7.9a.5 The story of Guadalupe

The story of the appearance of the Virgin Mary to Juan Diego is similar to many other miracle stories told in Christianity throughout the world. The Virgin of Guadalupe already existed as an image and a cult in Spain. Before the Spanish conquest, the hill of Tepeyacac was already sacred to the Nahua goddess Tonantzin, whom the Nahua called “the Mother.” She was a goddess similar to Chicomecóatl (Source 1.) This story refers to other things that existed only in Nahua lands, in what is now central Mexico. For example, what language did the Virgin use? In each of the quotes, look for Nahua references. What special help did the Virgin of Guadalupe offer to the Nahua people? Vocabulary Nahuatl: the language spoken by the Nahua (and the Aztecs) before and after the conquest the land of the flowers: a translation of the Nahuatl word Xochitlalpan, which meant the Nahua heaven in the old religion. courtly: noble, like a queen torso: the chest; the middle part of the body temple: a translation of the Nahuatl word teocalli, which meant a temple to the old gods manifest: show compassion: a feeling of deep sympathy and sadness for another person Secondary summary of the story A Nahua commoner named Juan Diego was walking along the road outside Mexico City by the hill of Tepeyacac in 1531. Suddenly he heard beautiful music coming from the hill. He thought he was dreaming, or that he was in heaven. Then he heard a woman call out in Nahuatl, “Dear Juan, dear Juan Diego.” He realized that she was the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe. She told him to go to the bishop of Mexico City, Juan de Zumárraga, and tell him this message: build a church here in my honor. Juan Diego went to the bishop and told him the Virgin’s message, but the bishop did not believe him. The bishop asked Juan Diego to give him a sign to confirm the story. In answer, the Virgin told Juan Diego to go to the top of the hill and pick the flowers. On top of the hill, Diego found beautiful flowers blooming in a place where they did not usually grow. He picked the flowers, wrapped them in his cloak, and took them to the bishop. When he returned to the bishop and opened up the cloak, the flowers fell on to the floor. On the cloak was a picture of the Virgin of Guadalupe as she had appeared to him on the hill of Tepeyacac. Bishop de Zumárraga was convinced that a miracle had happened, and he built a chapel at Tepeyacac to display the image.

Make sure that students approach this story with respect and understand that historical analysis is supposed to avoid judgment. Remind them that historians do not need to decide whether the story is true. Historians ask what this source tells us about the religion and society of colonial Mexico; that is, that there were many Nahua elements in this story. First, the hill at Tepeyacac was already a sacred site for a goddess called “the Mother.” The Virgin spoke to Juan Diego in Nahuatl. Juan Diego thought he was in “the land of the flowers,” the Nahua heaven. Flowers were the sign Juan Diego showed to the bishop. The Virgin’s face was dark and she looked like a commoner, just like the ordinary Nahua people. She offered them personal love, compassion, and protection, as their mother.

[Juan Diego says:] "Am I just dreaming…. Where am I?.... Is it in the land of the flowers, the land of plentiful crops, the place of which our ancient forefathers used to speak? Is this the land of heaven?” (63)

Her [the Virgin of Guadalupe’s] precious face, which is perfectly wondrous, is courtly and somewhat dark; her precious torso is such that she appears to be a person of humility…" (89)

[The Virgin of Guadalupe said] “I greatly wish and desire that they build my temple for me here, where I will manifest, make known, and give to people all my love, compassion, aid, and protection. For I am the compassionate mother of you and of all you people here in this land…” (65).