Every year, on December 12, millions of Mexicans travel to the capital city to worship the “Mother of the Americas”, La Virgen de Guadalupe. The proofs of faith are enormous, and the hope invested in this religious icon represent the optimism with which Mexicans wake up every morning; thinking, wishing and expecting salvation to come one fine day of its own accord. She is present in almost all businesses, houses, churches and even wallets and purses. She is painted, printed, sculpted, drawn, and modeled. Hopping on a bus in the city can be surprising as you discover the image of this lady, Our Lady, etched in the glass windows or hanging from the rear view mirror. The Virgin of Guadalupe is pretty much everywhere. Going to a market can lead you to find the most eccentric, awkward, and unique objects with the Guadalupana portrayed on them. For example, the picture on the cover shows the Virgin of Guadalupe on the gearshift of a pickup truck, one more indication of her absolute presence amongst the Mexican people. It should be said, though, that all those who truly believe in La Virgen, separate her from the myriad images and items she adorns.
In the time of La Conquista, the initial and bloody encounter between the Spaniards and Aztecs was justified in part as a religious struggle. Initially, however, it was difficult for the conquistadores to convert the Aztecs from their polytheistic vision of the cosmos to the monotheistic faith of the Roman Catholic Church. The reasons are several. First, the simple act of coming to a land and trying to save the Aztecs’ souls from the flames of hell by imposing before them a new, almost antagonistic view of life and its creation was incredibly complicated. Second, the physiognomy of the Spanish friars who were sent to convert the Aztecs was absolutely unlike that of those being converted. As for the Aztecs, their deities looked like what their own notion of aesthetics lead them to conceive as familiar and sacred.
There is a common belief that the Guadalupana was a convenient substitution for Tonantzin, the Aztec mother goddess who is represented by the moon, which allowed the newly converted a bridge to their previous faith. The fact is that on Mount Tepeyac, close to Mexico City exists one of the most magnificent temples in this country. This construction is dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe. It is popularly know as La Villa and that is the spot where the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego, an Indian converted to Christianity. Coincidentally enough, that same place was priorly devoted to Tonantzin. The day to celebrate this goddess was, according to the Gregorian calendar, December 12, the same day that the virgin appeared before Juan Diego. Still nowadays all Mexicans, Indians, Spanish descendants, and Mestizos have not forgotten Tonantzin, yet believe wholly in la Virgen de Guadalupe.
I’d like to share one final fact which can be easily attested with a visit to any Mexican jail. Many convicts tattoo the image of La Lupita (Little Lupe, Lupe being short for Guadalupe), on their backs and chests. This is done with the sole purpose to protect the bearer from the violence and hatred surrounding them; in the event of an attack, they know they will not get hit or stabbed in the back or heart, because no one will dare to wound the image of the Virgen de Guadalupe.
