Before the arrival of the Spanish, the Purhépecha empire was a large one, extending north and west of Lake Pátzcuaro. In their time, they were unconquered in wars waged annually with the Mexica (Aztecs) to the east, yet when the Purhépechas saw their enemy's fate at the hands of Cortés, they surrendered to the Spanish without a fight.
Today the Purhépecha people reside in pueblos surrounding Lake Pátzcuaro and on the Meseta (Highlands) west of Pátzcuaro.
Día de los Muertos is perhaps best understood in the broader context of the Mesoamerican cosmovision (see earlier post). Here's what a useful short book of Pátzcuaro's legends has to say about Día de los Muertos [my translation]:
"For [the Purhépecha] death was not something that provoked fear; on the contrary, it was treated as a natural process that fulfills man's purpose, who therefore during life prepares himself for death.
"This view of death is one of the basic elements in the cosmogony [worldview] of the ancient peoples, who believed that death is a form of the continuity of life.
"The Mexicas [Aztecs] were considered the people of death. Their philosophy of mortality and immortality was expressed in various poems that describe life as only a passing state, but death as rebirth—it is to live forever.
"Consider this poem of Netzahualcóyotl, who lived between 1391 and 1471—dying fifty years before the arrival of the Spanish in 1519:
We are mortal
all of us have to depart,
all of us have to die on the earth...
Like a painting,
we are erased [from the earth].
Like a flower,
we depart drying
here above the earth ...
Consider this, mighty lords of eagles and tigers,
although you might be of jade,
although you might be of gold,
you also will go there
to the place of rest."
Dulces in the Mercado
Preparations begin early in October. As calabazas (pumpkins) begin to appear in the mercado, dulce vendors set up their tables under the Portal on the Plaza de Vasco de Quiroga (Plaza Grande).
Tourists—not just foreign but Mexican as well—visit Pátzcuaro during Día de los Muertos, where the Island of Janitzio is deemed to be the ultimate destination.
 |
| Tables of Dulces set up under the Portal, Plaza Vasco de Quiroga, Pátzcuaro, Michoacán |
Tourists—not just foreign but Mexican as well—visit Pátzcuaro during Día de los Muertos, where the Island of Janitzio is deemed to be the ultimate destination.
 |
| Rows of sugar-sculpted Angelitos (Little Angels) |
 |
| Calaveras (Skulls) de Chocolate |
 |
| Coffins with skeleton; pulling a string that comes out at the foot of the coffin causes the skeleton to rise up and peer out of the coffin — delightful example of the playful mockery of death that characterizes these dulces |
 |
| Elegant señor and señora — the attention to detail is astounding. ¡Viva México! is printed in tiny red letters on the topside of el señor's sombrero |
Preparations in Casa and Pantéon (House and Cemetery)
But preparations for Día de los Muertos involve much more than Pátzcuaro's famed dulces market. Before the Spanish arrived, Día de los Muertos was observed in the Pantéon. This practice was tolerated by the first Spanish missionaries, whose conversion strategy was to interpret indigenous religious beliefs as incomplete but that were, nonetheless, on the road leading to full expression in the Catholic religion with Christ on the Cross.
The indigenous were allowed to celebrate their ancient fiestas (marking the seasons), but the missionaries reinterpreted those fiestas as events occurring on the Catholic liturgical calendar. Hence, Día de los Muertos is linked with All Saints Day. Thus rose the syncretism — creative fusion of indigenous and Catholic beliefs — quite evident in today's observances.
In the seventeenth century, the Spanish elite banned all fiestas as 'pagan'. In response, the indigenous moved their observances from the Panteón to the privacy of their own houses. In the twentieth century, after the Mexican Revolution, the 1917 Constitution banned all religious fiestas outside the church. Subsequently, this ban was lifted in response to popular pressure. Today observances are held in private homes and in the cemeteries.
On November 1, families may build ofrendas in their homes or decorate graves with offerings of flowers, candles and food (fruit and bread). They then keep vigil part or all of the night. On the morning of November 2, the food is shared with everyone present.
Two Days of Observances
Fall is the time for the marigolds to bloom. Familiar with marigolds as a border flower in the garden, we were puzzled by orange flowers blooming profusely in fields that stretch forever — marigolds are native to Mexico! Oh, and did I mention the pink Cosmos that also grow wild in the fields and bloom in October?
The panteón in Tzurumútaro, just down the road from our house, has a rich and beautiful tradition of Día de los Muertos observances.
 |
| Pickup truck loaded with cempasuchitl, marigolds |
 |
| The flowers: gold for Heaven, white for purity, red for life |
 |
| Marigold vendors |
As Día de los Muertos approached, our housekeeper, Evangelina, began describing the rituals to us. The former owner of our house had died during the past year. Clearly, she felt a need to honor his death. As she remarked to me,
"So many people have passed through this house in the thirty years I have worked here; who knows what has happened to all of them; it is important to honor them."Evangelina's husband is Purhépecha, and Tzurumútaro is their pueblo, so it seemed natural for us to focus our attention on Tzurumútaro. With Evangelina's help, we laid out this ofrenda (offering):
We went to town to buy a traditional white lace mantel and the flowers (orange marigolds, white bridal veil, and dried red flowers). Candles guide the spirits to the ofrenda. Evangelina was adamant that the candles not be allowed to go out for the forty-eight hours of November 1 and 2 — a challenge and responsibility I am pleased to report we fulfilled.
Our ofrenda had almost all the essential elements. Water is deemed essential for the spirit's journey through the Underworld (white pitcher), as is salt (little dish in front). Other liquids, such as tequila or cerveza may also be laid out. Fruit and bread provide sustenance to the spirits during their visit.
Only later did I realize that the ofrenda lacked photographs of the departed. But not to worry — Día de los Muertos observances were just getting started.
Still Curious?
Related Jenny's Posts:
- Día de los Muertos: Mesoamerican Roots;
- Día de los Muertos: Ritual Observances describes our experiences both in the Panteón, Cemetery, of the nearby pueblo of Tzurumútaro and in a private home;
- Day of the Dead Altars: Symbols;
- Día de los Muertos: "Yo soy la tierra"—"I am the Earth."
No comments:
Post a Comment