Analiżi tal-Ġimgħa Mqaddsa 

edited by Malcolm Schembri

published by the Cottonera Resource Centre

The book Analiżi tal-Ġimgħa Mqaddsa: Lenti fuq Pajjiżna u lil hinn minnu arrived on my desk hot on the heels of another anthology by various eminent hands on another vast subject, namely On the Couch: Writers Analyze Sigmund Freud, edited by Andrew Blauner.

If Freud gets royal treatment, no less can be said of the subject of this anthology of lectures from a course devised by university professor Peter Mayo.

The book deals with matters connected with Holy Week, taking in politics, imperialism, colonialism, gender, theatre, visual arts, food and so many other things, not all edible, but all nevertheless intriguing. It is replete with illustrations, some in colour, references included.

The short book gathers lectures delivered over a number of years about a warm subject that involves much more than we usually think it does.

The Holy Week celebrations in Malta contribute immensely to our identity – whether we are warm, cold or tepid in the matter of processions, festas and rituals.

This review can only give a tantalising vista of a wide coverage. The list of learned contributors may by mind-boggling and the subjects tantalisingly vast, but the general behaviour stays out of the university lecture halls and rubs shoulders with the lay person, almost always in a tone that can be understood by all.

To give some idea of what is in the articles, the book starts with Malta under the Romans as it receives the Christian faith in a piece by Anthony Bonanno, who goes over the ground expertly, wondering when Malta became Christian, despite the difficulty to be definite.

The Holy Week celebrations in Malta contribute immensely to our identity

Sandro Debono goes to the Spanish origin of the processions with reference to the rosary. Marco Galea examines the theatrical and filmic manifestations, strongly followed by a social study of Holy Week in Għargħur, especially with regards to the very successful dramatic representation there, very much associated with Martin Gauci.

No surprise that Joseph F. Grima should give a thorough history of the procession statues and the various vicissitudes of the floats and statues along the years. There must be few things Grima doesn’t know about this great subject.

Next come some exciting departures from the beaten track: first Nathalie Grima on gender, with no messing around about the subject of woman’s “inferior” status in a “patriarchal” world. It is an old quarrel that still needs to be fought in these post-postmodern days, and Grima takes no prisoners, not bypassing the hot question of Mary Magdalene and all that has grown around her figure, though the roles of Martha and Mary in the Gospel are here absent-mindedly confused.

Mayo writes on politics and imperialism with reference to Franco in Spain and the Church-Labour clash in Malta. I was glad to find here a reference to connection with the medieval mystery plays, a subject very dear to my heart and on which I have often both written and said a word or two.

Eric Monfort writes on sacred music reform, bands and musicals while Suzanne Piscopo searches over various countries for Holy Week food (why not, hurrah!). Anna Spiteri focuses on the environment (an even greater hurrah!), roping in St Francis and the present pope, while celebrating the oneness of all things.

Spiteri’s cheerful narrative makes a very happy ending to a very happy book.