Again Mary stands on the Jupiter finger, Joseph on the Saturn finger, Saint Ann on the Sun finger and Saint Joachim on the Mercury finger. Also the wound appears to be in the center of the head and heart line, while the tip of the wound closest towards the fingers touches the line of the destiny or fate, which is jointed to the life line, each of the lines are strong and very visible. In both traditions, the hand is the right hand, and on rare occasions one will find the left hand used.įor those who understand the art of Western Palmistry or palm reading “as apposed to Eastern Palmistry”, in the Mexican Version the Hand is often an Earth hand, while the Puerto Rican version is a Fire Hand. ![]() Some say the hand is the adult hand of Jesus Christ, while others say the hand is that of Saint Francis of Assisi who is commonly believed to be the first Saint to have suffered and lived with the stigmata. Both Mexican and Puerto Rican Mano Poderosa depict the open palm which demonstrates the stigmatic wound made by a nail. The Mexican Mano Poderosa often includes either God or a white dove “holy spirit, la palomita blanca” above the hand, which often is not included in the Puerto Rican Mano Poderosa and symbolizes the holy spirit. In painted form, both include cherub angels looking down from the sky. Saint Joachim on the thumb, Saint Joseph on the pointer, the Christ Child on the middle, Mary on the ring finger and Saint Ann on the pinky. Its Mexican predecessor follows this order. In the Puerto Rican Mano Poderosa, the child Jesus, or Niño Jesus sits on the thumb, the Virgin Mary stands on the pointing finger, Saint Joseph on the middle finger, Saint Ann on the ring finger and finally Saint Joachim on the little finger. Another difference between the Mexican Mano Poderosa and the Puerto Rican Mano Poderosa is the position of the Saints. Each of the angels is holding an emblem of the Passion of Christ, one angel carries the thorned crown, another the cross, one the holy sponge, hammer and nails, while the fourth is holding what seams like a pillow or bowl of blood, in some instances only three of the Angels hold an item from the Passion of the Christ while one clasps his/her hands in prayer. The Puerto Rican Mano Poderosa does not include the Chalice or Lambs, but rests on a heavenly cloud, surrounded by what seams like four Archangels, which are believed to be Saint Michael, Saint Rafael, Saint Gabriel and Saint Uriel. Often the Mexican Mano Poderosa demonstrates the Cinco Señores “Seniors” or Cinco Personas each on top of a finger of the hand, while the hand rests on a chalice, as blood from the wound on the palm over flow es and quenches the thirst of a group of 7 “Seven” sheep or lambs. The Puerto Rican Wooden Mano Poderosa mimicks its elder Mexican predecessor Tin Retalbo, with some differences. ![]() The earliest known folk art of the Mano Poderosa “with hand intact” comes from Mexico in its tin Retalbo form that dates back from around 1807 through 1809, and then in Puerto Rico in its Santo de Palo wooden saint carvings forms that date from 1915. Originally the Santos brought to the Americas where wooden statues or expensive art paintings. Saints and religious paraphernalia such as Las Cinco Personas or Los Cinco Señores, was used as a way of teaching the then illiterate African and Indigenous population the life and veneration’s of its Catholic saints. ![]() The Mano Poderosa as we know it today is an ancient symbol of protection and its idea was brought to Mexico and the Caribbean by Spanish and other European settlers and missionaries who settled in Latin America. Much of its elements are rooted in folk Espiritismo traditiones, West African Religion and Indigenous Spiritual beliefs. One of the most iconic symbols in both Mexican and Puerto Rican folk art is the Mano Poderosa or the All Powerful Hand, and while it does have much Catholic “Cristian” elements, and its based on the Cult of Saint Ann and the Holy Family.
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