“
My heart will explode.
It's an emotion.
It is for our old people who are no longer there, who fought so hard.
300 years of suffering but they resisted,
”exults Maria Elena Franco, 55, a teacher after the announcement that the festivities around the cult of Saint John the Baptist in Venezuela have been declared intangible heritage by Unesco.
Read alsoArabic calligraphy included in the intangible heritage of Unesco
“
Long live Saint Jean, carajo !!
», She adds celebrating the status given to this syncretic cult inherited from slaves and descendants of slaves in Venezuela. Colorful flags, white and colorful outfits often evoking Africa, a dozen delegations parade to the sound of
African
"
drums
" during a ceremony organized Tuesday by the authorities in Caracas. The processions follow one another, all carrying a sculpture of Saint John the Baptist. This is often traditional with the adult or child saint in a classic attitude but sometimes more kitsch. In one, the saint looks like Elvis Presley, banana and hair included ...
The cycle of festivities around the veneration and worship of Saint John the Baptist has existed for 300 years.
These are syncretic festivities mixing Catholic worship and the traditions of slaves of African origin, explains Professor Benito Irady, president of the Center for Cultural Diversity Foundation, who prepared the application file.
In the veins
Intangible cultural heritage, or "
living heritage
", is "
a heritage from our ancestors that we pass on to our descendants
", defines Unesco.
It includes in particular "
oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals and festive events
".
The statute makes it possible to preserve an often threatened heritage.
The festivities "
take place throughout the country but especially in the north-central coastal states
" of Venezuela, recalls the professor emphasizing "
African roots
". John the Baptist “
comes with the Catholic religion, but it is the sons of Africans, the slaves who were mistreated, and who were later freed who transformed the image (...) The cult has permeated itself for three centuries of all the African elements brought by our slaves. They brought their music, their way of making instruments, the way of worshiping the African gods. In Saint John the Baptist unites the deep relationship of Africa and (...) the Caribbean and Latin American world
», Explains Mr. Irady, stressing that the cult of this saint flourished above all in Venezuela.
“
It is a great joy, a pride. Emotion fills my body. I am 45 years old, 40 of which as San Juanera (faithful to Saint John the Baptist),
”says Maraye Janzen, teacher from Naguanagua (north). “
My grandmother, my great-grandmother, my great-great-grandmother were San Juanera. This manifestation (devotion to Saint John) comes from afar. It was given to us by our ancestors, we give it to our children and our children to our grandchildren
, ”she says, assuring that faith in John the Baptist“
runs in her veins
”and is revealed when she“
hears a drum
”. "
We ask Saint John and Saint John gives us
", she emphasizes. Before going back to the time-honored phrase: "
If Saint John has it, Saint John gives it to you
”.
“
We must preserve this folklore, this tradition.
We have African blood,
”says Oswaldo Rondon, civil servant from Pamporal (Barlovento).
These are our roots, when blacks arrived from Africa, enslaved, badly treated (...), they had no way of entertaining themselves because they had to work, but once a year they had the occasion to celebrate this holiday
”.
“
This tradition is all!
, he concludes.
We were born with her, we live with her and, the day when my time strikes, I want to die with her
”.
/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/prisa/KMEYMJKESBAZBE4MRBAM4TGHIQ.jpg)
