Ruben Cobos, recorder, 1974
File — Box: 4, CD: 359
Scope and Content
From the Collection:
The collection consists of 591 recordings of folk songs, folklore and local histories collected by Ruben Cobos from 1944-1974 in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. Also included in the collection are about 270 additional recordings of selected music - a few from New Mexico, many from Mexico and Latin America, and others from Spain, Europe and the U.S. The recordings vary in quality between good, fair, and poor. They contain both musical and spoken content. Most recordings are in Spanish, however, a few are in English. Others are Bilingual or represent the use of Spanglish.
The informants are mainly from New Mexico and Colorado, with a few from California, Texas and Mexico. The collections focuses heavily on spoken Spanish, with examples of poetry, riddles, proverbs, legends, anecdotes, folk tales, mysteries, prayers, nursery rhymes, games, jokes, language use, tricky words, tongue twisters, memories, local history and family history. The Spanish songs include alabados, entriegas for weddings and baptisms, inditas, corridos and ballads, pastores, posadas, love songs, folk dance music, etc. Traditions of Los Juanes and Los Manueles, Penitente morada practices, including women Penitentes, Holy Week songs and activities and the role of the church, santos and fiestas in the lives of the people are also included. There are also several lectures on folklore, music and culture by Cobos and other scholars, including Fray Angelico Chavez, Charles Briggs, Alfonso Ortiz, Arthur Leon Campa, Marta Weigle, Guadalupe Baca Vaughn, Anita Thomas and others. Included also are autobiographical accounts by Ruben Cobos and his wife Elvira.
Songs and stories about and for children, their health and education are included. Although the majority of the information is about Spanish and Hispanic traditions, the collection also provides some materials by and about non-Hispanics and the relationship between the races. A small amount of stories and songs relate to Apaches, Navajos, Pueblos, Mexicanos, African Americans, and Anglos (gringos).
Songs and stories by or about males show them in every walk of life, as rich and poor, old and young, as husbands, widowers, fathers, sons, relatives, compadres, friends, orphans, opponents, collaborators, kings, princes, commoners, giants, ranchers, cowboys, shepherds, farmers, woodcutters, shoemakers, vendors, railroaders, hunters, priests, doctors, teachers, politicians, attorneys, meteorologists, soldiers, witches, simpletons, gamblers, murderers, drunks, adulturers and thieves.
Recordings by and about women add value and perspective to the collection. Females are rich and poor, old and young, girl friends, lovers, adulteresses, wives, widows, mothers, comadres, church attendees, housekeepers for priests, nuns, princesses, queens, teachers, curanderas, cooks and witches. Some of the characters found in the collection are Cinderella, Genoveva de Brabanate, Goldilocks, Delgadina, La Llorona, Doña Cebolla, Dona Fortuna and the Virgin Mary, as well as San Antonio, San Pedro, Bartoldo, Don Cacahuate, Juan Charrasqueado, Pedro and Juan de Urdemalas, Ali Baba, Don Dinero, Tio Botitas and others.
The collection contains descriptions, traditions, local history and songs for New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Missouri, Kansas and Mexico. There are references to the Civil War in New Mexico, the Spanish American War, World War I and World War II. Stories tell of superstitions, supernatural, unexplained phenomenon, balls of fire and light, lightening, a comet, the sun, moon, finding treasure, ghosts, devils and magic. Additional topics include traditional food and cooking, health and home remedies. Included also are stories and references to insects, animals, birds, fish and snakes, as well as floods and storms, and automobiles and airplanes.
The informants are mainly from New Mexico and Colorado, with a few from California, Texas and Mexico. The collections focuses heavily on spoken Spanish, with examples of poetry, riddles, proverbs, legends, anecdotes, folk tales, mysteries, prayers, nursery rhymes, games, jokes, language use, tricky words, tongue twisters, memories, local history and family history. The Spanish songs include alabados, entriegas for weddings and baptisms, inditas, corridos and ballads, pastores, posadas, love songs, folk dance music, etc. Traditions of Los Juanes and Los Manueles, Penitente morada practices, including women Penitentes, Holy Week songs and activities and the role of the church, santos and fiestas in the lives of the people are also included. There are also several lectures on folklore, music and culture by Cobos and other scholars, including Fray Angelico Chavez, Charles Briggs, Alfonso Ortiz, Arthur Leon Campa, Marta Weigle, Guadalupe Baca Vaughn, Anita Thomas and others. Included also are autobiographical accounts by Ruben Cobos and his wife Elvira.
Songs and stories about and for children, their health and education are included. Although the majority of the information is about Spanish and Hispanic traditions, the collection also provides some materials by and about non-Hispanics and the relationship between the races. A small amount of stories and songs relate to Apaches, Navajos, Pueblos, Mexicanos, African Americans, and Anglos (gringos).
Songs and stories by or about males show them in every walk of life, as rich and poor, old and young, as husbands, widowers, fathers, sons, relatives, compadres, friends, orphans, opponents, collaborators, kings, princes, commoners, giants, ranchers, cowboys, shepherds, farmers, woodcutters, shoemakers, vendors, railroaders, hunters, priests, doctors, teachers, politicians, attorneys, meteorologists, soldiers, witches, simpletons, gamblers, murderers, drunks, adulturers and thieves.
