Moments of Enchantment; 175; Jemez Golden Bell

Moments of Enchantment, brought to you by the New Mexico Office of Cultural Affairs and 770 K-O-B Radio. At Hamez State Monument, they tell the tale of a golden bell hidden ages ago in a canyon near the monument's old mission church. Like the bell itself, the truth is shielded by the mists of time immemorial, but enough still survives to spark the imagination. More in a moment. Most mission sites in the southwest San Jose de los Hamez included have their share of legends, many involve a golden bell. Some like the story we retell now, shatter the image of peace and harmony cherished in the popular stereotype of mission life. Spoken legend at Hamez Pueblo tells not of a happy mission community of faithful working the fields, then stopping it noon to pray the Angelus, but of a priest resented for forcing village women and children to build the church.

The church town boasted a golden bell that served only to remind them whenever it rang of their resentment of the foreign religion. Tradition has it that the parishioners plotted to kill the priest, but sensing this, he hid the golden bell along with other riches in a canyon near the church. In the legend, the parishioners filled the church with wood, set it ablaze, and the priest was indeed killed. Rumors of hidden treasure persisted long after the priest's death. In fact, as late as the 1920s, visitors to the ruins could still see a large hole under the church where treasure hunters had dug into solid rock in their search. If treasure was found, no one betrayed the secret. The story is still repeated as the ruins of San Jose de los Hamez bear silent witness to events of centuries past. Learn more about the legend when you visit Hamez State Monument on State Road 4. Moments of Enchantment brought to you by the New Mexico Office of Cultural Affairs. For Moments of Enchantment, I'm David Griffin.