Somewhat History Related, Issue 2:
‘‘O Santa Muerte’’
Howdy Munchkins!
Hope yall’re doin’ well.
We’re getting close to All Hallows and I thought I’d like to talk about that fits the theme of the season,
(While saving talking about the origins of Halloween for later.)
and I happened to hear about a particular Mexican folk saint that I found hard not to talk about, Santa Muerta, or in English, ‘‘Saint Death’’.
Santa Muerta? I hardly know ’er!:
(Also great potential for an album cover since its in public domain).
Santa Muerta, also known as Santísima Muerte, or ‘‘Most Holy Death’’, is a Mexican folk saint, worshiped ‘‘primarily worshiped in Mexico and Central America’’ as a personification of death and a patron saint of the dead, the sick, and the dispossessed. She is depicted as a female skeleton in robes, sometimes with a scythe and globe, somewhat similar to European renditions of the Grim Reaper.
Originating as a syncretism of the Aztec goddess of the underworld, Mictēcacihuātl, with Catholic European traditions regarding saints brought by Spanish colonists, her veneration was originally and is arguably still, a continuation of indigenous beliefs.
Image of Mictēcacihuātl, Codex Borgia
Veneration and history:
Although attested in the 20th Century, her veneration began to gain prominence in the early 21st Century, originally gaining prominence with the poor and the socially outcasted of Mexican society, and believed to favor them and grant blessings if given appropriate offerings. However, her veneration is now increasingly practised by the lower-middle class particularly in relation to the traditional ‘‘Day of the Dead’’ celebrations. Worship or veneration is generally practised within a shrine in ones own home, however, with some public shrines and ceremonies reflecting traditional Catholic mass, with prayers and sometimes offerings of ‘‘cigarettes, flowers, and other valuable items’’. Her worship is condemned by the Catholic Church due to being as heretical iconography, and her worship has been accused as Satanic by some dioceses.Her worship is also often associated with criminality of all kinds due her veneration by members of organized crime and documentations of human sacrifice to Santa Muerta, such as a case involving a woman and two 10 year old boys in 2012. Her worship is interestingly also associated with the LGBTQ+ community in Mexico, and it has been attested that her intercession is commonly invoked in same sex marriage ceremonies in Mexico.
(And both of the sources on Wikipedia are dead links. Because we all know life’s a bitch.)
Her worship is also attested by migrants within the United States, and in Central America.
(Everyone online says she is venerated in Central America and I can’t find anyone who mentions a source. I’d hope one of the Hispanophones on FR who may or may not be from Latin America could attest.)
Believer touching the glass of the first public shrine to Santa Muerte on Alfareria Street Tepito Mexico City, Thelmadatter
Final Words:
Thanks alot if yall got this far. Overall I greatly enjoyed researching this and yall enjoyed reading this just as much.
I plan to post something related to the origins of Halloween before the big day itself.
As always suggestions are always welcome!
Cya munchkins!
Comments
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Ravenbites
Santa Muerta is such a diva!!