Paper Short Abstract:

The hermitages and their religious images play a central role in the religious celebrations of the island of La Gomera, constituting key symbolic spaces in the configuration of local identities

Paper Abstract:

The hermitages and their religious images play a central role in the religious celebrations of the island of La Gomera, constituting key symbolic spaces in the configuration of local identities. These festivities, which have endured throughout history, continue to be a meeting point for a large number of people, many of whom, having emigrated from the island, return each year to meet the sacred images. Among the most outstanding hermitages are those of Nuestra Señora del Buen Paso in Alajeró, Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria in Chipude, Nuestra Señora del Carmen in Vallehermoso and San Marcos in Agulo.

The main objective of this study has been, on the one hand, to reveal the deep meaning of the fiestas and their social functions, understanding the fiesta as an expressive and symbolic phenomenon with perfectly integrated elements. On the other hand, to analyse the main changes in these festive ritual celebrations.

Through participant observation and semi-structured interviews, it has been possible to understand the deep meaning of these festivities, revealing how the rituals (processions, masses, dances and sung romances) configure a space of concentration of the sacred, the procession being the symbolic moment par excellence (Briones, 1991). It has also allowed us to know from the inside the experiences of those attending, their description of the procession and the changes they perceive over time, allowing us to reflect on the relationships between the perspectives of the researcher and those of the people attending in these celebrations.