Origin of the Mexican Skulls
The appearance of the Mexican skull as we know it today began in 1949, when the newspaper ” El Socialista ” began offering allegorical epitaphs (called literary skulls) in honor of a character, real or fictitious, who behaved in a hypocritical manner. . It was almost always related to the claim of wealth or the importance given to material goods. These literary skulls were accompanied by illustrations depicting elegantly dressed and unusually cheerful skeletons.
Decorative skull – Real size skull – Blue and white
The Gift Closet Piggy Bank, Skull Model, for the Day of…
Decorative Skull – Life Size Skull – Purple
Unknown – Day of the Dead Skull Piggy Bank
The Gift Closet Piggy Bank, Skull Model, for the Day of…
Mexican Skull Piggy Bank, Black
Although recently created and anecdotally emerging, the cult of skulls in Mexico today seems to respond to a religious feeling that already existed before, and the controversy in this regard is notable. The skull became popular in Mexico during the government of Benito Juárez , a time of openness and consolidation of the republic where the upper classes tried to resemble the European elites in their way of dressing and behaving.
This was harshly criticized in the so-called “combat” newspapers (of a leftist cut), where ladies often appeared represented in the previously mentioned way. It would be José Guadalupe Posada who definitively coined the so-called “garbancera skull” , establishing the image of a skull dressed in the French manner, attending high society events.
The allegorical meaning was extended to reach those people of humble origin who wanted to live in opulence. Thus, the criticism is twofold, first, to the excessive importance given to material goods (the medieval concept ubi sunt), and on the other hand, the criticism of those who, without having food, try to pretend otherwise. The painter Diego Rivera, in a 1947 mural, would change the name from garbancera to the current Catrina , whose meaning is similar to the previous one, that of a person dressed in an ostentatious way.
Later, in the 1960s in Veracruz, although coming from a previous cult, the figure of Santa Muerte was born. She has the appearance of a Christian Virgin wearing a skull for a face ; However, her cult is associated with requests for money, love or health and she is considered a righteous deity, although it is true that she is especially revered by people who regularly put her life at risk.
Her adoration has been linked to the image of La Catrina and both enjoy wide popularity throughout the Mexican territory. Santa Muerte has developed within the Catholic bosom, although it has been constantly rejected by all of Christianity as it is considered a diabolic cult.
How to make Mexican Skulls
In this video you will be able to see the complete process step by step so that you can make a traditional clay Skull from Mexico:
La Calavera controversy: Mexico or Europe?
Although the origin of the skull is relatively well documented, there is no consensus when it comes to determining whether it responds to an already existing sentiment in Mexico and, if so, whether it is purely Mesoamerican or has been influenced by contact with European culture. .
Some argue that the origin of the Mexican death cult dates back to the times of the goddess Mictecacíhuatl , the “Lady of Death”, when the native Mexicas worshiped their deceased relatives, differentiating between children and adults and dedicating everything to it. August. Celebrations such as the aforementioned Santa Muerte or that of San Pascualito, a local saint from the state of Chiapas represented by a skeleton , have existed with some variations for more than three centuries during which they have suffered the veto of the Church.
Another point of view is based on the fact that currently the Mexican Day of the Dead coincides in date with the European one and the way of celebrating it has resembled the Spanish way until very recently, with the rise of skeletons and skulls. Therefore, it would be difficult to determine if both cults are related after a period of several hundred years without apparent continuity . Authors of this opinion defend that the origin is eminently European and the figure of the Catrina arises as a result of the recent traditionalist feelings and recovery of popular culture that has taken place in various countries of the American continent.
With the intention of adopting an intermediate vision that does not reject any of the hypotheses, most experts opt for the syncretic origin of the Day of the Dead celebration . In contrast to the pre-Columbian or European origin, the festivity would come from the mixture of both religions, resulting in a new cult of which both parties are a fundamental part.
Decorative skull – Real size skull – Blue and white
The Gift Closet Piggy Bank, Skull Model, for the Day of…
Decorative Skull – Life Size Skull – Purple
Unknown – Day of the Dead Skull Piggy Bank
The Gift Closet Piggy Bank, Skull Model, for the Day of…
Mexican Skull Piggy Bank, Black
Meaning of the Mexican skulls on the Day of the Dead
Today, the spread of the symbol of the skull in Mexico projects the idea that it is an ancient tradition, being actually a recent creation. Not surprisingly, the Day of the Dead festival holds the UNESCO award as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
It cannot be denied that it has experienced dizzying growth and diversification; among the numerous samples we find the popular calaveras de alfeñique , sugar cane skulls with the name of a loved person, usually alive, written on the forehead.
Literary skulls have been transformed today to become light epitaphs written for relatives or friends in the form of epitaphs in which, in a comical way, prosperity and happiness are called for. Often appeals to “la huesuda”, “la Parca” or “la calaca” extended terms to refer to death.
There is no doubt that the Catrina constitutes the most recognizable and widespread element of the Mexican death cult. The figures, makeup, posters, etc. They flood the festivities and her precious appearance has made her a very important symbol of all of Mexico.
In Aguascalientes, birthplace of José Guadalupe Posada, creator of the Catrina, the Festival of Skulls is celebrated every year . Among the most outstanding events we find various exhibitions, Catrina costume contests and regional dances.
Regardless of its origin, the truth is that the image that skulls offer in today’s Mexico is unique and has given it the title of “the country that laughs at death” . According to Freud, in his “death drive” a need to unite with the positive qualities that he carries as a way of protecting himself against it; stillness, peace, the end of the road.
The cult of Skulls
The cult of skulls is not exclusive to Mexico, since it derives from the cult of the deceased , one of the forms of worship that has been repeated the most throughout different eras in practically all cultures on the planet. Any cosmogony (myth of the creation of the world) elaborated by a social nucleus attached great importance to the figure of death , both as an anthropomorphic personification and in its associated rites of passage.
In Mesoamerica, for more than 3,000 years, the vast majority of its peoples venerated the bones of their ancestors as if they were representations of their gods, especially their skulls, which they considered a means of communication with the other world . But it would be the Mexicas or Aztecs who would show greater devotion to the symbol of the skull, crossing the threshold of family worship and transferring it to temples and objects of power.
One of the most shocking examples is the Tzompatli , literally “rows of heads”, consisting of vertical stakes crossed by other horizontal ones where the skulls of the enemies were inserted , to later place them on an altar. In the Toltec capital, 60,000 human skulls were found when the Spanish arrived, an event that meant the end of the local religion and the abolition of these practices.
The cult of the skull remained in a state of torpor for hundreds of years, except in small towns far from civilization, where it integrated with Christianity and was able to survive until the mid-20th century, when the myth once again spread throughout Mexico.