Puebla. La Casa del Dean murals: The Sybils.

1. Synagoga 2. Erythraea 3. Samia 4. Persica 5. Europa!  6. (Plaza Coat of Arms) 7. Cumaea 8. (Shell Niche) 9. Tiburtina 10. Cumana 11. Delphica 12. Hellespontica 13. Phrygia 14. (Coat of Arms) 15. Phrygia.

The Salon of the Sybils 

The first room is now known as the Salon of the Sybils. A continuous mural depicts twelve women, fashionably costumed in a contemporary style typical of the Spanish upper class, riding side saddle on horseback in procession, along a path. Each is clad in voluminous blue and white robes, crowned with coronets and holding her appropriate standard, referring to her associated prophecy.
   Above each Sybil in the procession is emblazoned a medallion illustrating a particular scene from Christ’s Nativity and Passion, as foretold by her, each inscribed with the relevant biblical citation. Although the Sybilline Prophesies were pagan, originating in the early Roman cult of Apollo, they were adopted in Christian theology as foretelling the Coming of Christ, much like episodes in the Old Testament were thought to prefigure the events of the New Testament.
   The fact that the Sybils are shown in procession and on horseback, suggests a strong connection with the traditions of religious spectacle and drama that played such a large role in the evangelization programs of the New World.
   The accompanying landscape is also continuous, with rivers, mountains, forests and villages, alive with indigenous plants, birds, insects, animals as well as native people in their daily activities—elements that are further intensified in the extraordinary friezes that frame the procession above and below. 


Synagoga
The procession starts to the right of the window opposite the entry. led by Synagoga, who personifies the Old Testament, riding a humble mule rather than a fine arabian. She is blindfold and raises a broken standard depicting the Laws of Moses, of which she also hold the tablets.

Erythaea
Heralding the Incarnation, and accompanied by an Annunciation scene in the upper left, she holds up a banner showing the Lily of Purity.

Samia
A cradle appears on her banner, which together with the Nativity scene, indicates her role as the prophetess of Christ’s birth.

Persica

A lantern is the attribute of the Persian Sybil, who is associated with the Woman of the Apocalypse trampling the Beast in the left roundel—a figure widely thought to symbolize the Virgin Mary.

Europa
The sword on Europa’s banner signifies the Massacre of the Innocents, which prompts the Flight of the Holy Family into Egypt, illustrated in the inset above.

Cumaea
The last of Nativity series, the banner of the Cumaean Sybil shows an indigenous slip knot, signifying Christ’s divinity. The humble Virgin appears with the Christ Child in the medallion.

Tiburtina
The Tiburtine Sybil raises a banner with a severed hand, symbolizing Christ’s humiliation—the first of the Passion related prophesies. The Mocking of Christ is shown in the circle.

Cumana?"
Here, this sybil is shown in association with Christ at the Column in the roundel above.

Delphica
A Crown of Thorns adorn the standard of the Delphic Sybil, a Passion instrument also illustrated in the Mocking scene beside it.

Hellespontica
The Crucifixion is the theme here. The cross appears on the Sybil’s banner and the inset shows the Calvary scene.

Phrygia
Although incomplete, this last figure in the procession may be Phrygia. The tomb emblazoned on her banner signifies her prophesy of the Resurrection.
Inset to the right is the Plaza family coat of arms.

text © 2020 Richard D. Perry.  

 images © Juan Carlos Varillas and Niccolo Brooker. 

principal source: La Casa del Dean...New World Imagery in a Sixteenth-Century Mexican Mural Cycle Penny C. Morrill. 2014. U. of Texas Press