Las nenas angelicas. Origen, evolución y perduración [The «angelicas» babes. Origin, evolution and permanence]

Abstract

The girls who, during May or the month of the flowers, participated in the tributes and floral offerings made to the Virgin were designated in Navarre as «angelicas». The custom, which had great rooting and presence in many localities, is included in the scope of what is known as popular religiosity. Through this work, in the first place, we intend to approach the origin and precedents of this celebration, to later analyze its evolution and describe the singularities involved in the implementation of this minor ceremony of the Christian liturgy. Finally, the case of Arraitz, a village where, still today, the tradition is kept alive, is exposed. In order to carry out our objective, besides reviewing the historical newspaper library...