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Santa Muerte
Close-up of a Santa Muerte south of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas
Lady Sebastienne, Lady of the Shadows, Lady of the Night, Lady of the Seven Powers, White Girl, Skinny Lady
Venerated in	Folk Catholicism, Mexico, the United States and Central America
Major shrine	Sanctuary of La Santísima Muerte and Enriqueta Romero's in Mexico City
Feast	November 1, August 15
Attributes	human female skeleton clad in a robe, globe, scales of justice, hourglass, owls, scythe
Patronage	homosexuals, bisexuals, transsexuals, transgender persons, love, against assaults, against gun violence, against violent death, prostitutes, police officers, smugglers, drug dealers, taxi drivers, mariachi players, bar owners

Santa Muerte is a sacred figure and feminine skeletal folk saint venerated primarily in Mexico and the United States. As a figure made holy by popular belief, the saint of death developed through syncretism between Mesoamerican indigenous and Spanish Catholic beliefs and practices. Santa Muerte, the name in Spanish, literally translates to "Saint Death" or "Holy Death." Since the pre-Columbian era Mexican culture has maintained a certain reverence towards death, which can be seen in the widespread commemoration of the syncretic Day of the Dead. Elements of that celebration include the use of skeletons to remind people of their mortality.

Santa Muerte generally appears as a female skeletal figure, clad in a long robe and holding one or more objects, usually a scythe and a globe. Her robe can be of any color, as more specific images of the figure vary widely from devotee to devotee and according to the rite being performed or the petition being made. As the worship of Santa Muerte was clandestine until the 20th century, most prayers and other rites have been traditionally performed privately in the home. However, for the past ten years or so, worship has become more public, especially in Mexico City after Enriqueta Romero initiated her famous Mexico City shrine in 2001. The number of believers in Santa Muerte has grown over the past ten to twenty years, to several million followers in Mexico, the United States and parts of Central America. Santa Muerte has similar male counterparts in the Americas, the skeletal folks saints San La Muerte of Argentina and Rey (King) Pascual of Guatemala.

Origins of the faith

The precise origins of the worship of Santa Muerte are a matter of debate, but it is most likely a syncretism between Mesoamerican and Spanish Catholic beliefs. Mesoamerica had always maintained a certain reverence towards death, which manifested itself among the religious practices of ancient Mexico, including in the Aztec religion. Death was personified in Aztec and other cultures in the form of humans with half their flesh missing, symbolizing the duality of life and death. From their ancestors the Aztecs inherited the gods Mictlantecuhtli and Mictecacihuatl, the lord and lady of Mictlan, the realm of the dead, who died of natural causes. In order for the deceased to be accepted into Mictlan, offerings to the lord and lady of death were necessary. In European Christian tradition, many paintings employed skeletons to symbolize human mortality. According to INAH researcher Elsa Malvido Miranda, the worship of skeletal figures has precedent in Europe during times of epidemics. These skeletal figures would be dressed up as royalty with scepters and crowns, and be seated on thrones to symbolize the triumph of death. In Latin America, the human skeleton was used to remind Catholics of the need for a "holy death," (muerte santa) fully confessed of sins. As relics, bones are also associated with certain saints, such as San Pascual Bailón in Guatemala and Chiapas.

After the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, the worship of death diminished but was never eradicated. John Thompson of the University of Arizona's Southwest Center has found references dating to 18th-century Mexico. According to one account, indigenous people tied up a skeletal figure and threatened it with lashings if it did not perform miracles or grant their wishes. Another syncretism between Pre-Columbian and Christian beliefs about death can be seen in Day of the Dead celebrations. During these celebrations, many Mexicans flock to cemeteries to sing and pray for friends and family members who have died. Children partake in the festivities by eating chocolate or candy in the shape of skulls.

In contrast to the Day of the Dead, overt veneration of Santa Muerte remained clandestine until the middle of the 20th century. When it went public in sporadic occurrences, reaction was often harsh, and included the desecration of shrines and altars. At the beginning of the 20th century, José Guadalupe Posada created a similar, but secular figure by the name of Catrina, a female skeleton dressed in fancy clothing of the period.

The widespread public veneration of Santa Muerte, which is seen today, first became prominent only at the the start of the 21st century. Veneration of Santa Muerte was documented in the 1940s in working class neighborhoods in Mexico City, such as Tepito. Other sources state that the revival has its origins around 1965 in the state of Hidalgo. At present Santa Muerte can be found throughout Mexico and also in parts of the United States and Central America. There are videos, web sites, and music composed in honor of this religious expression.

