Throughout the history of mankind, the cult of the dead has been manifested in different cultures of Europe and Asia, such as Chinese, Arabic or Egyptian, but in the pre-Hispanic cultures of the American continent it has not been of less importance; thus, the vision and iconography of death in our country are remarkable due to certain special characteristics, such as the solemn, festive, jocular and religious sense that has been given to this cult, which survives to this day.
Death is an omnipresent character in Mexican art with a rich variety of representations: from goddess, protagonist of tales and legends, critical character of society, to smiling guest at our table.
In Mexico, indigenous cultures conceived death as a dialectical unit: the life-death binomial, which made death coexist in all manifestations of their culture. That its symbol or glyph appeared everywhere, that it was invoked at all times and that it was represented in a single figure, is what has kept its celebration alive in time.
It is thus an arduous task understanding death and its meaning, a task that encompasses moments of innumerable reflections, rituals and ceremonies of various kinds, which has erected the maximum plastic symbol of the representation of this festivity: the altar of the dead. This representation is perhaps the most important tradition of Mexican popular culture and one of the best known internationally; it is even considered and protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
To learn more about the Day of the Dead festivity and the meaning of the altar today, it is necessary to take a look back in history, to the pre-Hispanic and colonial times, to have a broader view of its meaning.
The pre-Hispanic era** Pre-Hispanic era.
The origins of the Day of the Dead tradition predate the arrival of the Spaniards, who had a unitary conception of the soul, a conception that prevented them from understanding that the indigenous people attributed to each individual several soul entities and that each one of them had a different destiny at death.
In the pre-Hispanic vision, the act of dying was the beginning of a journey to the Mictlan, the kingdom of the fleshless dead or underworld, also called Xiomoayan, a term that the Spaniards translated as hell. This journey lasted four days. Upon arriving at his destination, the traveler offered gifts to the lords of Mictlan: Mictlantecuhtli (lord of the dead) and his companion Mictecacíhuatl (lady of the dwellers of the precinct of the dead). These sent him to one of nine regions, where the dead remained for a trial period of four years before continuing his life in the Mictlan and thus reaching the last floor, which was the place of his eternal rest, called "obsidian of the dead".
Graphically, the idea of death as a fleshless being was always present in the pre-Hispanic cosmovision, of which there are records in the Totonaca, Nahua, Mexica and Maya ethnic groups, among others. At this time it was common practice to keep skulls as trophies and display them during rituals symbolizing death and rebirth. The festival that became the Day of the Dead was commemorated in the ninth month of the Mexican solar calendar, beginning in August and celebrated throughout the month.
For the indigenous people, death did not have the moral connotation of the Catholic religion, in which the idea of hell or paradise means punishment or reward; the ancient Mexicans believed that the destiny of the soul of the dead was determined by the type of death they had had and their behavior in life. To cite some examples, the souls of those who died in circumstances related to water went to Tlalocan, or paradise of Tlaloc; those killed in combat, sacrificed captives and women who died in childbirth went to Omeyocan, paradise of the Sun, presided over by Huitzilopochtli, the god of war. The Mictlan was destined for those who died a natural death. Dead children had a special place called Chichihuacuauhco, where there was a tree whose branches dripped milk to feed them.
Pre-Hispanic burials were accompanied by two types of objects: those that in life had been used by the dead person, and those that he/she might need in his/her transit to the underworld.
Colonial times** Colonial times Colonial times Colonial times **Colonial times
In the 16th century, after the Conquest, the terror of death and hell was introduced to Mexico with the spread of Christianity, so that in this period there was a mixture of beliefs from the Old and the New World. Thus, the Colony was a time of syncretism where the efforts of Christian evangelization had to yield to the strength of many indigenous beliefs, resulting in a Catholicism very typical of the Americas, characterized by a mixture of pre-Hispanic religions and the Catholic religion. At this time, the celebration of the Day of the Faithful Departed began, when the remains of European and Asian saints were venerated, received in the Port of Veracruz and transported to different destinations, in ceremonies accompanied by flower arches, prayers, processions and blessings of the remains in churches and with relics of sugar bread - ancestors of our skulls - and the so-called "pan de muerto" (bread of the dead).
The present time.
The syncretism between Spanish and indigenous customs originated what is today the Day of the Dead celebration. As Mexico is a multicultural and multiethnic country, such celebration does not have a homogeneous character, but rather adds different meanings and evocations according to the indigenous people or social group that practices it, thus building, more than a Christian festivity, a celebration that is the result of the mixture of the pre-Hispanic culture with the Catholic religion, which is why our people have managed to keep their ancient traditions alive.
The Day of the Dead is celebrated on October 31 and November 1 and 2, days designated by the Catholic Church to celebrate the memory of All Saints and the Faithful Departed. Of course, the purest essence of these festivities is observed in the indigenous and rural communities, where it is believed that the souls of the deceased return on those nights to enjoy the dishes and flowers that their relatives offer them.
The souls arrive in an orderly fashion. Those who had the misfortune of dying a month before the celebration are not given offerings, as it is considered that they did not have time to ask permission to attend the celebration, so they only serve as helpers of other souls.
October 28 is destined to the dead who were killed with violence, in a tragic way; October 30 and 31 are days dedicated to the children who died without having been baptized (limbitos) and to the youngest ones, respectively; November 1, or All Saints Day**,** is the celebration of all those who led an exemplary life, also celebrating the children. The 2nd, on the other hand, is the so-called Day of the Dead, the most important festivity of its kind in our country, a celebration that begins at dawn with the ringing of church bells and the practice of certain rites, such as decorating the tombs and making altars on the tombstones, which have great significance for families because it is thought that they help to lead the souls and to travel on a good path after death.
