of varnished wood. When the Temple is used as a Market Square, They were changed for others made of iron bars with an upper and a lower rectangle, about a meter tall, in which the vertical bars became composed of these rectangles with drawings of superimposed triangles.
Finally, in the year 1951 they were changed by strong wooden doors lined with zinc: The one on San Jorge street without any drawing and the one on Plaza Major decorated, as they are currently. Regarding the door that gives access to the Communion Chapel from Calle de la Malena, it is completely iron with square buttons as decoration.
A second cancel, This one for the door of San Jorge street was projected and not carried out since Gregorio Molina suffered the crisis in his paper factory and could not carry out his wish.
The gate of the door through which it is accessed from Calle de la Malena, It is made of aluminum and glass of the most recent creation..
In this article we will focus on the symbolic study of the wooden door, covered by a metal plate, which is located in the Plaza Mayor, being the main access to the church of Santa María de la Misericordia.
Symbology is a very complex subject according to the interpretations of religious beliefs and the various cultures. The origins of the language of symbols are as old as humanity itself., can be considered as the first writing of humanity. Most of the symbols are of pagan origins that were adopted over time by Christian culture.. In this case, almost certainly, yes we could find the origin, to place a symbol on the door, as a protective measure. For this we go back to the year 1272 a. C, specifically in the time of Moses, that according to the accounts of the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament (Exodus 11,1; 29-51) describes the consequences of the tenth plague and the measure of protection and salvation of the people of Israel.
"The LORD said to Moses: I will bring a plague on Egypt, after which he let you go from here, and will surely drive you out of here altogether." (Exodus 11,1).
And the blood will be a sign for you in the houses where you are.; and I will see the blood and I will pass over you, and there shall be no plague upon you when the land of Egypt strikes." (Exodus 12,13).
This Old Testament text gives us a clear clue to the origin, to mark the doors as a preventive measure against evil, since it is well known that the most vulnerable part of a house, fortification, iglesia, etc., is the door, being logical that the people of antiquity, fearing God and evil, symbols of different classes will be placed as a measure of protection. Instead of using blood, With the passage of time, other symbols of various shapes and different interpretations were adopted., but all with the same goal: That of being a talisman against evil. Something enigmatic and magical must be placing protection symbols on the doors, because if we go back in history, and especially in the doors of the churches, It is somewhat curious that these religious temples, over time, They were the targets of attacks and revolutionary excesses, destroying everything that was related to Christianity, and these doors, the oldest being dated in the 17th century, they did not suffer any damage, except that caused by inclement weather, for wear and aesthetics. It is not exactly the case the door of the church of Banyeres, since it was held in commemoration of the holy year of 1951, although it seems that in 1910 the door of this church was covered by a metal plate where apparently there were engravings with symbols referring to Christianity.
There are numerous and varied symbols of a religious nature that were, and some are still, used as a protective measure such as personal or household use. This is the case of the Heart of Jesus, with the meaning of protection because the "Heart of Jesus is with me"; also symbolizing protection: "Stop there! to the demons, dangers, to disasters, robberies, etc." It is very common to find them at the entrance door of a house or other buildings. Likewise, it is believed that putting it under a pillow of a sick person or in vehicles or carrying it on, gives protection and luck. In the case of the requetés in the Spanish Civil War, they took it to the height of the heart, with the meaning of "Stop, bala». Another symbol that was placed on the doors was a horseshoe., that in principle it was a pagan symbol but in the 10th century it was adopted by the Church, according to the legend of Saint Dunstan. In his last temptation of the devil.
Despite his humiliating defeat, the Devil later returned to the Dunstan forge disguised as a traveler and with a horse missing a horseshoe on one leg. He kindly asked him to shoe the horse's leg.. The saint came solicitous with a horseshoe, a hammer and some nails, but when bending down to lift the animal's leg, he could see that the stranger had hooves instead of feet. This test was enough for him to realize who that impostor was., Y, before he reacted, He took hold of one of its legs and nailed the horseshoe originally intended for the horse to its hoof.. He did it with such viciousness that soon the devil was crying in pain and begging to take it away.. dunstan agreed, but first he made him promise that he would never enter a place where there was a horseshoe again» 1.
With this example of the description of two significant and well-known symbols, gives us clear evidence that indeed the drawings engraved on some element, either metal or stone, or even on doorknobs and sculptures, more than an ornament, They were placed with the intention of protection from evil. It is like the case of San Carlos de Borromeo, who was an architect and gave the advice to introduce the symbol of the lion on the doors of the churches, representing protection and vigilance. As we have already mentioned before, the symbology was very varied., with geometric shapes, animals, floral… The symbols would be chosen specifically according to the protection that was intended. Something similar happens with the saints that each one has their advocacy and protection from certain evils..
