fernández kelly - death in mexican folk culture
Post on 05-Mar-2016
27 Views
Preview:
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
7/21/2019 Fernández Kelly - Death in Mexican Folk Culture
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fernandez-kelly-death-in-mexican-folk-culture 1/21
Johns Hopkins University Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to American Quarterly.
http://www.jstor.org
Death in Mexican Folk CultureAuthor(s): Patricia Fernandez KellySource: American Quarterly, Vol. 26, No. 5, Special Issue: Death in America (Dec., 1974), pp. 516-
535Published by: Johns Hopkins University PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2711888Accessed: 16-12-2015 10:22 UTC
Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/ info/about/policies/terms.jsp
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of contentin a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship.For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.
This content downloaded from 147.96.1.236 on Wed, 16 Dec 2015 10:22:48 UTCAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
7/21/2019 Fernández Kelly - Death in Mexican Folk Culture
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fernandez-kelly-death-in-mexican-folk-culture 2/21
DEATH
IN
MEXICAN
FOLK
CULTURE
PATRICIA
FERNANDEZ
KELLY
Departamento
nternacional
Universidadbero-A
mericana
We come
only o
sleep,
We come
only o dream.
It
is
not
true, t s
nottrue
That to the
arth
we come to ive.
We are to
become as theweeds n
every
pring.
Our heart
has
greened nd
sprouted
Some
flowers
ill
ur
bodygive,
And then
t
shall
forever
ilt.
(Cant. Mex.,f.14v., in.3 ss. De Tenochtitlan)
MEXICO
IS
A
COUNTRY WITH A
DISTINGUISHED
CULTURAL
TRADITION DATING
back three
thousand
years.
Its
historical
route
has
been one of
great
achievements
s well as of
great
tragedy, et
n
ts
entirety
t
is
possible
o
perceive
he
continued
mportance
f the
dea
of
death inkedwith
eligion,
magicand,
in
later
times,
philosophy. he
problem
f death as
a constant
preoccupation
f
man
n
these
three
reas of
humanbehavior s
not
imited
to Mexico's past or present.On the contrary t probablyconstitutes,
together
with
he
dea
of
ove,one of
the
most
widespread
oncerns
n
the
world. However,Mexico
with ts
past
rich
with
he
memory
f
great
and
lost civilizations
civilizations
n
time
blendedwith
he
Europeantradition
in
a
historical
ycle of colonialism
nd domination
hat n
a
sense has
not
yet
ended
offers
he researcher
n abundance
of material
marked
by
its
uniqueness nd
creativity.
Before
urveyingome of
the
characteristic ays
the idea
of death has
been treated n
Mexico,
t
s
necessary
o
consider ome more
general
mat-
ters. Wheredoes the concern withdeath originate? t is reasonable to
believe
hat
this
exclusively uman
question
rises
from
nother
ypically
human
trait:
the
capacity
for
self-awareness.t is
only man
who can ob-
serve he
surrounding
orldwhile
knowing
t
the same time hat
he
can be
observed.
Many have
pondered ver
the
fundamentalharacter
f
the reci-
This content downloaded from 147.96.1.236 on Wed, 16 Dec 2015 10:22:48 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
7/21/2019 Fernández Kelly - Death in Mexican Folk Culture
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fernandez-kelly-death-in-mexican-folk-culture 3/21
Death inMexican Folk Culture
517
procity
resultingfrom this
perceptual act. Through complex mental
processes
man has separatedhis individual onsciousness
rom he natural
context.Unlike other animal
species, man has attempted
n a sense to
withdraw rom nature by means of an intricatenet of symbols which
transforms im nto uniqueobserver f himself nd
everythingbouthim.
Not onlydoes he grasp the
mainstream f existencebut
also its painful
termination
nd, ncapableof accepting hisfact n ts
definitiverudity, e
evolves a
complex structure f
explanationwhich an only
be understood
against
hebackground fthehuman onception f time.
It is of
central mportance o realize that far from
efiningn
objective
reality, ategories f time shape
the way
in
whichhuman
beingsorganize
reality. he idea of death n theprehispanic ivilizations fMexico and in
the
contemporary
olk
ulture annot
be fully omprehended
ithout
ome
mention
f
thepeculiarities hat
time-notions
ave n
specific ontexts.
or
the natives
of
Mexico,
time
was
a
never-ending
uccession
of
cycles sep-
arated
from
one another
by
death
and
the destruction f the
world,
the
order
of which could
only
be
restored
through
acrifice.
As
with
other
highly
religious ultures,they
formulated
concept
of
life
on
earth
as
merely fragment
f what
onstitutes he xistential
otality
f
thecosmos.
In
addition, ifeon earth
s
often
referred o as a dream, a fiction lways
posing heproblematic uestion f what rue ife s:
Will departn his
manner?
As
the lowers
hich
erished?
Willnothinge eftn
my ame?
Will
nothingemain
fmy ame ere
n
arth?
Letthere t eastbe
blossoms
t
east ongs
(Cant.Mex.,
.
Or.,
in.17 s De Huexotzinco.
nonimo)
In suchan environment,eathcannotrepresentmerely hecorruptionf
matter nd the
end
of
lifefor
man;
nor can
it be seen
only
as a
necessary
step
toward he
granting
f salvation r an
eternity
f
happiness.
t is rather
conceived
of as
requisite
o the
prolongation
f
life.
Nothing
an
exist
n
time
f
it
has not
previously assed
through
he
process
of death.
Thus
sacrifice,
he
generous
donation
of
human
blood, guarantees
the
per-
manenceof the
universe;
man
becomes
an active
agent
n
sharing
n the
responsibility
f
preserving
osmic order. Here
lies
the
ustification
f
the
practice
of
human
sacrifice,
which in its
purest expression
does not
constitute hebrutal xterminationf human ifebut rather he ntegration
of t nto
morereal and
permanent
xistence.
It is not
difficulto understand
he process thatoriginates
uch a
system
of
understandings hen
we
reflect pon
cultures
s
a
whole,
nd whenwe
notice hat
regardless f their
omplexity
nd
sophistication
hey
base their
prosperity n
the practice
of
agriculture. illing
he
earth
as the establish-
This content downloaded from 147.96.1.236 on Wed, 16 Dec 2015 10:22:48 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
7/21/2019 Fernández Kelly - Death in Mexican Folk Culture
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fernandez-kelly-death-in-mexican-folk-culture 4/21
518 A mericanQuarterly
ment of a relationship
with
the naturalenvironment epresents
special
experience. ndeed,
there s
nothing
n naturewhichconfirmshe idea
of
death
as a
definitivend;
when
egetation ies,
t
s
only
o come
to ife
gain
the followingpring.
hus
death precedes ife,
which n
turnmust
gain
be
succeededbydeath
n a
never-ending
tream.
But where o these
final
onceptions
f
theprehispanic
eligions
ind heir
roots?The first bservable ndications f an interest
n
death
appeared
n
Middle Americaaroundfifteen undred
ears
before
hrist,
n
the
form f
funeraryrrangements
n which
keletons
were buried n fetal
positions
r
with the legs extended oward the
west. Such
remnants
were
frequently
found
n
the
company
f
vestiges
f
pottery
nd
utensils
hat erved s offer-
ings r gifts.
The discovery f bone structuresn crouchedpositions
eems to indicate
the
presence
f the
belief
n
death as a return
o
the
womb from
which
he
child originally merged.
