Saint Ursula and the Eleven Thousand Virgins

These figurines represent the eleven thousand virgins that accompanied Saint Ursula on a religious pilgrimmage to Cologne, in the 4th century, and were martyred by the invading huns. In Puerto Rico, the saint's popularity is related to a supplicatory procession, known as La Rogativa, organized by Bishop Zengotita during the British attack on the island's capital of San Juan in 1797. It is believed that the torches carried by the people in the procession fooled the English into thinking the military had received reinforcements, forcing the invading troops to withdraw. These small devotional figurines are hand-carved, a traditional technique among local artisans.