.- Portal of the church of the Plaza Major
Construction of the church began in the year 1734 finishing its works in the year of 1752, so that the first door can be dated to that time, not knowing if the wooden one was covered by a metal sheet. The first testimony that attests to the fact that in the past there was a metallic coating on it is found in a photograph of the year 1910, in which, if we look closely, we find engravings of geometric shape, flowers and that of a small Sun, which is clearly a pagan symbol used by various cultures. In the Christian world the Sun represents the light of God. The most recognized meaning of the star king, in Marian symbology, It refers to the representation of the Immaculate Conception. A half moon under your feet, a crown of twelve stars in the shape of a halo and sunbeams that surround her entire figure. The origin of relating the Virgin Mary to the sun is found in the sacred scriptures (apocalypse chapter 12).
"A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with sun, with the moon under his feet, and on his head a crown of twelve stars.".
In 1920 Y 1930 photographs appear again where it can be seen that this door is still covered with sheet metal, although in this case, for focus reasons, no engraving is visible. The first reliable news of the constructive form of the door is in the mid-thirties, being described as a varnished wooden door, which was changed as a result of the Temple being used as a Food Market, during the years of the Civil War (1936-1939).
The door placed at this time was made with iron bars in the shape of a rectangle at the top and another at the bottom., as well as some vertical bars that happened to be composed of these rectangles, drawing overlapping triangles. This door, according to photographic testimonies, remained after the war, until it was replaced by a wooden one with rectangular-shaped ornaments arranged horizontally. In the year 1950 there were great works in this temple such as the reconstruction of the bell tower, which was partially destroyed in wartime. In 1951 work on the bell tower finished, just like door restoration.
The gate of the Plaza Major door was also made in 1951, being paid for by Gregorio Molina at the request of Father Jesualdo. It was made in the workshop of the Papelera de San Jorge, located in the town of Xátiva, being the master carpenter Jaime Santonja, native of Banyeres. In addition to the completion of the cancellation, in this same year, in the carpentry workshops of the Blanquer Pérez brothers located in what is currently Avenida dels Furs, number 12, the engravings were made with nails on the zinc plate of the door of the Plaza Mayor, these being made by the master Miguel Llópis Pascual, who had previously drawn his sketches on the wall of the same carpentry.
.- Engravings of the door of the Plaza Major
In my opinion, not being the very old door, these drawings were not made as symbols of protection, but for this reason it is not without its peculiar importance, since the representations that we find have their symbolic explanation, as we will present below.
* shield
The first drawing that we located is in the upper part of the door, located in the middle of the two sheets of the same. This is the heraldic coat of arms of the town of Banyeres de la Mariola, which has nothing to do with the language of symbology related to Christianity, taking into account the doors covered by a metal sheet installed in the churches that have been studied to date. If it is compared with the oldest that date from the 17th century, no civil coat of arms is observed.. Apparently the shields without a religious character were introduced in the middle of the 20th century according to the observations made on other doors in different places..
* approval
"Resolution of 15 November 2002, of the Minister of Justice and Public Administrations, by which the historical coat of arms of immemorial use is rehabilitated». (DOGV no. 4399, of 16 from December to 2002).
* Description
«quadrilong shield, round toe. Of azur a castle with two towers of its color, masonado and rinsing of sable, terraced of sinople. The castle loaded with letters: N F L R (Noble, Fell, Leal, Real). in chief, excuse in “cairo” with four sticks of gules in field of gold. at the doorbell, open royal crown».
* Fundamentals
«Immemorial shield used by the municipality at least since the 18th century» (Source: Spanish flags, Eduardo Panizois; Valencian government, Heraldry Technical Council, Coats and flags of the Municipalities of the Valencian Community, 2003). 2
With this State Bulletin, in my opinion the shield is described, since it is a fairly complete study.
* Crismon
On the left side of the door, above the image of Saint George, there is an engraving of a chrismon (JHS) which clearly symbolizes the monogram of Jesus Christ.
the chrismon, according to cultures and over the decades, is represented in three ways (XP, IHS, JHS), although they are different, they all symbolize and have the same meaning (Christ Savior of Men). in these initials, specifically above the letter H, there is also a cross that is undoubtedly a universal symbol of Christianity, depicting death and resurrection. For Catholic believers it suggests the victory over the death of Jesus, obedience to God and his laws, as a talisman of luck and protection against all evil beings. This emblem is not original to this Catholic culture since thousands of years ago, before the Christian era, used by other cultures.