As forthe orientation
f
the
skeletonswith
heir
extremities urned
west,
t
is
not a
surprise
or
the
anthropologist.
ther
cultures
n
theworld hare the same
custom,
ften ssociated
with
he dea
that
hedead must
walk
toward
heregion
where he un tself
ies,
where
t
sets
every vening.
It is, however, he finding f offeringshatmoreprofoundlyxcitesthe
imagination,
s
the custom seems to
support
he belief
n
the continuation
of
the
daily
needs of
man
even after
his death.
Accepting
he
continuing
need
forhuman
essentials,
n
acknowledgment
f
the permanence
f
life,
seems also to
suggest
hat
whatever ollows eath must
be
explained
n ac-
cordance
with
amiliar
xperiences.
his
tradition,
s
old
as the xistence
f
culture
n
Middle
America,
remains ne
of
the
significant
atterns
f be-
havior
n
present
imes.
Later, funerary itualsbecame morecomplicated n
concept s well as in
the technical ndmaterialpreferencesssociated with heofferings.here
have
been discoveries
f
graves belonging o the Middle
Preclassic period
(ca.
1300-800
B.C.) in whichhuman remains ppear
surrounded y a daz-
zlingvariety
f
finely olished ewelryworked n ade, obsidian, erpentine
and
other
emiprecious tones, ide by side with thergraves haracterized
by
their
reat implicity.
his
contradictorybundance nd
scarcity fgifts
seems
to
indicate gradual and significanttratificationf
the social struc-
ture. One
thing,however,
s
shared by the two burial
systems: he pro-
liferationf amulets n the formof delicate feminine igurinesmolded n
clay, striking
or
theemphasisplaced upon their exuality
y means of an
exaggeration
f the
hips, breasts and navel. Some of
these miniature
masterpieces re shown holding nfants n their arms
and are covered
with
reddish
lip,or appear peculiarly isected, hus xhibitingwoheads
or
two faces on
the same
body.
This
intriguing
ivision s
further em-
This content downloaded from 147.96.1.236 on Wed, 16 Dec 2015 10:22:48 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
7/21/2019 Fernández Kelly - Death in Mexican Folk Culture
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fernandez-kelly-death-in-mexican-folk-culture 5/21
Death in
Mexican Folk
Culture
519
onstrated
by
the
frequent
epresentation
f
bodies
in
which one half is
painted
ed
while
he
other
s left
without
olor.
Everything
n
these
figurinespeaks
of
ife,
articularly
f the
capacity
f
women o
procreate,
nd
they
an be
regarded
as Mesoamerican ounter-
parts
of
theEur
pean
"venuses" of
the
Paleolithic
ra,
possibly ymbolic
f
the dea
of
the
earthenvisioned
s a
feminine
ntity.
he
fact
that
many
f
these
sculptures
have been
found
nside
graves
seems to
specify
heir
meaning.
hey
are charms ntended
o
facilitate he
ontinuationf the
vital
forces after
death. Aside
from
theirobvious reference o life as shown
through
he
exaggeration
f the sexual
elements,
he
frequency
ithwhich
the number two"
appears
in
their
omposition oses
an
interestingues-
tionwhich anbe addressedwith hehelpof some other culptures,articu-
larly
a
miniaturemask shown
n
the
Museum of
Anthropology
n
Mexico
City.
n
it,
halfthe
face
s covered
with he
appearance
of
iving
leshwhile
...............
. ..... ..... -
xxxx xxxx
:1
.... ........
.. . . ...... .. .
..
...
.. ..... . .
...
...... .....
... .... . . .
...
. ....... ...... .....
.. . ....... .
..
. .. ........
.. ............ .
xx x : I
..
. .. .... ... ..
.... . . .....
.... . .... ....... .
. ...... ...
. ..................
............
.................
XX
.............
...............
............
.................
.... .........
...........
..................
............
......................
..........
...........
.............
..........
.........
..........
.............
..........
..............
..............
...........
............
....... . ..
................
.......... .
................
.... . ......
..........
............
.............
............
...........
.............
.... ................
.............
..
..................
..........
.... ................
.............
...
................
........
..
............ ...
..........
. ...............
..
.......... ...
.......
.... ................
....
.... ................. ...................... ... .............
...........
............
.... .................
............
.....................
...........
.... ................
............
... ..... ..........
.... ........... ....
... ................
..........
... .. .....
- .11 ........
.
.. ....
-
11 ..........
.
..... ..
..............
...........
......................
...........
.............
...... .....
... .................
1.1 .............-
........ ..
....... ...............
...
.1111 ...............
..
...................
1111.1 .............
.
...... ..
-
11111.............I
... ... .....
..... ................
..........
:xxxxxxxxxxx
.............
....................
11.1 ................
... ................
.... ..................
1 ..................
....................
111- ..............
.. ..................
.......................
..........
.................. ...
...............
..............
.....................
.. ...................
1.1- .............. .
.......................
.....................
.........
....................
.............
.................
......... I .
... ...................
.............
..........
.............
..... . .......
..... .........
...............
............ . .......
.......................
.
.....
.. ......... ......... ....
.... ....................
....
.11 .. ............ I..
.................
.... ....................
.....................
....
.... ....................
..........
I..............
..... .............
- 1111 ......... I.. - I...
............. - - -
..............
......................
.....
-
1 .........-
............. .....
.....
.......................... ..........
..........................
..........................
..........
..... ..... ..............
. .. .. ...........
.
.... .
..
. ......... .. ....
XXxxxxxx
... ...... ...........
............
xx
xxxxxx]::
..... .......... ....... .... ............
..... .......... . .....
.....
.
... .. .. . .. .
.......................
.... .... ....
.:xxx xxxxxx xxxx xx
:x
Figure
:
Clay
mask
epresenting
he
uality
f ife nddeath.
reclassic
eriod
ca.
1500-200
.C.)
CentralMexico.
MuseoNacional e
Anthropologia.
This content downloaded from 147.96.1.236 on Wed, 16 Dec 2015 10:22:48 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
7/21/2019 Fernández Kelly - Death in Mexican Folk Culture
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fernandez-kelly-death-in-mexican-folk-culture 6/21
520
A
merican
Quarterly
the
other
half s a naked skull
Figure
1).
Clearly
a
symbol
of
the
unity
resulting rom
he
complementary
haracter
f ife
nd
death, t s
only ne
of the
many
rtisticworks
n which senseof
this
duality
s
expressed.
Indeed,from visualperspective, aturemanifeststself n the form f
complementaryualities:
ight
nd
darkness,
masculinity nd
femininity,
the
heavens
and the
earth,the
visible nd
the
nvisible,warmth
nd
cold,
permanent
nd
temporary,
ife
nd
death.What
s
notable
s
the
presence
f
all these
opposing
forces
s
integral
arts
of
the
unity
within
he
universe,
an idea which
eached
ts
summit
n
later
cultures,
articularly
mong
the
Aztecs.
Throughout
he
history
f
the
prehispanic
roups, he obsessionwith
he
contradictionf life and deathremains s one of the most mportant e-
ligious
preoccupations.
till, there s
a point
t
which
hese
gradually or-
mulated
raditions
egin
o
take definite
hape
n
a
remarkablynteresting
way. This
is the era known
o
archaeologists
s
the
Classic
period
ca.