Iconography of Santa Muerte

The image

Santa Muerte is referred to by a number of monikers such as Señora de las Sombras ("Lady of the Shadows"), Señora Blanca ("White Lady"), Señora Negra ("Black Lady"), Niña Santa ("Holy Girl"), and La Flaca ("The Skinny Lady"). Some devotees call her Santa Sebastiana (St. Sebastienne) or Dona Bella Sebastiana ("Our Beautiful Lady Sebastienne"), since St. Sebastian was an early Christian martyr and is, among other things, patron saint of having a holy death. Images of Santa Muerte range from mass produced articles sold in shops throughout Mexico and the U.S. to handcrafted effigies. Sizes vary immensely from small images held in one hand to those requiring a pickup truck to transport them. Some people even have the image tattooed on their bodies. Her appearance varies, but she typically dons either long robes or dresses, covered from head to toe with only her face and hands showing. The robe or dress covers her skeletal figure like flesh covers the bones of the living. Both are said eventually to fall away. The most common image is of Saint Death in a robe, with a scythe in the right hand and the globe in the left. However, there are many variations on the color of the cloak, and on what Santa Muerte holds in her hands. Interpretations of the color of her robe and accoutrements vary as well.

The two most common objects that Santa Muerte holds in her hands are a scythe and a globe. The scythe can symbolize the cutting of negative energies or influences. Also, as a harvesting tool, it can symbolize hope and prosperity. Moreover, her scythe, which reflects her origins as the Grim Reapress ("la Parca" of medieval Spain), can represent the moment of death, when it is said to cut a silver thread. The scythe has a long handle, indicating that it can reach anywhere. The globe represents Death’s dominion over the earth, and can be seen as a kind of a tomb to which we all return. Having the world in her hand also symbolizes vast power.

Other objects that can appear with an image of Santa Muerte include scales, an hourglass, an owl, and/or an oil lamp. The scales allude to equity, justice and impartiality, as well as divine will. An hourglass indicates the time of life on earth. It also represents the belief that death is not the end, but rather the beginning of something new, as the hourglass can be turned to start over. The hourglass denotes Santa Muerte’s relationship with time as well as with the worlds above and below. It also symbolizes patience. An owl symbolizes her ability to navigate the darkness and her wisdom. The owl is also said to act as a messenger. In addition, the nocturnal bird symbolizes both death and wisdom. Some indigenous groups in Mesoamerica interpreted the screech of an owl as a sign of imminent death, while the Spanish, like most Europeans, viewed the owl as a symbol of wisdom. A lamp symbolizes intelligence and spirit, to light the way through the darkness of ignorance and doubt.

Often, Santa Muerte stands near statues of Catholic images of Jesus Christ, the Virgin of Guadalupe, St. Peter, St. Jude, or St. Lazarus. In the north of Mexico, Santa Muerte is venerated alongside Jesús Malverde, with altars containing both frequently found in drug busts. However, some warn that Santa Muerte is very jealous and that her image should not be placed next to Catholic saints or there will be consequences.

Rites associated with the image

Rites dedicated to Santa Muerte are similar to Catholic rites, including processions and prayers with the aim of gaining a favor. Many believers in Santa Muerte are Catholics, who invoke the name of God, Christ and the Virgin in their petitions to Santa Muerte. Altars contain an image of Santa Muerte, generally surrounded by any or all of the following: cigarettes, flowers, fruit, incense, alcoholic beverages, coins, candies and candles. According to popular belief, Santa Muerte is very powerful and is reputed to grant many favors. These images, like those of saints, are treated as real persons who can give favors in return for the faith of the believer, with miracles playing a vital role. In many ways, Santa Muerte acts like any other saint. However, Santa Muerte can grant favors that no other saint can, such as cause a person to fall in love with you, damage property, or even harm or cause the death of someone, but only in the name of justice. In exchange, the petitioner must be in the right and continue to live so. As Señora de la Noche ("Lady of the Night"), she is often invoked by those exposed to the dangers of working at night, such as taxi drivers, mariachi players, bar owners, police, soldiers, and prostitutes. As such, she can protect against assaults, accidents, gun violence and all types of violent death.