The symbol of the chrismon, in one of its origins, we locate it in the pagan papyri by which scholars indicated the prophetic passages, with the word "chirho" which in Greek was the word "chreston" which means "auspice". Initially, the word "chi-rho" has no direct relation to Christianity, but, beyond thinking otherwise, this symbol was adopted when Emperor Constantine the Great converted to Christianity, being this word as an abbreviation of Christ. For the best understanding of the meaning of this word related to Christianity and pagan, we will go back to the era of Constantine I the Great, specifically in the battle of Milvio bridge, where he clashed with the troops of Maxentius.
According to the texts about the battle mentioned, Constantine I is said to, on the night of 28 October 312 he had a dream before the war, where the sign of the Cross was represented, while listening to a voice in Greek, that said "In hoc signo vinces" which means "With this sign you will win". The next day, before the battle, he ordered that the emblems of the Roman banners be changed to the chrismon. If we look at the phrase "In Hoc Signo Vinces" we can verify that the three initials of the first words gave the IHS monogram that coincides with the three letters of the Greek name of Jesus and that in the Latinized word "IHSOVS" the monogram of the expression «Jesus Hominun Salvator» (Jesus Savior of Men).
Constantino I, after winning the battle, changed the Roman banners from the imperial eagle to the cross and chrismon, not being used until the year 325 at the Council of Nicaea. the chrismon, having a pagan background, had a double meaning, one for believers and non-believers, that the symbol of the chrismon was adjusted to the purposes of Constantine. This emperor not only changed the banners, since in the year 313 promulgated the edict of Milan, benefiting with this edict to the Christians, since it stopped being a clandestine religion.
* Ave Maria
To the right of the crismon, above the engraving of Santa María de la Misericordia are the letters A M, being intertwined in themselves. This Marian symbol is the most significant and widespread among the Christian world, because it represents the prayer of the Virgin Mary.
The symbols and meanings that represent the Virgin Mary, as well as the allegories that accompany it, there are several: a sun, to the moon, stars, White Lily, etc. The symbol in question of the initials A M deals with the prayer that invokes the Virgin Mary, that according to some interpretations we find them, dividing the words of this sentence, and giving it its peculiar meaning depending on who translates it. It's like the word Ave: that would be Interpreted with the greeting that Christ made to his own. God saves you! Peace be with you! That over the years these words would also change in the Christian language, being a cordial greeting and good luck, God give us a good morning! God save you!…
It must be said that Mary is considered the Mother of God, the savior of our sins, represented the purity, beauty, like a star that guides us to a haven of hope, of consolation and relief, the spiritual guide that leads us to the divine and eternal glory.
These are the two most significant words of the Hail Mary prayer, but it must be mentioned that each word has its meaning, according to the devotion and beliefs of each person, since more than a symbolic meaning it is a translation of words.
* Saint George
He is one of the most revered saints in our country and part of Europe., patron of the town of Banyeres. The day 23 your holiday is celebrated, being customary to give a book and a red rose. The tradition of giving away a book is believed to come from awareness of the death of two great writers., Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare. According to some investigations not exactly died a 23 of April, Since Cervantes died on 22 of this month and buried the 23. Instead, Shakespeare did die on 23 but with the inconvenience that it was dated with the Julian calendar, so he would die on the day 3 of May.
The tradition of giving a red rose seems to have its origin in the legend of Saint George when he confronts the dragon, saving the life of the princess. the spear of love, that mortally wounds the dragon, making a deep wound from which blood of life and love flows, transformed into a red rose. Apart from this legend, its origins could come from the Roman festival that was celebrated on the day 28 April and lasted until 3 May with an offering of flowers to the fertile Goddess Flora, celebrating the end of the winter cycle, the coming of spring full of colors and life and beauty, of the multicolored contrast of the flowers, after a sad and hard winter. There is another origin that could come from the medieval fair of roses that was held in Barcelona around this time..
Saint George, as we have already mentioned, He is one of the most revered saints in our entire territory., but do we know who Saint George really was? For your better understanding we will delve into the legend that relates the life of the saint going back, in cappadocia, in the Anatolian region, around the years 275 Y 280 d. C. which is when it is estimated that this saint was born, in the bosom of a noble Roman family, and of Christian religion, fruit of the union of Geroncio and Policromia being his mother of Greek origin. At an early age, he lost his father., reason why he emigrated to Lydda or Diospolis.