200
B.C.-800
A.D.),
specific
evidence for
which has
been found in
the
southeastern
egion
f
Mexico
where
he
Maya
culture
lourished.
Palenque
is one
of the most
impressive
ights
n
the
world.
t
emerges
from
a
patch
of
jungle, a
conglomeration f
finely uilt, monumental
edifices
till
overedwith
white tucco and
decoratedwith
xquisite
arvings
in
high
elief.
mong
he
emples, he
most
famous
s
theso-called
Temple
of
the
nscriptions,"
nique n
Middle America
because
of
the
existence f
an
underground
unerary
rypt,
nside
which
was
found hedead
body
of
an
undoubtedly istinguished
ersonburied
pproximately
ne
thousand
years
ago.
It
seems,
n
fact,
hat
the
entire rchitectural
tructure as
builtwith
the deliberate
purpose
of
preserving
he
noble
tomb,
which
can
only
be
reached
by
descending
steep taircase hat
onnects he
shrine bove with
the
funerary
nclosure elow.
Insidethecrypts a monolithicurial asket carved nddecorated nthe
sides as
well as
on
the
id. It
is the
id
which
particularlynterests s when
considering
n
detail the
idea of
death. On it we
see the
delicately
arved
figure
f
a
man
reclining
n
a fetal
position.
Behindhim
tree f ife
a
ceiba
or
cottonsilk
ree)
stands
erect with
its
branches
supporting
he
sky.
Underneath,
he
geometricmask
of the
monster f
the earth
servesas a
pedestal
while
on
top
a
Kuan bird
symbolizes
he
heavens.
To
the sides of
the
plaque there re
streams f water,
nd
close to the
nose of
the reclining
figure small tubeprovideshim with ir. Both nside nd outsidethe sar-
cophagus
precious
fferings
ere
found
hat
ndicate he
high ocial
status
of
the man:
necklaces
made
of
patiently
arved
ade
beads,
enormous
pearls,
fragments
f
rock
crystal,
ome
impressive
masks
and
particularly
the
dignifiedtucco
heads of two
young
warriors,
onsidered n
our times
among
he
masterpieces
f
Middle
American
rt.
At first
lance what
surprises
s
about the
relief
s
the
magnificent
ech-
This content downloaded from 147.96.1.236 on Wed, 16 Dec 2015 10:22:48 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
7/21/2019 Fernández Kelly - Death in Mexican Folk Culture
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fernandez-kelly-death-in-mexican-folk-culture 7/21
Death
in Mexican Folk
Culture
521
nical
abilitywhich
llowed the
craftsman o producesuch a
fine
nd
vital
representationfthe
humanbody.
Considered
within he context f
other
Mesoamericanworks, his
ne is
exceptional or
ts
approximationo
visual
reality. venthough t remains highly tylized eligiousmagesurrounded
bygeometric
esigns,
he
figure
f the
man and the
bird
ndicate profound
observation f nature s
such,
particularlyf the tructural
ubtleties
f the
human
natomy.
The Maya
and otherprehispanic
roupsdid
not cultivate ortraitureo
a
significant
xtent.Probablythis was so
because their
rt was
mainly
n-
tended to
represent not so much
the
earthly
visual
reality as
the
supernatural, ighly
ntellectual
orld
which
he
eye cannot
grasp.
But t
s
possible o consider herelief n the idof thecasket as a re-creationf the
man buried
nside.Because
of the position n which
he
is
depicted,
t
seems
thathe has
returned o the
core
of the
earth
n
theform f a
child.Nothing
in
the carving
uggests he resigned
cceptance
of
the man's
death. On
the
contrary,fforts eremade to
provide, s a magical id,all that
was
needed
for
he continuation f his
ife:water,
ir,
the foodof theearth
nd
the
sky
above.
If
this
were
not
a sufficientndication f the
reluctance o
perceive
death as a
definitiveurtailment f
existence,
fine
mbilical ord
creeping
up the
staircase connects
the burialcontainer
with
he carved
representa-
tionsof women n thefacade of thebuildingwhohold babies ntheir rms.
In
synthesishis
ppears
to
be a monumental
xpression
fthe
concepts
c-
cording
o which
he
man in
his
prenatalposition
may
remain
forever
ur-
roundedby a
warm and
living tmospherewhich
ssures
his
future
xis-
tence.
Another
moment
n the
history
f
the
prehispanic
roups should
be
considered
or
ts concernwith eath
as
a structural
omponent
f theuni-
verse. This is
the period
representedy the
Aztec culture
rganized bout
the dea ofwar as the upreme ctivity fgods andmen. t isknown hat he
Aztec
civilization
lourishedrom n
intricate usion
fpreviously
xisting
influences,
hich
were
assimilatedby
ater
generations,
ith
tradition f
aggressivenomads who
arrived
n
the
central
highlands uring
he 13th
century.
hese
newcomers r
"chichimecas," s
theywere abeled
by
the
previous
nhabitants f theregion,
lready
possessed,before
migrating, re-
ligion
entered
n Huitzilopochtli,
he solar death
deitywho had
emerged
from
the
body of the
earth. From
this starting oint,
and after
ncor-
porating he nfluence fthe existing edentary roups ofCentralMexico,
the
Aztecs
evolved complex nd
awe-inspiring
eligious ystem.
As a
warfaring,un-worshiping
mpire, hey
conceived he idea of
the
cosmos as
the
permanent
nd eternalmanifestation
fwar
among
the
gods,
each
representing basic universal
orce.The sun
tself
ecame theperfect
prototype
f
the victorious
ighter
ho cyclicallyhas to
struggle gainst
darkness
n
order
to
rise
again
each
morning
s
the source of
light.
Only
This content downloaded from 147.96.1.236 on Wed, 16 Dec 2015 10:22:48 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
7/21/2019 Fernández Kelly - Death in Mexican Folk Culture
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fernandez-kelly-death-in-mexican-folk-culture 8/21
522 A
merican
Quarterly
throughwar could
the rhythmic
tructure f the
universe e consolidated;
onlydeath ssured
he
permanence f ife.
The
ancient oncept of
duality
lreadyexpressed n the
figurines
f
the
preclassic era continued o be an important actor n the religion f the
Aztecs. Accordingly, hey
ccepted the existence f two
great
generative
principles:
mecihuatl "Two-Lady") and
Ometecuhtli
"Two-Lord"),
one
femininend the
other
masculine, hroughwhoseunion
both
gods
and men
had been created.
We shoulduse theterm
principles"
ather han
"gods"
because
their rtistic
epresentation
as not
permitted; hey
had
no
shape
or
form
and thus remained s abstract
notions.
Still theircontact
had
producedthe life
of four main
deities
who
inhabited
he
four cardinal
regions f theworld:Huitzilopochtli,he olargod ofdeath,XipeTotec,the
flayed
god
of
spring,
Tezcatlipoca,
the
deceiving god of
war,
and
Quetzalcoatl,
he
cultural
herowho
hadtaughtmenthevalue of fire nd the
practice of
agriculture. n this
religiouspattern, he
gods
opposed
each
other
ntheir
iverse
haracteristics.
Among
all the
representationselated o
death,
the
monstrous
mage
of
Coatlicue
"She
with he
skirt
made
of
snakes"),
the
Goddess
of
Earth,
s
of
particular interest Figure
2).