Recordings by and about women add value and perspective to the collection. Females are rich and poor, old and young, girl friends, lovers, adulteresses, wives, widows, mothers, comadres, church attendees, housekeepers for priests, nuns, princesses, queens, teachers, curanderas, cooks and witches. Some of the characters found in the collection are Cinderella, Genoveva de Brabanate, Goldilocks, Delgadina, La Llorona, Doña Cebolla, Dona Fortuna and the Virgin Mary, as well as San Antonio, San Pedro, Bartoldo, Don Cacahuate, Juan Charrasqueado, Pedro and Juan de Urdemalas, Ali Baba, Don Dinero, Tio Botitas and others.
The collection contains descriptions, traditions, local history and songs for New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Missouri, Kansas and Mexico. There are references to the Civil War in New Mexico, the Spanish American War, World War I and World War II. Stories tell of superstitions, supernatural, unexplained phenomenon, balls of fire and light, lightening, a comet, the sun, moon, finding treasure, ghosts, devils and magic. Additional topics include traditional food and cooking, health and home remedies. Included also are stories and references to insects, animals, birds, fish and snakes, as well as floods and storms, and automobiles and airplanes.
Dates
- 1974
Language of Materials
From the Collection:
English, Spanish
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Extent
From the Collection: 13 boxes (12.25 cu. ft.)
General
Fray Angelico Chavez, Begins at 00:01 and ends at 1:58. Ruben Cobos makes the introduction (fair recording to lecture by Fray Angelico Chavez, churchman, historian, author, researcher, was born 1910, Wagon Mound, New Mexico. Lecture begins at 2:00 and ends at 32:46. 1. Lecture, in English, New Mexico Penitentes and flagellants (good to fair recording, he wrote about the Penitentes, they have existed since 1820, came 1820, he felt opposition to Franciscan Order but not vs. Penitentes as individuals, Christians, in past New Mexico local people did not condemn them but let them go their own way, did their own thing, but outsiders, Anglo Americans found them fantastic, ridiculed them, they were just paisanos, genizaros, common men, simple people, first idea of flagellants found in the Middle Ages, Europe, Medieval Order of Friars Minor, some references cited. Anglo Americans came to New Mexico and had Gothic mentality, had different beliefs that came from Northern Europe than found in Spain, those of Germany, England, Doomsday book, horror, scary things, note there were no haunted housed in Spanish literature, when Anglo Americans came they interpreted the Penitentes as fearful and unusual, because had no comparison to them in their own European background, Chavez notes books on topic, Loomis, Horlick, bad book, misinterpretation, background, in early Middle Ages, Spain of 700 -1400, was fighting Moors, no flagellation societies, too busy fighting Moors, custom begins after 1492, Anglo Americans did not have interior personal devotion, no fear of coming judgment, so feared Penitentes who took Gospel at word, they celebrated tenebre - reliving the death of Christ in plays, drama, scourging, same practice found in Spain and Spanish Latin America, Penitentes were rebels, denied civil authority and were so persecuted, Chavez explaines deep Spanish soul, idea that through flagellation man would imitate Jesus, crucifiction, actions would please the Lord, God, no hysteria, interior devotion, first New Mexico colonists had Holy Week in 1598, Semana Santa, Juan de Onate, good Friday services mentioned in Gaspar de Villagra, History of New Mexico, 1610, describes flagellation that went on all night, they brought Medieval customs to New Mexico, but Alonso de Benavides in 1630s did not mention Penitentes, Chavez says Penitentes come back in 1820s, as part of the tradition of St. Francis, First Order of Franciscan Minors, OFM, who did penance, the Second Order were poor Ladies, women, and the Third Order of Franciscans were lay people, men swore not to use weapons and who did penance but this did not mean flagellation, original Franciscans used penance to turn one’s life around, shed sin, new start, go from bad to good, Chavez had theory, by 1891 Franciscan group was dying out, in place secular priests came into the Catholic churches, changed the way of religion, new priests were independent, were poor or rich, as they wished, brought families, had servants, housekeepers, etc., Mollens was a familiar, started the santo idea, saints, someone from Guatemala started the idea of the sanctuario, Chimayo, Third Order at Franciscans at Santa Cruz de la Canada, mentions 1789, then events closer to 1820, continues history of group, 1833 Bishop Zubiria made visit to New Mexico, condemns the Penitentes, forbid them, in 1845 Padre Juan de Jesus Trujillo, in 1850s Bishop Lamy and French clergy came and were amazed, scandalized by Penitentes, condemned them, blamed the Spanish clergy for their acts, should have been records in church, comment that genizaros - suckers, 1948 Miguel Archibeque got Penitentes together made peace with Catholic Church, Bishop Byrne consulted Fray Angelico Chavez to understand them, he did not like Bishop looking down on his own people, speaker quit the Franciscan Order over this, he advised Archbishop to tone down practices, wrote article about Penitentes for understanding, appreciation, not condemning his own people. Cobos notes on interview in folder).
Creator
- From the Collection: Cobos, Rubén (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository
Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451