Santa Muerte

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Santa Muerte in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico

Santa Muerte ("holy death"), also La Santísima Muerte ("the most holy death"); Doña Sebastiana , is a female figure who is called upon especially in Central and Latin America for love, luck, protection, health or the recovery of lost things. La Santa Muerte is called mainly in Mexico , Cuba and in American cities with a high proportion of Latin American, especially Mexican-born residents. Their following is made up of members of all walks of life, but traditionally is found in the criminal milieu .

Representation, origin and meaning

Santa Muerte is usually depicted as a female skeleton with a scythe , often in a silk mostly red robe with a golden crown. Your skeleton is kept in the colors red, white, green and black for love, luck, financial success and personal protection. Offerings such as roses, cigars or tequila are made to Santa Muerte at public or private shrines , and candles are lit. Also devotional are widely available.

Mictlantecuhtli , the Aztec god of the dead

The cult of Santa Muerte is said to have originated after the Conquista in Veracruz ; others see its roots in the pre-Christian beliefs of the Aztecs , who worshiped the god of death Mictlantecuhtli and his wife Mictlancihuatl . Pre-Christian rituals and gods were mixed with the Christian faith .

According to the common interpretation, Santa Muerte is seen as the "holy death", which is suggested by the prayers for the deceased in this context. Experts vacillate between this and a figure of black magic and religious cults. The Roman Catholic Church regards the worship of Santa Muerte as a pagan ritual.

literature

  • Lorusso, Fabrizio: Santa Muerte. Patrona dell'umanità (Stampa Alternativa / Nuovi Equilibri, Italia, 2013) ISBN 9788862223300
  • Thompson, John: Santísima Muerte. On the Origin and Development of a Mexican Occult Image , in: Journal of the Southwest, Vol. 40,4 (Winter, 1998), pp. 405-436.

Web links

Commons : Santa Muerte  - Collection of images, videos and audio files