The altar of the dead
As we have already mentioned, the altar is the icon-plastic representation of the vision that an entire people has on the subject of death, and how the allegory leads in its meaning to different implicit themes and represents them in a harmonious way within a single statement.
The altar of the dead is a fundamental element in the celebration of the Day of the Dead. The bereaved believe that the spirit of their deceased returns from the world of the dead to live with the family on that day, and thus comfort and console them for their loss.
The altar, as a tangible element of such syncretism, is formed as follows. It is placed in a room, on a table or shelf whose levels represent the strata of existence. The most common are the two-level altars, which represent heaven and earth; on the other hand, the three-level altars add to this vision the concept of purgatory. In turn, a seven-tiered altar symbolizes the steps necessary to reach heaven and thus be able to rest in peace. This is considered the traditional altar par excellence. In its elaboration, certain basic elements must be considered. Each of the steps is covered in black and white cloth and has a different meaning.
On the first step is placed the image of a saint to whom one is devoted.
The second step is destined to the souls in purgatory; it is useful because through it the soul of the deceased obtains permission to leave that place in case it is there.
On the third step is placed the salt, which symbolizes the purification of the spirit for the children in purgatory.
On the fourth step, the main character is another central element of the Day of the Dead festivity: the bread, which is offered as food to the souls that pass through it.
On the fifth step, the favorite food and fruits of the deceased are placed.
On the sixth step are placed the photographs of the deceased, who are remembered through the altar.
Finally, on the seventh step, a cross made of seeds or fruits, such as tejocote and lime, is placed.
The offerings and their meaning** Offerings and their meaning.
The offerings should contain a series of elements and symbols that invite the spirit to travel from the world of the dead to live that day with their loved ones.
Among the most representative elements of the altar are the following:
Image of the deceased. This image honors the highest part of the altar. It is placed on its back, and in front of it a mirror is placed so that the deceased can only see the reflection of his relatives, and these in turn see only the reflection of the deceased.
The cross. Used in all the altars, it is a symbol introduced by the Spanish evangelizers with the purpose of incorporating the catechism to a tradition so rooted among the natives as the veneration of the dead. The cross goes on top of the altar, next to the image of the deceased, and can be made of salt or ashes.
Image of the souls in purgatory. This is placed so that, in case the spirit of the deceased is in purgatory, its exit is facilitated. According to the Catholic religion, those who die having committed venial sins without confessing must atone for their sins in purgatory.
Copal and incense. Copal is a pre-Hispanic element that cleanses and purifies the energies of a place and those who use it; incense sanctifies the environment.
Arch. The arch is placed at the top of the altar and symbolizes the entrance to the world of the dead. It is decorated with lemon grass and cempasúchil flowers.
Papel picado. It is considered a representation of the festive joy of the Day of the Dead and the wind.
Candles, candlesticks and candles. All these elements are considered as a guiding light in this world. They are, by tradition, purple and white, as they signify mourning and purity, respectively. The candles can be placed according to the cardinal points, and the candles are extended as a path to reach the altar.
Water. Water has great importance since, among other meanings, it reflects the purity of the soul, the continuous heaven of the regeneration of life and of the sowings; in addition, a glass of water serves for the spirit to mitigate its thirst after the journey from the world of the dead. A soap, a towel and a mirror can also be placed next to it to cleanse the dead.
Flowers. They are the usual ornament in the altars and in the sepulcher. The cempasúchil flower is the flower that, because of its aroma, serves as a guide for the spirits in this world.
Skulls. The skulls are distributed throughout the altar and can be made of sugar, clay or plaster, with colorful ornaments; they are considered an allusion to death and remind that it is always present.
Food. The traditional food or the one that was liked by the deceased is placed for the visited soul to enjoy.
Bread. The bread is a representation of the Eucharist, and was added by the Spanish evangelizers. It can be in the shape of a small Pátzcuaro muertito or a round dome, decorated with bone shapes in allusion to the cross, sprinkled with sugar and made with aniseed.
Alcoholic beverages. They are drinks of the taste of the deceased called "trago". Generally they are "caballitos" of tequila, pulque or mezcal.
Personal objects. Articles that belonged to the deceased during their lifetime are also placed, so that the spirit can remember the moments of their life. In the case of children, their favorite toys are used.
Mexican culture has its most colorful representation in the celebration of the Day of the Dead, a festivity that has been portrayed in different cultural expressions, which cover all manifestations: from pre-Hispanic art to the popular art of our days. Nowadays, death as an object, represented death, does not take us by surprise. For Mexicans, this vision does not lie in contempt but in its appreciation, since it is understood as a manifestation and an explanation of the world, inherited and evoked unconsciously.
The fusion of both cultures makes the altar a communicative product that constantly evokes the elements that gave it origin and that translate it into a constant repetition and evocation of the indigenous and Catholic worlds, with symbols that acquire a new meaning.
Death, in this sense, is not enunciated as an absence nor as a lack; on the contrary, it is conceived as a new stage: the dead comes, walks and observes the altar, perceives, smells, tastes, listens. It is not an alien being, but a living presence. The metaphor of life itself is told in an altar, and death is understood as a constant rebirth, as an infinite process that makes us understand that those of us who are offering today will be invited to the feast tomorrow.
Source http://www.uv.mx/cienciahombre/revistae/vol25num1/articulos/altar/
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