MYSTERY – Misterio de Obanos

THE HISTORY

History of the Mystery of Obanos

Obanos, crossroads, is the cradle of one of the most beautiful legends of the Camino de Santiago, whose oral transmission from generation to generation gave rise in the sixties of the last century to the spectacle of historical reconstruction that came to be called the Mystery of Obanos or Mystery of San Guillén and Santa Felicia.

His main mentor, the priest of Obanos Don Santos Beguiristáin, wrote the initial text with the title “On the martyrdom of Santa Felicia and the penance of San Guillén” and it was read on Wednesday, April 25, 1962, the eve of the feast of San Guillermo. , by the children of Obanos in the town square, at ten o’clock at night “around the saint’s bonfire”. The local chronicles indicate that he had a large attendance of neighbors, who had been advised by edict to go “dinned and without hurry”.

The success of this first popular representation led in 1965 to the construction of a text, in Alexandrian verses, which collected the medieval legend and incorporated traditions and characters from the Camino de Santiago.

The work was staged for the first time on August 25, 1965 and its performances followed one another every year without interruption until 1977, totaling more than one hundred performances attended by 130,000 people.

During these years, the staging of the Mystery was sponsored by the Provincial Council of Navarra and the Ministry of Information and Tourism, within the “Festivals of Spain”. The Mystery of Obanos won the Extraordinary National Prize “Mystery of Elche”.

After several years of suspension, in 1993 the newly created Misterio de Obanos Foundation, together with the Brotherhood of Hermits of Arnotegui, organized a performance of the work within the framework of the Navarra Festivals, which was repeated again in 1999, which meant the consolidation of the show, thanks to the effort, collaboration and work of all the residents of Obanos, true protagonists of this cultural event. The work has been represented in the years 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008.

In 2001 the Mystery of Obanos was included as a Festival of National Tourist Interest.

The awards that the “Mystery of Obanos” received throughout these years earned it national and international recognition and there were many actors and directors who during this time left their mark on this representation of the residents of Obanos.

COSTUME OF MYSTERY

The rich costumes of the representation of the Mystery of Obanos are made up of 1,056 suits, each one of them with its corresponding accessories

COSTUME

1056 suits with their accessories.

Clothing

They are all replicas of medieval attire, which were designed between 1965 and 1977.

In addition to these costumes there are about twenty carriages, tools for the cavalry, banners, swords, shields, armor, etc. All this is located in the current headquarters building of the Obanos Mystery Foundation. The Brotherhood of Hermits of Arnotegui is in charge of its conservation.

Initially, costumes designed by Francis Bartolozzi and made up of the sisters Mari and Carmen Lozano were used, completing them with the ensemble of the Cunas Institution, of Father Carmelo, a Dominican from Pamplona. Soon, seamstresses from the town took part, such as Clara Vélaz, while most of the hats were the work of the Obese woman Mª Luisa Ulzurrun.

In 1997, another Obese woman, Mª Luz Vidart, reviewed the costumes and in 1999 and 2000 a small group of people carried out important conservation work. Of leather garments, cavalry trappings, etc. the Puentesino saddler Mariano Vélez took care of it. In 1998, Feliciano Vélez took charge of making an inventory of them.

The artistic value of this collection of medieval costumes is not less than the economic value and can be considered priceless.