The treatment he received in Palestine was that of a gentleman, being promoted to tribune at the early age of 30 years. Being a noble and trustworthy person, the emperor Diocletian (285-305) promoted him to the rank of personal guardian of the emperor.
Saint George never renounced religion and for this reason he was martyred and at the end of the suffering of torture he was beheaded, it is estimated that he died 23 of April 303.
There are many versions of the legend of Saint George that, even though the text changes, all of them are related to the saint's fight with the dragon and the final triumph of good against evil.
One of these legends is related on the page that describes it as follows. ("The legend of Saint George, a very European symbol” – ABC.es) www. abc.es/sociedad/…/abei-jorge.dragon-legend-201304222111 .html.
«According to the account of Blessed Santiago or Jacobo de la Vorágine, Saint George arrived in a Libyan city called Silia whose inhabitants lived in fear of a huge and pestilential dragon that hid in a nearby lake.. The locals threw two sheep a day into the lake so that the monster would feed on them., but when he lacked food, the beast was heading for the city and polluting the air with its stench, thus causing the death of many people. The time came when there were almost no sheep left in the city, and its inhabitants decided to feed the creature with maidens chosen by lot. But little by little Sirca became depopulated, until chance chose the king's daughter. The monarch offered all his wealth to save the life of the young woman, but his subjects threatened to kill him if he did not hand over the foul beast. De la Vorágine tells that when the girl was about to be devoured by the dragon, the Saint, mounted on his horse, he plunged his spear into the creature. with the wounded beast, Saint George ordered the young woman to tie him up as if he were a dog.. A) Yes, soldier and maiden brought the monster to the city. There, Saint George asked the locals to be baptized and after they did, he finished killing the terrible creature..
* Horse
The material and animal elements that accompany the representation of the image of Saint George also have their special representation and symbolic meaning.. The figure of the horse is named in various texts of the Holy Scriptures but, unlike other animal symbols, has no individual symbolic meaning, since this equine animal is usually represented in the company of a saint or as the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, etc. in pagan belief, and exactly in the Middle Ages, it was believed that witches flew with their broomsticks out of fear and true panic of horses and everything that was associated with this animal, how are the horseshoes that scared them away. Such was this belief that when a woman was accused of witchcraft and was not burned at the stake, she was buried and a horseshoe was nailed to the coffin lid, thus preventing his possible resurrection.
* Saint George's clothing
We could interpret the clothing of this saint as an ornament that magnifies the figure of the warrior saints, it's actually like that, but it is not without its symbolic meaning. This is not how he makes them understand in the text of the Bible (I Tesalonlcense 5:8):
"But we, that we are of the day, let's be sober, having clothed ourselves with the breastplate of faith and love, and with the hope of salvation as a helmet».
The helmet of salvation is a symbol with a spiritual Interpretation, that protects the head and mind from the attack of bad thoughts, straying from the path of Satan and leading us down the path of faith. Defining this symbol as an imaginary helmet that protects our mind and consciousness.
"Justice was put on like a breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; as clothing he put on revenge clothes, and wrapped himself with zeal like a cloak" (Isaiah 59:9-17).
the breastplate, considered fair, protects the heart and vital parts of the body. Also considered the armor of God that protects against the attacks of evil, since without this armor we would be exposed to the attacks of Lucifer and his fallen angels.
"Put on the whole armor of God, so that you can stand firm against the wiles of the devil" (ephesians 6:11-13 11). "Therefore, take on the whole armor of god, so that you can resist in the evil day, and having finished everything, be firm" (ephesians 6:11-13 13).
The sword, just like the spear, It is a weapon that usually accompanies the Holy soldier who fights against evil, it is also associated with the crucifixion of Christ, This weapon being considered as a relic in the Christian world that is known by the names of the Spear of Destiny., the spear of Logino or the spear of Christ. this weapon, which symbolically represents loyalty, It is considered a relic of salvation and victory against evil.. In some cases, instead of a spear, the holy soldiers are represented with a sword, which is symbolically considered as the word of God.
"Because the Word of God is alive and effective, and sharper than any two-edged sword; and penetrates to split the soul and the spirit, joints and marrow, and discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart» (Hebrews 4:12 12).
As we have verified with the clothing of a Holy Warrior, it is obvious that this was not represented at random.. The costumes that these saints wore, from the helmet to the sandals, it has its symbolic meaning related to God and symbolically protects us against evil and the constant attacks of the devil. Other weapons that are related to the clothing of the saints, and is not represented in the engraving of Saint George, are the sandals, belt and shield of faith that represents protection against evil.
