Guadalupe Arias Ibarra: Turning Jocotepec’s oral tradition into books
Guadalupe Arias Ibarra is a lawyer and chronicler. He has written three books on the history, events and legends of Jocotepec. Photo: María del Refugio Reynozo Medina.
By María del Refugio Reynozo Medina
Guadalupe Arias Ibarra acquired his taste for listening to and rescuing local stories from his mother, who told him many tales, which he in turn recovered from local oral tradition.
He is a lawyer by profession, a graduate of the University of Guadalajara as well as a storyteller by vocation. While still young, he began to treasure in his memory the stories and landscapes of old Jocotepec, as well as the characters that inhabited it.
As municipal chronicler (1988), one of his most-revered stories is about the origin of the two Christs of Jocotepec – the Lord of the Mount and the Lord of the Huaje, whose existence dates to the wife of Mateo Lucas. She saw a light in the mountain, at the spot of the tree from whose trunk the images emerged. This story is documented in the book, “The Two Christs of Jocotepec. Origen y evolución de su culto y de sus fiestas,” by Francisco Javier Velázquez Fernández and Cristina Alvizo Carranza.
A 1974 television program also stimulated his interest in local history. The municipal president was invited by Channel 4 to bring on a chronicler who could talk about the history of Jocotepec. Arias remembers the person they invited said very little about the founding of the municipality. Because the person’s lack of knowledge was more than evident, Arias set out to be a connoisseur of the memories and history of his town.
In his first inquiries he realized that the most complete archives are those found in the parish, being the least vandalized during the episodes of guerrillas and rebellions.
He says there are important steps along the path of the chronicler. First is necessarily having an interest in the rescue of history and love for the land. Then a sharp observation of reality, taking good notes of one’s findings, delving into subject development and revisiting the texts.
Guadalupe Arias is the author of “Jocotepec, historia de un pueblo” (1988); “Jocotepec. Sucesos, leyendas y algo más” (2019); “490 Aniversario de la fundación de Jocotepec 1529-2019” (2019); and “Semblanza de la Escuela Preparatoria Regional de Jocotepec” (2013).
He was one of the founding teachers at the Preparatory School of Jocotepec. He was invited to be part of the faculty during the administration of Mayor María Guadalupe Urzúa Flores, teaching philosophy and history, as well as classes in the social and political areas.
“I’ve been there 29 years, three months, ten days,” he says with a peaceful smile.
Another of his passions is hunting, which has allowed him to explore areas such as Zacatecas, Coahuila and Durango. He has also been playing soccer since he was 10 years old. He belongs to the Super Veterans League of Jocotepec.
For lawyer Arias, it is fundamental for citizens to know the culture and customs that give identity. “The best way to rescue the memory and oral history is by trapping it in letters,” he said.
Translated by Mike Rogers
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