Franco and José Antonio: Chief and Prophet of Spain. Construction of Charisma during the Civil War

This paper examines how the person of the general Francisco Franco and of the Falangist leader Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera were transfigured symbolically by means of the construction and spread of its charismatic image into the speech, the rites and the liturgies of the ‘new State’ during the civil war into Spain from 1936 to 1939. The charismatic thing like carrier of an essence transcendente appeared in a dual way between the exaltation of Franco, the Caudillo, hero recognized as political chief for his warlike exploits, and the worship in memory of Jose Antonio, prophet dedicated to the death as redeeming sacrifice of Spain.