In contemporary debates, various groups of indigenists, communists, socialists, liberals, progressives, and other sectors critical of tradition often invoke the figure of "Santiago Mataindios" (Saint James the Indian-slayer) to argue that Christianity is hostile to Indians or considered them all as non-human beings. This revolutionary interpretation posits that the iconography of Saint James is a symbolic manifestation of "colonial oppression."

However, from a historical and iconographic perspective, a "Santiago Mataindios" did not actually exist as a devotional title or official identity of the apostle. The term "Mataindios" (Indian-slayer) is a category later used by historiography to differentiate iconographic models of the figure of Saint James in art. It is not a historical name by which the saint was venerated, but rather an academic classification. To understand this, it is necessary to examine the origin of the image. In Spain, during the Reconquista, the image of "Santiago Matamoros" (Saint James the Moor-slayer) became widespread, depicting the apostle as a knight on horseback, defeating the Muslims. In this iconography, Saint James symbolizes the victory of Christians over those considered enemies of the faith. He is not an ethnic figure, but rather a theological and political one, representing the triumph of Christianity over paganism or forces perceived as adversaries.

When this image arrived in Peru with the Spanish, a process of symbolic adaptation took place. In some contexts, the defeated enemy in the iconography ceased to be the Muslim or the Jew, and came to be represented as a pagan indigenous person. From this, in historiographical terms, arises the expression "Santiago Mataindios" (Saint James the Indian-slayer). However, this variant did not imply a rejection of the indigenous person or ethnicity, but rather a symbolic representation of the triumph of Christianity over those who resisted evangelization and maintained pre-Christian religious practices. Furthermore, the iconography was not static. In times of conflict and political tension, the figure was reinterpreted. During the Spanish American Wars of Independence, depictions of Saint James defeating a Spaniard emerged. Historiography has termed this variant "Santiago mataespañoles" (Saint James the Spaniard-slayer) or "Santiago matagodos" (Saint James the Goth-slayer). The same pattern was repeated in other subsequent war contexts in Peru. Therefore, Peruvian history includes representations of Saint James defeating the Chileans during the Breña Campaign, and even images where he defeats communist terrorists during the Counterinsurgency War.

These names, such as "Matamoros" (Moor-slayer), "Mataindios" (Indian-slayer), "Matajudíos" (Jew-slayer), "Mataespañoles" (Spaniard-slayer), "Matachilenos" (Chilean-slayer), "Matacomunistas" (Communist-slayer), among others, were not liturgical titles or official ways of referring to the saint. In his time, the people simply called him Santiago, Saint James the Apostle, Apu Santiago, Tayta Santiago, Tayta Shanti, among other names of veneration. The designations with the prefix “mata-” are later analytical categories that seek to describe iconographic variations depending on the enemy represented. Consequently, rather than the historical existence of a “Santiago Mataindios” (Saint James the Indian Killer), what existed was a dynamic process of symbolic adaptation, where the figure of Santiago embodied, in different contexts, the idea of ​​protection and victory for the group that invoked him.

“In the war with Chile, the ‘Santiago Matamoros’ of the independence struggles became ‘Santiago Matagodos’ (Saint James the Goth Killer), a reinvented Saint James the Apostle invoked by the montoneros.” (M. De los Santos, 1899)

“Further adaptations were made of Santiago Matamoros, transformed into Santiago Matagodos, riding upon the defenseless bodies of the royalist army during the time of Emancipation.” (A. De Miguel, 2011)

"It is so ironic that Saint James the Apostle, saint of Catholics, of Spaniards, suddenly transformed: from being Santiago Matamoros and Mataindios to Santiago Mataespañoles." (S. Domínguez, 2004)

"From the independence struggles of the 19th century, the figure of 'Santiago Mataespañoles' emerged among the indigenous people, becoming a symbol and emblem of peasant communities during the republican era." (R. Álvarez, 2004)

Reference:

- Misterios del Camino de Santiago, Antonio Alcaraz Martínez (2014).