In the
magnificentculpture
which is
exhibited
n
the
Museum
of
Anthropology
n
Mexico
City,
Coatlicue
repre-
sentsmore han single eity; he s a synthesis f thereligious eliefs fthe
Aztecs. Completed in the
year
"onetochtli,"correspondingn
our
own
calendar
to
the year
1454,
the
representation
akes
the form
f a monolith
carved
n
basaltic
stone,
nd
could be regarded s a
prehispanic
ounterpart
of the
dea
of
"mother
arth"
n the
Western
radition. owever, here re
a
number
f elements hat
transformt into
something xceptional. rom
a
structural oint
f
view,
he
sculpture
hows
a geometric
attern, rontally
dividing
he mass into
fourhorizontal
lanes:
the
egs,
the
kirt,
he
breasts,
and thehead in theshapeof two argesnakes which tare at the sametime
forward nd to the
sides.
Considered
ertically
t
s a
perfectly
ymmetrical
cruciform
esign
n
which ach of
ts extremes
eems
to
point
o each of
the
fourcardinalregions
previouslymentioned. rom
the
numerical
pointof
view
t is
important o remember hat
"four,"
the
mystical igit, s
a
mul-
tiple
f
"two,"
the
ign
hat
ymbolizes
he
ntrinsic
uality
f
the
cosmos.
The
legs
of the
goddess
are
seen
in
the formof
gigantic
agle
claws
clenched
o
the
underworld
r
Mictlan
engraved n the soles of her
feet.
There livedMictlantecuhtli,ne of thedeified epresentationsfdeath n
the
company
f
an
owl, a symbol
f
darkness.
The
legs
of the
sculpture re
also
decoratedwith
piral
motifs
hat
appear
to
represent
nails,
which n
the
mythology
f
theAztecs were
references
o
Huitzilopochtli.
Between he
extremities
angs
a
monumental nake
whose
head
touches
the
ground.
This
elementhas been
nterpreteds a
phallic ymbol nd
f,
n
fact,
the
sculpture s
a
whole
s
to
be considered s a feminine
ntity,ts
This content downloaded from 147.96.1.236 on Wed, 16 Dec 2015 10:22:48 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
7/21/2019 Fernández Kelly - Death in Mexican Folk Culture
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fernandez-kelly-death-in-mexican-folk-culture 9/21
Death n
Mexican
olkCulture
523
Figure
:
The
goddessCoatlicue
"she
with
he
kirt
made of
snakes").
Aztec
Period
(1325-1521
A.D.).
Museo
Nacional
de
Anthropologia.
This content downloaded from 147.96.1.236 on Wed, 16 Dec 2015 10:22:48 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
7/21/2019 Fernández Kelly - Death in Mexican Folk Culture
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fernandez-kelly-death-in-mexican-folk-culture 10/21
524
A
merican
Quarterly
synthetic
haracter
would not be
complete
without
n allusion to
the
masculine orces
hat
hapenature.
The second
part
of the
body,formed
y
a
skirt
f snakes which
ives
ts
name to the image, represents mundane evel of existence,whilethe
breasts,
decorated
with a necklace formed f human
hearts and
opened
hands,has been nterpreted
s
a reference o
sacrificial
eath.
n
this
par-
ticular rea of the
sculpture
we are once
again
made
conscious
of
death
by
the
presence
f
the
mpressive
alf-living
kull
which ecorates he
beltthat
separates
the
skirt from the
necklace.
As
mentioned
before,
human
sacrifice,
articularly
n
the
form f
the removalof the
heart,
s
one
of
the
distinctive
eatures f the Aztec
religion.
Hearts were
symbolized y
the
eagle and this n turnwas also one ofthesymbols f thedeified un,To-
natiuh. Thus, hearts and
blood,
the two
finest
possessions
of
mankind,
constituted he food that
preserved
he sun and
allowed
t
to
move
n
the
sky.
This dea is
clearly xpressed
n some of the
sacred
manuscripts
eft o
us
by
the
Aztecs:
And our ays
assed y,
nd he unwas
n
he
ky.
All
upon
he
arth
earedmid ternal
hadows.
Went he
awk o ask:
the ods
wish o
know he
easonwhy ou
on'tmove.
And he un nswered,
Do you
want
oknow
why?
I want
he lood
f
humans,
I wish
ohave heir
ons,
desire o
possess
heir
ffspring.
In
this
fashion,
eath
through
acrifice
was one
of
the
privileges
eserved
for
those destined for
higher
fates. Warriors
whose hearts
had been
removedn
order
to
provide
ifefor
the
sun
were
regarded
s
gods
and
ob-
tained xclusive onors hared
onlyby
two
otherkinds
fdead:
those
killed
inwar and womenwhohad diedin childbirth. his last belief s of a par-
ticular
nterest,
s
it
s
based
upon
the
dea
that
when
giving
irth
o a
child,
women
were transformed
nto
warriorswho
struggled
o
that a new
ife
could
begin.
When
dying
n
childbirth,hey
ecame
the
eerie
Cihuateteo
r
deifiedwomen
who
accompanied
he sun n ts
ourney hrough
he
heavens
(Figure3).
In
these
uccessive
evelsof
existence,
he breastof
Coatlicue
s
followed
in
the
upper
ection
y
the
forked nakewhich
epresents
uality
ncarnated
inunity. he head sthe ymbol f theOmeyocan "Two-Place"), theregion
where men and
gods alike had taken
shape and the source to
which
everything
ust
return.
hus in
a
final
onsideration,
oatlicue
becomes a
synthesis
f
the
many
dualities hat
form
heuniverse: he
mundane
nd
the
celestial,
femininity
nd
masculinity,
he
Omeyocan
and
the
Mictlan, ife
and death.
Even
though
the
grandiosity
f the
sculpture
an
hardly
be
comprehended
n
this
uperficial
escription,
t
remains
ne of the most m-
This content downloaded from 147.96.1.236 on Wed, 16 Dec 2015 10:22:48 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
7/21/2019 Fernández Kelly - Death in Mexican Folk Culture
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fernandez-kelly-death-in-mexican-folk-culture 11/21
Death in
Mexican Folk Culture 525
Figure
: Stone cihuateteo"
deified
omanwhodied n
childbirth).
ztecPeriod
(1325-1521 .D.).
MuseoNacional e
Anthropologia.
pressivemanifestationsf man's attempt
o explain hecontradiction
f ife
and death
n
his surrounding orld.
Finally, t s necessary o remember he
Aztec poetry n
which he dea
of
death, specially eath n war, s continuously
lorified:
Where reyou ogo?Where reyou o
go?
Towar, othe ivine ater here ur
mothertzpapalotlives
olor
o
men.
In
the attlefield
ust iseswithinhewater
f
he onfire:
Theheart f heGodCamaxtle uffers,
hMacuilMalinalli
As a flower
s the
attle nd
you
hallhold
t n
your
ands.
(Cant.Mex.,
.70
r.,
in19 s. De
Tenochtitlan,
a.
1495)
Again,
n
a differentragment,heglory
f sacrifices remembered:
Oh Giver f
Life
Your acrifice
s ike
meraldsnd
urquoises.
It
s the appiness
nd
wealth
f
princes
To
die
t
the
dge
f he
bsidian,
To
die
n
war.
(Romances
e os Seiiores e Nueva
spaiia,
.