The image is dressed differently depending on what is being requested. Usually, the vestments of the image are differently colored robes, but it is not unknown for the image to be dressed as a bride (for those seeking a husband) or even in a colonial-era nun's habit. Associations between colors and petitions vary. White is the most common color and can symbolize loyalty, purity or the cleansing of negative influences. Red garb is for love and passion with partner and/or family. It can also signal emotional stability. Gold-colored robes indicate economic power, success, money and prosperity. Green garb signals justice or unity with loved ones. Amber or dark yellow indicates health or money. Images with this color can be seen in rehabilitation centers, especially those for drug addiction and alcoholism. In black garb, the image represents total protection against black magic or sorcery, or conversely for negative magic or for force or power. Blue garb indicates wisdom, which is favored by students and those in education. It can also be used to indicate health. Brown robes are used to invoke spirits from beyond and purple robes indicate the need to open some kind of pathway. There is also a version of the image in a rainbow-colored robe. This is called the Santa Muerte of the Seven Powers. The colors of this robe are gold, silver, copper, blue, purple, red and green. Gold is for wealth, red for love and passion, purple for the changing of negative to positive, silver for luck and success, green for justice, copper for lifting negative spirits, and blue for spirituality. In addition to the vestments, each adorns his or her own image in his or her own way, using U.S. dollars, gold coins, jewelry and other items.

Santa Muerte also has a “saint's day.” Most often this is cited as November 1, and the image is dressed as a bride. However, some in the minority celebrate her day on August 15.

Some devotees consider Santa Muerte to be an eighth archangel. It is also believed by a minority of still some other followers that Santa Muerte is not a saint, since she has traits of jealousy and granting evil requests. These followers state that she is not Satanic either, however, but merely a fallen angel in purgatory trying to win back God's favor, and that is the reason she grants so many miracles.

Places of veneration

Since veneration of this image has been, and to a large extent still is, clandestine, most rituals are done in altars constructed at the homes of devotees. However, slowly, more shrines to this image are appearing in public. The one on Dr. Vertiz Street in Colonia Doctores is unique in Mexico City because it features an image of Jesús Malverde along with Santa Muerte. Another public shrine is in a small park on Matamoros Street very close to Paseo de la Reforma. Shrines can also be found in the back of drug stores and gas stations. As veneration of Santa Muerte becomes more accepted, stores specializing in religious items, such as botánicas, are more often carrying paraphernalia related to the cult. This is true even of stores in very well known locations such as Pasaje Catedral behind the Mexico City Cathedral, which is mostly dedicated to store selling Catholic liturgical items. Her image is a staple in esoteric shops. There are those who now call themselves priests or priestesses of the image, such as Jackeline Rodríguez in Monterrey. She maintains a shop in Mercado Juárez in Monterrey, where tarot readers, curanderos, herbal healers and sorcerers can also be found.

Sanctuary of La Santísima Muerte

The establishment of the first public sanctuary to the image began to change how Santa Muerte was worshiped. The worship has grown rapidly since then, and others have put their images on public display as well.

A believer by the name of Enriqueta Romero Romero decided to take a life-sized image of Santa Muerte out of her home and build a shrine for it, visible from the street. The shrine does not hold Catholic masses or occult rites, but people come here to pray and to leave offerings to the image. On the first day of every month, Enriqueta leads prayers and the saying of the rosary, which lasts for about an hour. On the first of November the anniversary of the altar to Santa Muerte constructed by Enriqueta Romero is celebrated. The Santa Muerte of Tepito is dressed as a bride and wears hundreds of pieces of gold jewelry given by the faithful to show gratitude for favors received, or to ask for one. The celebration officially begins at the stroke of midnight of November 1. About 5,000 faithful turn out to pray the rosary. For purification, instead of incense, there is the smoke of marijuana. Flowers, pan de muerto, sweets and candy skulls among other things can be seen. Food such as cake, chicken with mole, hot chocolate, coffee and atole are served. Mariachis and marimba bands play.

For many, this Santa Muerte is the patron saint of Tepito.

The image is dressed in different color garb depending on the season, with the Romero family changing the dress every first Monday of the month. Over the dress are large quantities of jewelry on her neck, arms and pinned to her clothing. These are offerings that have been left to the image as well as the flowers, fruits (esp. apples) candles, toys, money, notes of thanks for prayers granted, cigarettes and alcoholic beverages that surround it. Enriqueta considers herself the chaplain of the sanctuary, a role she says she inherited from her aunt, who began the practice in the family in 1962. The shrine is located on 12 Alfarería Street in Colonia Morelos. The house also contains a shop that sells amulets, bracelets, medallions, books, images and other items, but the most popular item is votive candles.

