Annotations for People: Diego-juan-saint--1548

Nearly 500 years ago when the mighty Aztec empire was in trouble, early one December morning, so the story goes, a humble Indian named Juan Diego had a vision, a brown-skinned goddess appeared to him. Today, she is known as the Virgin of Guadalupe, La Virgen de Guadalupe. Her image is one of the best known Latino cultural icons, and she's venerated throughout the Americas. Maria Martin prepared this report.

Every people at certain historical moments that marks them, that allows them to be that people. Guadalupe stands at the very birth of Mexicanidad.

This music is from Eduard Garcia's opera, Our Lady of Guadalupe, performed at the Guadalupe Theater in San Antonio. Like countless other works of Hispanic music and literature, it tells the story of how on an early December morning in 1531, an Aztec Indian named Juan Diego saw an apparition on the very spot where a temple to an Aztec goddess, Tonantzin, once stood.

That night, I was awakened by voices, whirling clouds, rainbows. And finally, the apparition of the Holy Lady, she appeared dressed as an Aztec princess. When I asked her who she was, she told me she was the Mother of God. She also told me that she had come to protect her people, meaning us.

[Background--natural sound--performance] In every sense, you could say that the Indigenous people of Mexico needed protection. Only 12 years had passed since the Spaniards had conquered the Aztec empire, enslaving many Indians. Countless others had fallen victim to war, brutality, and disease. Father Jerome Martinez spoke about this historical period at a conference about the Virgin of Guadalupe in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

In a very real sense, one can say that the Aztec peoples lost any reason for existence. Their universe as they had seen it had just come apart. They felt their gods had abandoned them, the cosmic order was out of whack. There was no real reason to continue going on.

But the lady who appeared to Juan Diego said she would change all that. "I will be the hope for you and those like you," are the words she is said to have spoken. She addressed Juan Diego in his native language, so the story goes. "Juanito, my son, go to the Bishop," she said, "And tell him to build a church here on the hill of Tepeyac."

When I got to the Bishop, he relentlessly told me to be sane. "Juan Diego, before you utter a single word, let me remind you that lies directed against the church are considered blasphemy," and then he went on and on about rebellions, and inquisitions, things I knew nothing of. Then in my utter frustration, I threw open the cloak and showed him the roses, which they all acknowledge would be a miracle. And there, much to my surprise, was imprinted the image of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe.

[Highlight--natural sound--performance]

The picture imprinted on Juan Diego's cloak showed a young brown-skinned woman standing on a moon, her back to the golden sun, her cloak covered with stars. Every detail of the image meant something to the Indians, and in a short time, a cult developed. Patrick Flores is the Catholic Archbishop of San Antonio, Texas.

Our Lady came on December 12, 1531 and within the next 10 years, over 10 million Indians had been baptized. No longer were the Franciscans trying to convince them into persuading, but they were coming trying to persuade the Franciscans to baptize him because they would say, "The Mother of God has appeared to one us," like one of us, And we want to belong to her son, and they wanted to be baptized.

[Highlight--natural sound--performance]

La Virgen no le hablo a ningun sacerdote, no le hablo al obispo, no le hablo al Virrey, no le hablo a ningun Español, le hablo a un Indio…

Mexican Indian Andre Segura, says the Virgin of Guadalupe did not appear first to a priest, bishop, or viceroy. She spoke to an Indian, he says, in the Indian language. Segura is a teacher of Indigenous religious traditions, an elder who keeps the old ways alive.

En el pensamiento Idigena Azteca, Nahuatl, Mexica, Tenhochca o de todo este continente…. [English dub]

According to the Aztecs and other Indigenous peoples of this continent, there exists before everything a primordial law of duality, which guides all the universe, the positive and the negative, the masculine and the feminine. Therefore, the feminine presence is very important. Our ancestors recognized this concept of a cosmic motherhood which coincides with many other philosophies, including Christianity.

Y pore so huyeron un concepto de la maternidad cosmica. Y que coincide con todos las tradiciones de todo el mundo incluso la Cristiana.

[Highlight--natural sound--performance]

As the ancient Mexican stands to honor the goddess, Tonantzin, or Coatlaxopeuh and later Guadalupe, so today in Mexican and Mexican American communities ritual dances are performed for the Brown Virgin. The dancers, called danzantes or matachines, wear colorful costumes reminiscent of the ancient Aztecs. Men, women, and sometimes children dance a simple two step to the sound of the drum, and the rattle.

The danzantes are inside the church now. They come in and say, "Thank you, God. Thank you, Virgencita." And then when the Virgen appeared, that's where the mestizaje heritage started, the beautiful confluences of the blood of Spain and the blood of the Indian. She came 450 years ago to Juan Diego, and they danced in the spirit of love and the spirit of thankfulness, and the spirit of gratitude, and faith. Sometimes they dance hours and hours, and hours. That's all they have of themselves and their beautiful, beautiful gifts of being alive, thanking them for getting them well, for getting Abuelita well, or getting any type of manda. Sometimes, they don't have anything to offer but themselves, so that's why the dance is very important. Muy importante.

Pues yo le pregunto a ellos, que si yo arreglaba para aca para Estados Unidos yo iba a bailar año por año y hacerles faltar a la Virgen de Guadalupe…

[Background--natural sound--drumming] Jose Antonio Morelos is the leader of a group of matachines, who dance and honor The Virgin in El Paso, Texas. He says he made a promise long ago that if he became a legal US resident, he'd dance to Guadalupe every single year. The Virgen also inspires musicians and poets like Juan Contreras.

[Background--natural sound--drumming] Yes, and we dance, and we dance a dance of universal love, of beauty, of honor, of forgiveness, of being. To you, Madrecita Querida (singing). If only for an eternity. Thank you. [Background--natural sound--applause]