* Dragon
The origin of the dragon as a Christian symbol represents the enemies of the Christian faith, And before what "we must read" in this story, remember the presence of the dragon in all cultures, treachery, cholera, the envy… In the Old Testament it is associated with the sea monster (Leviathan) that describes Jacob, and that the holy fathers assimilate him with the figure of the Devil, that threatens the world and creation and must be defeated. This mythological being is named in the Holy Scriptures appearing described in the passages of the Apocalypse of the apostle John and in the Apocalypse chapter 12. But its origins could still be traced back to more distant times., since this has always been associated with the devil, and the word dragon (in Latin draco) means snake. The devil transformed into the appearance of this reptile to captivate and seduce Eve and lead her to the path of sin.
This symbol undoubtedly represents evil, the chaos, total destruction, but over the years some cultures and civilizations used it as a symbol of power. The Vikings adorned the prow of their ship with the head of a dragon., as a kind of talisman that scared away evil spirits and, at the same time, terrify your enemies. The Romans had it as a symbol of power and wisdom., Just like in the Middle Ages it was leadership and strength, but it was used with its negative dark power in the belief that it would instill fear in its enemies. It was not totally a symbol of power and evil since in Greek mythology the dragon represented lightning and fertility., symbolizing the rain that fertilizes the earth and gives life.
And before what "we must read" in this story, remember the presence of the dragon in all cultures, apart from representing evil, has other attributes: of power, guardian, of wisdom and to frighten the enemies that in the Christian interpretation would be to scare away the infidel to prevent him from entering a holy place. For this reason, it is logical to find dragon-shaped sculptures in religious buildings. It should be noted that neither women nor children were included in the calculation., it is logical to find handles or knockers on the doors of churches and stately buildings as a symbol of protection against evil and the wealth guarded by this fearsome mythological beast.
* Saint Mary of Mercy
To the right of the figure of Saint George is the engraved image of Saint Mary of Mercy tucking in two little shepherds., one of the most popular images of the representation of the Virgin Mary. In this case, I will avoid making a symbolic explanation for the reason that has already been described in the previous paragraphs.
FOOTNOTES:
1 http://sobreleyendas.com/2008/05/14/el-diablo-y-san-dunstan/. Accessed on 30/07/2015.
2 Jose Antonio Jimenez Ruiz, 24 June 2009.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
– CASTELLO MORA, J. et al:. "Graphic History of Banyeres de la Mariola", p. 54-140-146-150-261-292.
– Crismon – Wikipedia, The free encyclopedia, (es.wikipedia.org/wiki/crismón).
– "From the chrismon to the crucifix", ABC.es (www.abc.es/sociedad/..,/abci-crismon-crucifi-jo-201303251439.html).
– Meaning of the Hail Mary prayer/ catoliscopio.com (parroquiaicm.word-press.com/.. ./meaning-of-the-hail-mary/).
– “DRAGONS AND SYMBOLS (II) SAINT GEORGE" – Passages (www.pasapues.es/ aragon/sanjorge/sanjorge.pdf
– "The legend of Saint George, a very European symbol”, ABC.es, (www.abc.es/ sociedad/., ./abc-jorg e-dragon-legend-201304222111.html.)
– "The metaphysical symbol of the Saint George Legend" (on… (meditaciondeldla.com/… /the-metaphysical-symbolism-of-the-legend-of-sa…)
– "SAINT GEORGE. The legend: good over evil". History (www.phistor¡a.met/reportajes-de-historia/SAN-JORGE_110.html.)
– “Dragon Symbolism – Linkmesh” (www.linkmesh.com/Dragones/dr3.php.)
– “DRAGON – Ecovisions” (www.ecovisiones.el/diccionarlo/D/DRAGON.htm)
– "Lucky horseshoe – the magic book of spells" – Blogger (libromagicodeembrujo.blogspot.com/2009/herradura-de-lasuerte.ht…)
– "Armor of God" – Meaning – time of hope (www.sitiodeesperanza.com/2012/la-armadura-de-dios-significado.htm…)
– "The archetype of the dragon in universal mythology" / Itzel Valley… (
www.academia.edu/…/El.arquetipo_deLdragon_enJamitologia_univer…)
ILLUSTRATION:
Drawing of the decoration that presents the main access door to the Parochial Temple, located in the Plaza Mayor. Made by Manuel Albuixech in December of 2013
