Brother Morelos

If you don’t live in Mexico, you may or may not know the name José María Morelos.

Morelos was a priest – but that’s not why I call him brother.  He was also one of the main leaders in the Mexico’s struggle for independence from Spain.  He’s a national hero in Mexico.  The city where he was born is now named after him (Morelia).  A whole state is named after him (Morelos).  His face appears in paintings, you see him in monuments, and he’s been on Mexican currency since the 1940s.  His face is now found on the 50 peso note.

Morelos also suffered from migraine.  And he’s not just another famous migraineur.  He’s unique because many of these images remind us of the pain that he suffered.

These two pictures are typical of the images you’ll find of Morelos.  One is from the Palacio de Justicia (Palace of Justice) in Morelia (photo courtesy of eperales).  The other is a 1 peso coin (no longer in circulation) (photo courtesy of TFDuesing).  Notice that he’s wearing a white bandana in both pictures.  What many people don’t know is why he’s wearing it.  He’s wearing it because he has a headache.  He’s using it to put pressure on his head to help ease the pain (not an unheard-of treatment, by the way).

In spite of the pain, Morelos led a revolution with skill and brilliance.  And today all over Mexico you can see him honoured, wearing a badge of the pain he had to endure.