Memories of San Jerónimo go back a thousand years

By Larry Torres, Associate Professor, UNM-Taos

Many people flock to Taos Pueblo on the last day of September. They come to celebrate a harvest festival that coincides with the Feast of St. Jerónimo. Some assume that the person being honored is Geronimo, the Chiricahua Apache leader who lived between 1829 and 1909. This is not correct.

San Jerónimo is the saint to whose protection and intercession Taos Pueblo was commended by the first Franciscan friars who arrived there in 1540. The saint, who lived between 347 and 420, is honored as a doctor of the Catholic Church. He was the person who first translated the Bible from the original Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek to Vulgate Latin. His Latin Bible was the only translation available to the western world until the King James I authorized an English version in 1604. San Jerónimo is patron saint of translators and librarians.

More to the story at hand though, the Feast of San Jerónimo begins several days before the 30th of September. Women have been cooking and baking in their horno beehive-shaped ovens for many days. The men have gone to the mountains to select a tall and sturdy tree, strong enough to support the traditional pole climb. Such pole climbing ceremonies date back to Pre-Columbian times.

After they have dressed the pole by sheering off its bark with planes and knives, the men make it smooth without any knots, leaves or limbs sticking out of it. On the eve of San Jerónimo the pole is brought into the village and aligned next to a deep post hole where it will stand until December. Using only brute strength and help from ladders and volunteers, the man will hoist the pole into place, inch by inch until it stands erect. Men pulling at the pole with ropes from all four sides will steady it until it is settles into place and is secured with picks and shovels.

During the vespers honoring the holy day a statue of the Madonna is borne in solemn procession after sunset, past the pole and the pavilion of aspen leaves. She is adorned with an orange or yellow gown instead of the traditional blue or white that she traditionally wears after sundown. The painted stalks that adorn her nicho inside the church indicate that this is her manifestation as The Corn Mother.

Early in the morning of San Jerónimo Day the men and boys from both sides of the creek that flows through the pueblo will compete in footraces of long-standing tradition. The runners will paint themselves with almagre. It is the traditional body paint secured from caves by the valley of Questa. The paint will make the racers run faster. Residents of Taos Pueblo will stand on the roof tops cheering for this side or that by making with high-pitched sounds. The statues of St. Jerome and other saints taken from the church watch the race from the aspen pavilion.

As the last runners come into along the pathway and the winning side is decided, the victors will dance past the homes crowned with cheering residents. They will be showered with gifts of silver and turquoise jewelry or popcorn balls and candy bars. They go back then get ready to celebrate and to be greeted by the Tsíponah or Black-Eyed Sacred Clowns that will rule over the rest of the day.

Visitors are encouraged to come and enjoy the centuries-old traditions. They are reminded though, not to bring any cameras, cell phones or any kind of recording devices as the day will be filled with sacred drama that is not meant for the media or the world beyond the pueblo walls.