Iglesia Católica Tradicional México-Estados Unidos

The Iglesia Católica Tradicional México-Estados Unidos, Misioneros del Sagrado Corazón y San Felipe de Jesús ("Mexican-US Traditional Catholic Church, Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and Saint Philip of Jesus") is based in a house that has been converted for worship purposes, located on Nicolás Bravo Street 35 in Colonia Morelos, closer to Metro Candelaria than to Tepito. Worshipers here tend to be people from the neighborhood and include the very young and the very old. The sanctuary here contains a cross, an Archangel Michael and the Virgin of Guadalupe as well as Santa Muerte, on the main altar adorned with flowers.

The church publishes a magazine called Devoción a la Santa Muerte ("Devotion to Santa Muerte") which reports testimony of devotees and news associated with the faith. This magazine has a circulation of about 25,000 in Mexico. Events sponsored by this organization include processions with the image from Tepito to the Zócalo, both as an act of faith and of defiance.

In 2005, the organization lost its official government registration as a religious association. According to the Ministry of the Interior, this occurred because the organization had not informed the government of changes in the organization’s doctrine. The government claims that the church changed its focus from traditional Catholicism to the worship of Santa Muerte, violating Article 29 of the Law of Religious Associations. However, the Law of Religious Association and Public Worship does not state that such changes merit sanction. The government claims their official status was withdrawn in order to protect the public.

After its recognition was pulled, devotees took to the streets with their images and marched to the Zócalo, Los Pinos and the offices of the Interior Ministry to protest. After this protest, a new version of Santa Muerte appeared, called the Ángel de la Santa Muerte. A petition to reregister the organization was made in 2006 but the organization was told this would not be possible for another five years. However, under Mexican law, they can still operate without official recognition.

At a cost of 38 million pesos (€2m, US$3m), the church will construct the first temple dedicated to Santa Muerte in Mexico City. The building will occupy 200 square metres (2,200 sq ft) on two floors with space to seat 500 people, with crypts, an open-air baptismal, offices and an audiovisual room. The altar will contain three images: a gold-covered Christ, a traditional image of Santa Muerte and an angel. The facility is scheduled to begin operations in September 2010, and includes plans to produce music and videos for the faithful to transmit over the Internet or a church TV station.

Prevalence of the worship in Mexico

For decades, thousands in some of Mexico's poorest neighborhoods have prayed to Santa Muerte. A large following developed among Mexicans who are disillusioned with the dominant, institutional Church and, in particular, with the ability of established Catholic saints to deliver them from poverty. The phenomenon is based among people with scarce resources, excluded from the formal market economy, the judicial and educational system, primarily in the inner cities and the very rural areas. Devotion to Santa Muerte is what anthropologists call a “cult of crisis.” Devotion to the image peaks during economic and social hardships, which tend to affect the lower classes more. Santa Muerte tends to attract those in extremely difficult or hopeless situations. Some of her most devoted followers are prostitutes, pickpockets, petty thieves and drug traffickers, associated with economic crimes often done out of desperation. The overwhelming majority of believers are poor people who are not necessarily criminals, but the public belief in her by several drug traffickers and small numbers of other petty criminals has indirectly associated her with crime, especially low-level organized crime.

While worship is most firmly based in poor neighborhoods, Santa Muerte is not unknown in upper class areas such as Mexico City's Condesa and Coyoacán districts. However, negative image of the worship in the rest of society has an effect. With the exception of some artists and politicians, some of whom perform rituals secretly, those in higher socioeconomic strata look upon the worship with distaste as a form of superstition.

Santa Muerte is also seen as a protector of homosexual, bisexual, and transgender people in Mexico and the United States, since many are considered to be outcast from society. Many LGBT people ask her for protection from violence, hatred, disease, and to help them in search of love. Her intercession is commonly invoked in same-sex marriage ceremonies performed in Mexico. The Iglesia Católica Tradicional México-Estados Unidos, also known as the Church of the Holy Death, recognizes gay marriage and performs religious wedding ceremonies for homosexual people.

The worship of Santa Muerte also attracts those who are not inclined to seek the traditional Catholic Church for spiritual solace, as it is part of the "legitimate" sector of society. Many followers of Santa Muerte live on the margins of the law or outside it entirely. Many drug traffickers, mobile vendors, taxi drivers, vendors of pirated merchandise, street people, prostitutes, pickpockets and gang members are not very religious, but neither are they atheists. In essence, they have created their own religion that reflects their realities, identity and practices, especially since it reflects the violence and struggles for life that many of these people face. Conversely, however, both police and military in Mexico can be counted among the faithful who ask for blessings on their weapons and ammunition.

