Legend

A LEGEND ABOUT THE:

NATURAL CROSS IN MESQUITE TREES

Name: Ana Maria Ortiz Jaramillo
Grade: 6°
Date: June, 2012

The elders of past centuries knew that the tradition of the cross of mesquitewas not a thing of Christianity but that it came from further back, long before the Spanish arrived in the highlands and to impose their religion, which was unknown and alien to desert dwellers, theHuachichiles. Even though the conquerors thought everything the natives did was related to the devil, the only thing that they accepted about the huachichiles was the worshiping of the mesquite treethat had its arms outstretched as if they formed a cross, which for the missionaries was somehow similar to the Christian religion. But truth be told, for the natives the so-called cross in themesquite tree was a powerful spirit of nature expressed in a human-like tree, its body erect and open arms, and they used to ask such spirit to bring rain when drought was prolonged.
As the syncretism ofbeliefs took place, time went by and the Huachichil essence of this belief got lost and the cult of mesquite-shaped cross took a Catholic turn. In the present, any mesquite tree with such features isregarded as sacred and people organize a feast on May 3, Day of the Holy Cross. However, when there is drought, people bring offerings to those special trees because they know the spirit within willbring the miracle of rain.
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People in Mier y Noriega, N.L. say that on one occasion, a farmer who was unaware of this tradition was walking in the bush looking for firewood and found a cross-shapedmesquite; he decided to cut it. He came home with a pile of wood and also with the cross to set up an altar. When neighbors found out, he was asked to do something to apologize, but he said he did notbelieve in those things. On the third day, a very strong tornado swept through the town, killing everyone in the family of the farmer. The farmer, aware that the locals would retaliate against him,...