Malo Mori Quam Foedari

Malo Mori Quam Foedari

No, they are not Ku Klux Klan as you might be inclined to believe at first glance. They are cucuruchos which is the name given to the brotherhood who use the cone head-dress; in this case is the brotherhood of the nazarenos (from Jesus of Nazareth). Each brotherhood from each church wear a different color and style of cucurucho.

Malo Mori Quam Fiedari (ed. Foedari)
Secret hand-shake or password
used by the nazarenos and
described by Pepe Milla.

The Latin words translate to I prefer to die than to be dishonored or disgraced. Pepe Milla was one of the most outstanding Guatemalan writers in the 19th century. His real name was José Milla y Vidaurre, since Pepe is the nickname for José, although he nom de plume was Salomé Jil. His writing can be categorized under several literary genres, but his main focus was life in colonial Guatemala. In his works, he shows an ability for story-telling and imagination. For him, one of the main functions of literature was to entertain and his books are examples of such function. Jose Milla was well-educated, an expert of Guatemalan idiosyncrasies, its history and its customs. (source: Wikipedia)

For those familiar with La Antigua Guatemala, could you tell me where was this picture taken?

© 2007 – 2020, Rudy Giron. All rights reserved.

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