2)
This content downloaded from 147.96.1.236 on Wed, 16 Dec 2015 10:22:48 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
7/21/2019 Fernández Kelly - Death in Mexican Folk Culture
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fernandez-kelly-death-in-mexican-folk-culture 12/21
526
A
merican
Quarterly
If we
have
restrictedurselves o
the
considerationna rather
uperficial
manner f
some of
the characteristics
f the
death deologies
n
the
history
of
ancient
Mexico,
it is mainlywith
the
purpose of
pointing ut the per-
manence fsometraits nd ingeneral hesenseofcontinuityfthe dea of
deathwithin
ontemporary
exican
folk ulture.
The
exquisite nd
awe-inspiringrtistic
work
described
was
destined
o
disappear as an
active
agent
in
the
official
istory
f
Mexico,
a
history
shaped after he
bloody
conquest
that
subjugated he native
peoples
to
a
position
of
degradation
nd
oppression.The victoriouswar
songs
were
followed
y dramatic
pilogues
n
which he
anguish
nd
despair
of the
n-
dians at the
ight
f
their wn
humiliation ecame manifest.
The polytheisticeligionswerereplacedbyChristianitynd the voiceof
the
indigenous
Mexican
was
dimmedforever.
ts
former
ower
was
lost,
but
a murmur
was
to
remain.
he
cultural ollision
ame
accompanied
y
a
process of ethnic
ntermeshingommonlyknown s
"mestizaje" and the
three
hundredyears which
followed,
haracterized y
political,
conomic
and
social
colonialism,represent
slow
and
painful
fusionof
different
cosmic visions and
ways
of
behavior,
ome
belonging
o the
European
tradition nd some
which ad
already xisted n the
prehispanic orld.
Withoutdoubt, the Christiantraditionhas left Mexico a priceless
collectionof artistic
nd literary
estimonieswhich
document ts
own
in-
terpretationf death.
But
thefusion f the
European
cultural atternswith
the pre-existing
exican beliefs
ffers third nd
perfectly
ndividualized
complex
of
practices nd ideas.
This
process of
religious usion s
probably
the
most
distinctive
eature f
contemporary exican folk
radition.
However,
n
a
highly tratified
ountry uch
as
Mexico
generalizations
are dangerous.
Even
theterm folk
culture" s difficulto
define.
n
a broad
sense,
and
for he
purposes
f this
ssay, folk ulture
an be
understood
s
theunification f thosetraditional orms fbehaviorwhich re sharedby
the
majority
f
the members f
the
underprivileged
ocioeconomic trata.
As
is evident, uch
a definition
as
important
imitations.
First it is
necessary o
note that t
includes he
Indian
groupsthat nhabit
he terri-
tory, population f
about ten million
who have
scarcelybeen
touched
by
the dubious
privileges of
"civilization."
There are
many
important
differencesetween
he traditions f these
groups
and
those
shared
by
the
inhabitants f the
rural
provinces
which
have
a
constant ontact with he
urbancenters, ndbetween heseand themarginal reas of thecities. n a
rigorous
enseneithers it
feasible o
restricthedefinition
f folk
ulture o
the
socially
and
economicallyunderprivileged
roups,
n
view
of
the fact
that
many
f
thecustoms nd
beliefs
onsidered
s
folkloric
re also shared
to
a
lesser
degreeby
members
f
the middle nd
upperclasses
of
Mexico.
Thereare,
however,mportant
ariations
n
meaning.
This content downloaded from 147.96.1.236 on Wed, 16 Dec 2015 10:22:48 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
7/21/2019 Fernández Kelly - Death in Mexican Folk Culture
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fernandez-kelly-death-in-mexican-folk-culture 13/21
Death inMexican Folk Culture
527
Such differencesre closely inked
with process
ofdesacralization fthe
traditionsnvolved.We might herefore
uggest
he hypothesis hat an im-
portantprocess
of secularization
xists n the transit f customs
related
with death from the way in which they are conceived in the more
autochthonous
roups where
hey annotbe understood utside he
frame-
workof religionnd magic) to
the way n which
hey re comprehendedn
an urban atmosphere
f differentocial groups as
colorful
ustoms
whose
original eligious
r
magical ignificance
s
no
ongermeaningful
r has
been
forgotten).
It is difficulto choose from
mong the many
raditions elated
with
he
idea of death
those whichrepresent
most clearlythe typical onceptions
thatprevailnMexico. Ithas often een aid that n this ountry eopledeal
with eath sacrilegiously, ocking
t as
if
t were
omething hich eserved
to be treated
withhumor.Whether
hisview s accurate or exaggerated,
t
seems clear
thatdeath s
often hemain
protagonist
n
many
f
thefolkloric
festivities. mong
these
none re as wellknown
r as
impressive
s thecele-
brations hat take place
in
commemoration
f
All Souls'
Day:
the
day
of
thedead.
In
Mexico
this date
is
surrounded y
a
variety
f
activitieswhich
begin
withthe preparation f specifickindsof food:one ofthese,"calabaza en
tacha," is a
preservemade by combining mall
pieces of pumpkin
with
sticks of sugarcane,
haws,
aromatic
spices
and a
peculiar
brown
sugar
called "piloncillo."
There s also the so-called"pan
de muerto"
r
bread
of
the dead consisting
f
oaves prepared
withwheat
flour nddecorated
with
stylized
bones and tears
of
the
same
dough.
To
these
are added
a
remarkable
ariety
f
meals
spiced
with
hili
nd
vegetables ypical
f
each
region,placed
in
bowls and dishes
made
of
black
ceramic as
a
sign
of
mourning.
mong the special sweetswhich re
producedonly
for
this
oc-
casion are the famous "calaveras de azdcar," an amazingensembleof
human kulls
of all
sizes and shapes,
made
n
sugar,
ecorated
with olorful
paper
and labeled
with n assortment
f names. When
ooking
t
them
n
the showcases
of the sweet
shops
one
cannot
help recalling
he ancient
Aztec tzompantlis, pecial stone
tructures
here
he kulls f the
men
who
had died
in
sacrificewere exhibited.
n our times
t is an
All
Souls'
Day
custom to
purchase
one
of
these sugar sculptures
abeled
with
he name
of
the
buyer
r with he name
of
a
friend;
hese are
then
given
s
gifts
o
be
eaten,an act thatoften uzzlesthosewho are notacquaintedwith ncient
Mexican
traditions.
But
the
preparation
f food is
only
a
preliminaryctivity
or the most
typical
f
Mexican customs: hefabrication
nd
decoration f
family
ltars
where
he
dead
are
honored.These altars
or "ofrendas"
for
All Souls'
Day
consist of tables
or shelves
on which the
pictures
of dead relatives re
This content downloaded from 147.96.1.236 on Wed, 16 Dec 2015 10:22:48 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
7/21/2019 Fernández Kelly - Death in Mexican Folk Culture
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fernandez-kelly-death-in-mexican-folk-culture 14/21
528 A mericanQuarterly
placed, surrounded by garlands
of
zempazuchitl
flowers,the yellow
blossoms which inceprehispanic imeshave accompanied he festivitiesf
the dead.
At the feetof these
mages
the food s
carefully rranged, ften
side by sidewith lcoholicbeverages.The table itselfs spread withpaper
mats resembling
colorful nd dramatic
mosaic.
