About
History
The origin of the devotion to the Virgen de Regla can be traced back to St. Augustine. It was this great saint who hand-carved the first image of the Virgen de Regla and made her the patroness of the Rule of what is the present-day Order of St. Augustine. As a founder, St. Augustine made reglas or rules for the members of his Order to follow. He dedicated these reglas or rules to the Virgin, thus making her the Virgin of the Rule of St. Augustine.
Why is the image of the Virgen de Regla dark? Contrary to what many people presume, the image of the Virgin is dark not simply because its original statue is made of wood but because its devotion developed in Africa. St. Augustine, who died in the year 430, was from Hippo in north Africa. Since the setting was Africa, the original image was probably made by St. Augustine to harmonize with the color of the people who would be its first devotees. Since most Africans were dark-skinned, a dark-skinned patroness would give them a sense of familiarity and closeness.
Historians distinguish between legend and history. According to legend, the statue of the Virgin de Regla was commissioned by Augustine (354-430) himself and brought by Saint Cyprian, deacon, after the death of Augustine and during the invasion of the Vandals to the southern shores of Spain. The statue found a new home in the seaport city of Chipiona and was venerated in the local monastery by both Augustinian canons and African hermits. In the eighth century the invasion of Andalusia by the Saracens forced the statue to go underground. Indeed, the monks hid the image in a cistern next to a fig tree where she remained until the liberation of the country by Alphonse the Wise in the thirteenth century. In that period, Our Lady manifested herself to a canon regular from León pointing him to the place where the statue lay hidden. The rediscovery of the hidden image, chalice, and burning lamp led to the revival of the devotion to the Virgin de Regla. The cistern and fig tree still exist, and the location is called Humilladero.
From the point of history, the origin of the name appears shrouded in mystery. According to some, the name makes reference to the Rule of the Augustinians. Thus the Virgin would be the protector of the Rule (regla). On the other hand, it is known that Don Alonso Perez de Guzman (~1580-90) erected in Chipiona, a castle by the name of Castillo de Regla.
Source: https://udayton.edu/imri/mary/v/virgin-de-regla.php
Syncretized
In many African Traditional Religions (ATR’s), the Virgen de Regla or Lady of the Rule is syncretized with the Orisha Yemaya. Yemaya is considered the mother of us all; the Queen of the Ocean whose children are the fish. People of Color and other marginalized folks have had to learn over generations, how to hide their spiritual practices especially through times of extreme oppression. Hiding the Orishas via the Saints is a method used within Santeria, and other spiritual practices.
Her origins begin in the African continent, specifically Nigeria. It is said she followed her enslaved children across the ocean into the Americas, where they continued their worship to her in secret, as the Virgen de Regla.