Taytacha Temblores
Now that Easter has come and gone it marks the end of Semana Santa (Holy Week). It is the most important week of the year for devoted Catholics of Peru. In Cusco, the most important day of Semana Santa is Lunes Monday (Holy Monday) when Cusquenans celebrate their patron saint Señor Temblores (The Lord of Earthquakes).
I wrote about and shared the story of Señor Temblores with you last year but here is a quick refresher:
After the Spanish defeated the Incas in the 16th century, they turned to the Catholic Church to assist in the subjugation of the indigenous population. This proved to be particularly difficult in Cusco which was the capital of the Inca Empire. The people here continued to pray to their deities, so to convert the population to Catholicism, a statue of Jesus having darker skin was carved and brought to Cusco. The hope was that the indigenous people of the Andes would see more of themselves in Jesus through this statue.
Then in 1650, a massive earthquake hit Cusco destroying many homes, buildings, and temples. The statue was carried out from the cathedral and displayed in the main square when the earthquake struck. The story has it that as the statue was presented, the earthquake stopped and the legend of Señor Temblores was secured.
Each year since then the statue has been borne from the cathedral on the Monday before Easter and led in a procession through Cusco. Thousands of Cusquenans gather to pay homage to their patron saint and celebrate Semana Santa. Although the rest of Holy Week is celebrated in typical Catholic fashion, this day is a combination of Quechua and Spanish cultures as they celebrate Señor Temblores or Taytacha de los Temblores as he is known in Quechua.
It is hard to believe that I documented this celebration last year and I am now starting to revisit some events for a second time. This year’s procession had a much different feeling to it than the last. This one was heavily militarized and seemed to be as much a day for the police force as it did for Taytacha de los Temblores. The unrest from the past year is still fresh on the minds of everyone including the authorities. I wonder what next year’s will bring…
Saludos cordiales!
Miguel
PS - On a side note, during the day as I was photographing the procession, I felt someone staring at me intensely. I thought it was another of the angry, pious worshippers who disapproved of my presence. However, when I looked over I recognized that it was the policeman who arrested me last year. Realizing who it was, I gave him a nod and quickly dispersed into the crowd. Somehow I don’t think I have seen the last of him though as he did not look happy to see me. I don’t get it, I am a pretty friendly guy!