The practice f honoring
the dead at home is complemented
with
the tradition
f
going
to
the
cemeteries
o
spend
the
night
fter he
graves
have been
decorated
with he
yellow flowers, andles
and dishes. The
atmosphere
s one of
great
solemnity
while the
murmur f
prayers
offered
y
those
waiting
for
the
coming
of the beloved dead
float
up
to the
evening ky.
The
following
morning hevigilantswalk awaywith he food,which
s
then
o be
eaten by
their amilies.
It is worthreflectingpon the significancefthispreparing f food for
thedead that fterwards eaten bythe iving,
s it ndicates hat
for
he
par-
ticipants
n
this tradition, xistence
evolves
on two different
evels:
one
natural nd theother upernatural. verything
hat
xists hares
n
both s-
pects: one essential,
he other
ransitory.
s thedead
belong
o the
former,
it
is the essence
of
the food
which
heydigest,
while
he
iving enefitnly
fromthe material substance. Thus
the
widespread
notionthat the
food,
afterbeing ffered o the dead,is "flavorless," hat s,without heessence,
whichhas been taken by the dead. These
same customs
suggest nother
conclusion: hat
of
the
dea
of
thedead as members
f a
group
ofwhich
hey
never ntirely ease
to
be
a
part.
It is not
necessary
o
point
out the simi-
larities of these traditions nd the prehispanic
ulturalpatterns lready
evident
n
the archaeologicalfindings
o which
we
have
previously
made
reference.
n
both here eems
to exist
he ssumption
hat hedead and the
living
must
satisfy
similar needs even
if
the
formernow
belong
to
a
supernaturaltage
of
existence.
The above practicesare found hroughoutMexico, in smallvillagesas
well as
in
the cities.There are other raditions,
owever,which re less well
known,
uch as those
typical
of the Huichol
tribes, iving
cattered
nd
isolated
in
the
mountains f the states
of
Jalisco, Nayarit
and
Sinaloa.
These are indigenous roups hathave had very ittle ontact
with
hecities
and
therefore
reserve,
lmost
untouched,
heir
prehispanic
raditions.
They are known to anthropologists
or
their annual processions
to the
sacred
and
of
Viricota,
n
the
state
of
San Luis Potosi
forthe
purpose
of
collectingpeyoteor "jicuri," theholyweedwhich n theirmythologys
identified
ith
Kauyumarie,
he
deer,
with
he
sun
Taoyopa,
and
with
ire,
all ofwhich
heyworship.
The Huicholes
believe
that
every
human being
has a soul
or
kupuri
residing
n
the upper part
of the
head.
When the
person dies,
the
kupuri
leaves the body
n
the
form f a small cloud or
whirlwind. ive
days
after
This content downloaded from 147.96.1.236 on Wed, 16 Dec 2015 10:22:48 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
7/21/2019 Fernández Kelly - Death in Mexican Folk Culture
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fernandez-kelly-death-in-mexican-folk-culture 15/21
Death in Mexican
Folk Culture
529
theperson
has died,
a
ceremony
akes
place
in which
he
marakamd,
hat s,
the shaman
of
the
group,
aptures
the
soul
in the
shape
of a small shining
insectby
shooting rrows
at it.
According
o
this
tradition, he soul
does
notwish o be caught,butas the marakamd xerts normous ffortocon-
vince t,
t eventually
greesto return
n order o bid farewell
o itsrelatives
who have brought ifts
nd offerings
or
he
occasion.
As the
kupiiri
s cap-
tured, veryone
reets
t, and
farewells
re
exchanged
mid
tears
until he
shamanonce again
frees t.
In
the
five ays
that
lapse
between
he
death
of
the
person
nd
thereturn
of
the
kupuri,
he soul
has to
engage
n a
variety
f
dangerous
dventures
n
order
o
purge
tself
f the sinscommitted
uring
ts
ifetime,
nd
finally
t
deposits hem t thefootofthe ancestral ree.Only fterwardan itreturn
to earth o see
ts relatives or
he ast
time. n its
ourney
he
oul manifests
itself
n the form
f a skeleton,
while he marakam6
himself
mustaccom-
pany
he
pirit
n
order
o reconstruct
very
ne of the
pisodes
of ts mortal
life.
After hefinal eparture f
thekuputri,
ive
ears
must
pass
before, c-
cording
o
custom,
t
can
reappear
n the form f
fragmented
ock
crystal,
regarded
hereafter
s a
repository
f
wisdom
Figure4).
ICE
Figure
: Huichol
nearika"
yarn
ndbeeswax n wood) howing
"marakame"
attempting
o rescue
he oul of
a dead man.
Stateof Jalisco,Mexico. nstituto
Nacional
ndigenista.
This content downloaded from 147.96.1.236 on Wed, 16 Dec 2015 10:22:48 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
7/21/2019 Fernández Kelly - Death in Mexican Folk Culture
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fernandez-kelly-death-in-mexican-folk-culture 16/21
530 A
merican
Quarterly
Besidesthe
celebrations
n commemoration
f All
Souls'
Day, there s
another
ate
n
the
religious
alendar
when he dea of
death
manifeststself
with reatdramatic
force.
This s during he
rituals eld
forHoly Week,the
most important art of theyear fordevoutpeople, a periodof remem-
branceof
the
sacrifice f Jesusfor he
salvation
f mankind. n
most parts
of
Mexico
these
eremonies lso
demonstrate he
prototypal yncretism e
have
observed
n
the
prehispanic
nd
European raditions.
Easter Week
s
preceded
by
the
forty ays
of
Lent,
reserved
or
usterity,
abstinence nd
meditation,
nd
culminates n a
variety
f
processions
f
masked
penitents
ho,
wearing
rowns f
thorns,whip
heir
odies n
order
to
obtain
bsolution or heir ins.
These
practices,
triking
or heir
athos,
seemto manyobservers o be theremnants fsuperstitionndignorance.
Rather
than
gnorance,
owever,
uch
traditions
merely
eflect
distinctive
way
of
perceiving he world s a cosmic
experience
ccording
o
which
he
humancreature
accepts
the
validity
f
penitence,
umiliation
nd
degra-
dation
of
the
body
as
a
means of
obtaining
more
permanent ift
f
mercy
grantedby the
majesty
of
God.
It is
not difficult
o understand he
im-
portance
nd
the
purpose
f a
promise
f
salvation o a
people
permanently
oppressed y
the
orrow nd
misery
f their
aily
xistence.
ThroughoutMexico thecommemoration fthesacrifice fChrist s ac-
companied
by
theatrical
epresentations
n
which
biblical
episodes
are
re-
enacted.
In
places
such as
Ixtapalapa
in
Mexico
City,
the
crucifixion
f
Jesus-played by
a
young
penitent,
n
top
of Cerro de la
Estrella,
an
old
shrine n
existence ven
before
he
Spanishculture rrived
n
Mexico-is
one
of
the most
mpressive
eligious
pisodes
of
the
year.
Such
theatrical
ceremonies nvolve he
participation
f as
many
as
fifty
housand
people
who
gather
o
observe he
procession
f "The Three
Falls" and the
Passion
of Christ.
Few
observersfail to
be moved
by
this
scene,
as
among
the
millinghousands ark-skinnedenturions nhorseback ttempt ocontrol
the mobs
while
groups
of
barefoot
enitents
ressed
n
purple
nd
wearing
crowns f thorns
arry
heir
eavy
rosses.
