Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-09-07
Visitors Aniuir1g in Santa Fe
3: $: $: s: :: :: :: =: $: g:
In Anticib alton Of Fiesta

-
The coming week, especially the last
three days, will see the climax of the
liveliest social season that Santa Fe
has experienced as far as any one
can remember. The Santa Fe Fiesta,
with all its mplies-victory, peace,
home coming, traditions of thousand
years--is bringing many distinguished
visitors who are interested in the un-
usual" Other places have their fiestas
but none can offer what Santa Fe
does.
The festivities of Thursday evening
alone are sufficient to bring guests
from the Atlantic and the Pacific for
that night is to be given in the In
dian cycle of dances and ceremonies,
which are rooted in Americas past
and go back a thousands, perhaps,
two thousand years. They were the
beginnings Of the American drama.
centuries before Shakespeare, of
American literature long. long before
Chaucer. The Koshare are to usher
in the three days fiesta, just as they
usher in the corn dance and other
ceremonies of their native heath.
They are the spirits of the ancients
who bring the good things of life
from the other world and who are
the purveyors of the accumulated wis
dom of the ages AT dusk. on Thurs
| day evening, they will dart from the
plaza to the four world quarters, while
those remain will present fragments
of their stupendous nature dramas.
The Eagle Basket and other dances
together with rites that haven't been
performed for years and are just on
| the edge of slipping out of memory
altogether, will be given on platform
facing the new Museum. The out-of-
doors performance will find its climax
| in the Matachina, that weird drama of
the conquest of the power of good over
the elements of evil, which comes
from very ancient days and filtered
to Cochiti, to San Juan and other pue-
bios by way of Mexico City. Cochiti
| is about the only pueblo that has kept
| it alive but the other pueblos love to
speak of the days when the Matachina
was given in all it's fascinating, musi-
cal, dramatic vigor in their own COM
munity. Then the Koshares will re-
turn and they will bring tidings of
war, of enemies approaching. of foe
that is terrible and powerful, The
scenes of JOY and merrymaking change
| to one of terror. The war dance is
staged, the warriors leave for the bat
I tie, while the women and children re-
main to express in dramatic dance
their prayer for victory and for peace.
The second day, Friday. brings the
triumph of the Spaniards over the In
dians. DeVargas at the head of Con-
querors and Franciscans enters the
city and in the plaza cross Is planted
and dedicated to the worship OF the
Triune God The plaza fete begins.
Market booths are scattered about,
fair maidens dance the dances of far
away Castillo troubadours sing the
songs that the Spanish fore-fathers
loved in sunny Andalusia, In the
Patio of the Palace of the Governors
a Spanish garden is improyised for
the serving of ice cream and native
danties by Spanish mattresses and
| there will be heard the stunning of
guitars and mandolins. Dusk once
more falls upon the city, A second
| time an invasion is announced. A
peaceful conquest is to take place. The
Santa Fe trailers represented by the
| Elks come dashing into town in old
stage coaches. They alight at the
Fonda and there scenes of revelry will
| be enacted. Gambling and dancing,
duels and assassinations, will be
staged. An old-time dance in the
Armory follows.
Saturday brings the third era. the
comang of Kearny to take possession
of Santa Fe and to hoist the stars
and stripes over the palace of the
governors. 1t is a solemn scene that
will BIT enacted in front of the vener-