Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THAT'S ONE SMOKIN' GOD
The Spanish called him San Simón, the
ladinos
(persons of mixed indigenous and European race) named him
Maximón, and the Maya know him as Rilaj Maam (ree-lah-
mahm
). By any name, he's a deity revered
throughout the Guatemalan highlands. Assumed to be a combination of Maya gods, Pedro de Alvarado (the Span-
ish conquistador of Guatemala) and the biblical Judas, San Simón is an effigy to which Guatemalans of every
stripe go to make offerings and ask for blessings. The effigy is usually housed by a member of a
cofradía
(Maya
Catholic brotherhood), moving from one place to another from year to year, a custom anthropologists believe was
established to maintain the local balance of power. The name, shape and ceremonies associated with this deity
vary from town to town, but a visit will be memorable no matter where you encounter him. For a small fee, pho-
tography is usually permitted, and offerings of cigarettes, liquor or candles are always appreciated.
Sights
Iglesia Parroquial Santiago Apóstol
The formidable parish church was built by the Franciscans in the mid-16th century. A me-
morial plaque just inside the entrance on your right commemorates Father Stanley Francis
Rother, a missionary priest from Oklahoma. At the far end of the church stand three colo-
nial altarpieces that were renovated between 1976 and 1981 by brothers Diego Chávez
Petzey and Nicolás Chávez Sojuel.
Beloved by the local people, Father Rother was murdered by ultrarightists in the parish
rectory next door in 1981; the bedroom where he slept remains open to visitors. Along the
walls of the church are wooden statues of the saints, each of whom has new clothes made
by local women every year. The altarpieces symbolize the three volcanoes around Santi-
ago, which are believed to protect the town. The central one was subtly changed from a
traditional European vision of heaven to a more Maya representation of a sacred mountain
with two
cofradia
members climbing towards a sacred cave.
CHURCH
PLAZA
Parque Central
Here you'll find a stone monument that commemorates Concepción Ramírez, the woman
on the back of the 25-centavo coin, and a basin that contains a relief version of the lake.
Parque de Paz
(Peace Park)
During the civil war Santiago became the first village in the country to succeed
in expelling the army, following a notorious massacre of 13 villagers on December 2,
1990. The site of this massacre, where troops were encamped, is now the Parque de Paz,
about 500m beyond the Posada de Santiago.
MEMORIAL