Similar,
but
with
distinctive eatures f
their
wn,
are the
celebrations
that
take
place
among
the
Cora tribes f the mountainsn the
state of
Na-
yarit.
The small
village
of Jesus Maria
has
for
the
Cora Indians much
the
same function
nd
meaning
s
did
that of the
ceremonial enter
n
the
prehispanic
world.Here
the
tribespeople ather
during
he
year
on several
occasionsmarkedfortheir eligious ignificance.f all thefestivitieshat
are
held
here,
none
s
as
memorable
s the
celebration f
Holy
Week-a
celebration
o
complex
and
multifaceted
hat
only
certain of its
more
solemn
nd
momentous
spects
can
be treated
ere.
What
distinguishes
his
holiday
most
strikingly
rom others s the
presence
of a
group
of men
known s "demonios" or
"judios"
whose
purpose
s
the
killing
f
Christ.
This content downloaded from 147.96.1.236 on Wed, 16 Dec 2015 10:22:48 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
7/21/2019 Fernández Kelly - Death in Mexican Folk Culture
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fernandez-kelly-death-in-mexican-folk-culture 17/21
Death in Mexican Folk
Culture
531
From themomenton Ash Wednesdaywhenthey
re whippedby a long
rope symbolizingheevil forces f a snake,their
urpose s thedestruction
of Christ.
Consequently hey epresentvil,whileJesus
ncarnates ll that
s
good and pure n the cosmos. The spirit f the festival s captured n the
ritualhunting f
Jesuswhich akes place on Good
Friday.This performance
reproduces tep by
step thehunting f thedeer,a commonpractice mong
the members f
the group,and can be easily
recognized s a remnant f
ancient
magiccustoms
n which
he
hunting as
to
be simulated
n
order o
assure
the killing f
the animal
n
reality.Many
similar xamples re found
in other ountries
nd n differentras. What s remarkable bout thispar-
ticular ritualhunting s the fact that it penetrates
he celebration f the
sacrifice f Christ n such a way thathis death s notconsidered factuntil
he is pursued s a
deer. Further, mongthe Cora
Jesusdoes notdie on one
single ccasion but
rather t least threedifferent
imes,forhe is identified
with ther
pre-existingeities: hefire, hesun and thedeer, ll of whomdie
with imon this
olemn ccasion.
While mphasis
s generally laced upon the deaofthedeathofChrist n
the folk traditions f
Mexico,
his
Resurrection
s
almost forgotten. his
seems peculiar n view
of
the
orthodoxCatholic beliefs ccording o
which
the death of Christ
gains
full
meaning nly
withhis
Resurrection.
Once
again
we
must ook for the explanation f the
importance laced on the
death of Christ in
popular
custom
by
examining
he
culture's autoch-
thonous
oots.
The apparent
pessimism f these celebrations
mustbe considered long
with he mpressive eligious mages that
ccompany hem.
The varied
nd
silent
processions
arried
out as acts of penance
would
not be complete
without he
presenceof many wooden sculptureswhichrecreate he mo-
ments
of agony,
resignation
nd
misery
hat
characterize
he
passion
of
Christ.Noted for heir athosandexpressionisticealism, hey emain ne
of the
most distinctive lementsof Mexican tradition
nd
give
clear
in-
dication nce
again
of
the
continuing itality
f
prehispanic
ulture
n which
bloody
acrifice nd
agonizing enitence
were ommon.
It
is
evident,
hen,
hat
death
s
a
permanent
oncern, daily presence,
especially
n
a
country
ike Mexico
in which
problems
ranging
rom he
difficulty
f
providing
medical
services
o the
persistence
f
gnorance
nd
oppression
ccentuate
ts
meaning.
The death of
an
individual,
o matter
howpoor, s always ccompanied yelaboratefamilyraditions. s in other
areas of
social
behavior, igilsrepresent
moment
when ocial
solidarity
becomes
manifest,
nd
often
hey
are transformed
nto
parties
n which
food and
alcoholic
beverages
low
reely.
n
many
parts
of
Mexico
it
s
the
custom to wash the
dead
body
with water which
s
later
used
in
the
preparation
f
the meal.
This meal
is eaten with
he
purpose
of
helping
he
This content downloaded from 147.96.1.236 on Wed, 16 Dec 2015 10:22:48 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
7/21/2019 Fernández Kelly - Death in Mexican Folk Culture
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fernandez-kelly-death-in-mexican-folk-culture 18/21
532
American
Quarterly
dead
remove heburden
f his sins:
"ayudar al muertito
on
sus
pecados."
This
burdenremains
matter f concern
for
the members f
the
family,
while t the
same
time thedeceased
continues o be
regarded s
an
active
participantnthegroup.
In
thecase
of the
dead
being young
hild,
here re
variationswhich
e-
serve
mention. he
burial f a child s
rarely ccompanied
y
expressions
f
pain
or
sadness.On the
contrary,
heremustbe
oy
and
happiness
n view
f
the fact
that
the child,not
having
inned,
will
mmediatelyoin
God. What
better ate
could await a human?
Certainly
ot
a life
full
f
poverty,
misery
and deprivation. child
when
dying ecomes
an
important
rotector
f
his
family,
miniature
aint
who
carriestheir
etitions
irectly
o
God.
When
buried, hildren re thereforeonsidered s little ngels,"angelitos,"and
thusthey re
attired
n
robessimilar o those seen on the
mages
of
saints.
In
this
case, as well as in
the
case of
adults,processions
scorting
hedead
to the
graveyard re
accompanied
y
music.
Obviously, hen,funerals
re
in
themselves matter
f
great
aesthetic
and
cultural
nterest. he
great
archaeologistMiguel
Covarrubiashas
left
us
an invaluable
testimony
f such an
occasion
that
clearly
llustrates
custom
that,with
variations,
an be found
verywhere
n
Mexico,
and
that
deserves uoting t length.Referringo thefuneral fan old womanfrom
Tehuantepec n
the tateof
Oaxaca,
Covarrubiaswrites:
When
hewoman
nterednto he
eath
gony,
ll
closerelatives
ere
resent
and
a
prayer xpert
ad been
entfor.
The
deep
sigh
hat
scaped
her
was re-
garded s a
sign
hat he
oul
had
eft er
body.
A
violent eaction
hook
he
members
fthe
household,
trangely
alm
ndcollected
efore,
articularly
he
women, er
aughtersnd
isters,
ho
ave
ent o
wild utbursts
f
despair nd
screams.... Soon the
neighborsnd distant
elatives
ame
to
the house
to
embrace
nd
ympathize
ith
he
mourners,
s well
s
to
deposit
heir
lms....Thecorpsewas then ressednherbest lothes, . . andherhairwascarefully
combed
ndthen
laced,
ot n
a
bed
or
mat,
ut n the
are
ground
n
front
f
the
house
ltar,
ts
head
resting
n
a
little
illow
laced ver wo
bricks.
t
was
provided
ith
our
andles
f
pure
eeswax ndwith
ases f
uberoses,s
well s
with
n
incense
razier.
A
male
prayer-expert
rezador)knelt
n
front
f
the
corpse
o
pray,
lternately
ensing
he
aint's ltar nd the
body.
A
litany as
recited
nd
he
women
hanted....
As
therewas
enough
money
vailable, he
wake
proceeded
hroughouthe
night,
nd
verybodyame
o
help.
A
tablewas etfor
he
lders nd he
ompany
was served offee, read,mezcal a kindof liqueur) nd cigarettes.When
everything
as
ready,
he
uneral
rocession
tarted
or
he
emetery
n
the ool
of
the
ate
fternoon,receded
y brass
and
layingad or
farewell
usic....
The
procession
marched
hrough
he principal
treets,
he coffin
lanked y
solemn
men
n
their
undaylothes,he
lders
n
redfelt nd
ilver-braidedats.
Immediatelyehind
ollowedhe
husband
nd
sisters nd
daughtersf
theold
This content downloaded from 147.96.1.236 on Wed, 16 Dec 2015 10:22:48 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
7/21/2019 Fernández Kelly - Death in Mexican Folk Culture
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fernandez-kelly-death-in-mexican-folk-culture 19/21
Death in MexicanFolk Culture
533
lady,
n
state f
utter espair, ramaticn heirlack
lothes, nkemptair,
nd
trailinghawls, rying
ndwailing,arried,
r rather
ragged
y
he
rms
n the
shouldersf
friends....
At the emetery . the offin asnailed nd owerednto hegrave.At this
point
t
s
the ustom
or he
nearest
women elatives
f thedeceased
o
give
final ndmost iolentisplay f
despair....
The mourners
eturnedome o nitiateheprayers
rezos) aidevery vening
fornine
ays fter heburial
efore n
earth nd sandreplica fthegrave. his
symbolicravewaserected ver
he
round here he orpse ad ain
n
frontf
the
aint's ltar, ndwas covered ith
lowers, ith candle
t each
of
tsfour
corners.n
Tlacotepec, beautifulittle illage y springn
theneighborhoodf
Ixtepec,
t
s
customary
o
plant rains f orn llover he
rave, hichs watered
every ay, o that he orn prouts,ndby heninthay t has become minia-
ture
ornfield.
his
harmingustom as no purpose,
ccordingo thepeople f
Tlacotepec, eyond naestheticne,but t
s significanthat
hey elieve hat,
though hebody
s
gone,
he
pirit f thedeceased emains ith
hefamily or
these ine
ays, ome
people oing o far s
to
assure
nethat
uringhat ime
the
ead ives nderhe aint
n
the lter.
Every aythe
flowersn the
make-believerave re replaced ith resh nes,
andthose
wiltedre saved
n
a
basket.
At
the nd
of
nine
ays
he
mound
sdis-
mantled;
he arth ndflowers
re
collected,
arried
way, nd
thrown
nto he
river,hechurchyard,r cemetery.t is notuntil hen hat hehousemaybe
swept. lack
bows re
hung
n
thegateand windows, here
hey emain
ntil
they
all
o
pieces,
nd
fornine
monthshe
family
ust
bserve
eepmourning.
Womenwear nly
lack ostumes ith
white ufflesn thebottom
f
the kirt,
but
t
s
enough
ormen o
wear lack ibbons
ntheir
eft
rms or while.'
In
contrast
to the
somber, oftenpessimistic haracterof much of
its
funerary itual,Mexico
s also well
known, aradoxically,
or he
humorous
nature
with
which
her
people regarddeath.
In
the end death
s to
be
seen
with touchof humor n order hat hepsychological urdent mpliesmay
be
lessened.
Not only
smile
butoutright
aughter nd
mockery istinguish
some
of
the most
typical
manifestationsf
Mexican
folklore
oncerning
death;
but t is
a
bitter
aiety
hat
philosophically ecognizes
he fact
that
the definitiveharacterof
death can
only
be
successfully
onfronted
ith
gestures
of
indifference
nd
scorn.
Among
these cultural
gestures
the
"calaveras,"
verses that
celebrate
he
death
of a
still-livingersonand
his
arrival n
hell
or
heaven,
re
typical.
oliticians
nd other
rominent igures
are
favorite ictims f
this
morbidoke.
But
poweror
prestige
re not
pre-
requisites orreceiving,s a gift orAll Souls' Day, a verse nwhich ne's
death has
been
humorously
elated.
Apparently nique
o Mexican
culture,
the
"calaveras" are seen as a
particularlyffectiventidote
or he
anguish
that
ll menmustfeel
when
ontemplating
he
erminationf
their
ife.
'Miguel
Covarrubias,Mexico South
New
York:
Knopf,
946),
pp.390-94.
This content downloaded from 147.96.1.236 on Wed, 16 Dec 2015 10:22:48 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
7/21/2019 Fernández Kelly - Death in Mexican Folk Culture
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fernandez-kelly-death-in-mexican-folk-culture 20/21
......
....SEEEEEEEEEEESESEEEiSSSSEESEEEEES:E~E .
::0000000000000000000000000000--......... ....-
....
.._.
..
......
t~~~~~~
.
....
..I.....
Figure~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~..
.
.adof......
msiin) Clrd ly anIir Mts
Estado de
Mexico~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~......
This content downloaded from 147.96.1.236 on Wed, 16 Dec 2015 10:22:48 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
7/21/2019 Fernández Kelly - Death in Mexican Folk Culture
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fernandez-kelly-death-in-mexican-folk-culture 21/21
Death
in Mexican Folk
Culture
535
The
Mexican
acceptance
of death is
perhaps
best understood
by
observing
healmost nfinite
ollection
f
toys
which
re
inspired
y t,
and
which
re
intended urely o give
pleasure
o children
Figure
5).
As with
ll
popular reations, hey re made n perishablematerials, y nonymousr-
tisans
whodo nothesitate
o
artistically
ransform
group
f
skeletons nto
a band
of"mariachis" themusical
ensembles
which re hired
o
entertain
on holidays
r
serenades)wearing
heir olorful
ats and
playing
heir
radi-
tional
instrumentsFigure
6).
It is also possible
to encounter
estive r-
rangements
n
cardboard,clay
and even sugar,
of funeral rocessions
n
which, y means
of an ingenious
mechanism,
hedeceased
s
made
to spring
periodically
ut
of
the
casket,
timulating
hehilarity
f thosewho
contem-
platehim Figure7).
These complex
nd
diversifiedolkloric
raditions-thepoetry
nd songs,
the masks and
sculpture-inevitably
uggest
the enormous
tenacity
nd
wisdom
f a people
and a culture
whose
oppressed
ituation
as not been
n
obstacle
forthe
expression
f a unique and
creative
philosophy f life
nd
death.
But
ultimately
e return o
the
exquisite oetry
f the native
Mexi-
cans:
Notfor second
ime o
we ome oearth,
Oh,princes ejoicendbringlowers.
We are
going othekingdom
fdeath;
Only
n
ransitrewe.
It s
true,
t s
true
hat
we
hall o,
It s
true
hat
we re
forced
o eave.
It
s
true hat
we hall bandon
he lossoms,
he
ongs
nd
he arth.
Yes, t s true hat
we hall
eave.
Where re
we
o
go?
Willwe till e alive
r shall
webedead?
Is there placewherexistenceill revail?
On
earth, nly
he eautifulong nd
he
ovely
lower
s ourwealthnd dornment.
Letus
rejoice
nboth
(Cant.Mex.,
. 1
n.,
in.
7
ss. Anonimo
eTenochtitlan)
top related