Mexican authorities have linked the worship of Santa Muerte to prostitution, drug trafficking, kidnapping, smuggling and homicides. Criminals, among her most fervent believers, are likely to pray to her for successful conclusion of a job as well as escaping from the police or jail. In the north of Mexico, she is venerated along with Jesús Malverde, the so-called “Saint of Drug Traffickers.” Altars with images of Santa Muerte have been found in many drug houses in both Mexico and the United States. Among two of Santa Muerte’s more famous devotees are kidnapper Daniel Arizmendi López, known as El Mochaorejas, and Gilberto García Mena, one of the bosses of the Gulf Cartel. She is considered to be the “Virgin of the Incarcerated.” Many of those who enter prison in Mexico without believing in her, come to do so after a number of months. Many cells have images of Santa Muerte in different forms. On Friday, 30 March 2012, the Sonora State Investigative Police announced that they had arrested eight people for murder for allegedly having performed a human sacrifice of a woman and two ten year old boys to Santa Muerte.

As noted above, worship is made up of roughly two million adherents, mostly in Mexico State, Guerrero, Veracruz, Tamaulipas, Campeche, Morelos and Mexico City, with a recent spread to Nuevo León. However, Santa Muerte can be found throughout Mexico and now in parts of the United States.

Santa Muerte and the Catholic Church

Mexico's Catholic Church has accused Santa Muerte devotees of mixing Christianity with devil-worshiping cultism. The Catholic Church there has linked Santa Muerte to Satanist practices, saying she is being used to mislead desperate people. Priests regularly chastise parishioners, telling them that death is not a person but rather a phase of life. In addition they state that Santa Muerte is an idol, the worship of which has been rejected by God since the Old Testament. Veneration of this or any other idol can be a form of devil-worship, regardless of the intent of the worshipers, as the Devil can trick people into doing similar things. However, the Church stops short of labeling such followers as heretics, instead accusing them of heterodoxy.

Another reason the Church condemns worship of Santa Muerte is that most of her rites are based on Catholic liturgy. It is felt that at best the worship of a “Saint or Holy Death” is a misinterpretation of Catholic doctrine. A holy death or muerte santa means that the deceased has had the benefits of being spiritually prepared for death via the sacraments and confession, but the concept is not personified.

Yet another reason for the condemnation is that some of its devotees eventually split from the Catholic Church and began vying for control of Catholic buildings.

Some Catholic and Protestant churches both view the worship of the saint of death as a kind of cult of black magic that needs to be condemned as trickery. Nonetheless, the majority of devotees of Santa Muerte do not worry about any contradiction between the church and the worship of Santa Muerte.

Santa Muerte in the United States

Devotion to Santa Muerte has been on the rise in the United States for the past ten years or so, mostly following the millions of Mexicans and Central Americans who have immigrated to the country. Evidence of devotion to her can be seen anywhere there is a Mexican community, such as the large ones of New York City, Chicago, Houston, San Antonio, Tucson and Los Angeles. and even among smaller ones in cities such as Richmond, Virginia. There are fifteen officially registered religious groups dedicated to her in Los Angeles alone, which include the Temple of Santa Muerte.

In some places, such as Northern California and New Orleans, her popularity has spread beyond the Latino community. For instance, The Santisima Muerte Chapel of Perpetual Pilgrimage is maintained by a woman of Danish descent.

As in Mexico, some elements of the Catholic Church in the United States are trying to combat Santa Muerte worship, especially in Chicago. But compared to the Catholic Church in Mexico, the official reaction in the U.S. is mostly either non-existent or muted. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has not issued an official position on this relatively new phenomenon in the country.

See also

• Day of the Dead
• Death (personification)
• Death deity
• Maximón
• San La Muerte
• Skull art

Further reading

• Chesnut, R. Andrew. Devoted to Death: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint (Oxford University Press, 2012) ISBN 0199764654

References

1. ^ Gray, Steven (2007-10-16). "Santa Muerte: The New God in Town". Time.com. Chicago: Time. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
2. ^ Araujo Peña, Sandra Alejandro. "El culto a la Santa Muerte: un estudio descriptivo". Revista Psichologia (in Spanish). Mexico City: Universidad de Londres. Retrieved 2009-10-07. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
3. ^ Ramirez, Margaret. "'Saint Death' comes to Chicago". Chicago Tribune. Chicago. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
4. ^ Garma, Carlos (2009-04-10). "El culto a la Santa Muerte" (in Spanish). Mexico City: El Universal. Retrieved 2009-10-07. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
5. http://66.226.4.226/programs/madeleine-brand/2012/01/10/22062/los-angeles-believers-in-la-santa-muerte-say-they-
6. ^ Velazquez, Oriana (2007). El libro de la Santa Muerte (in Spanish). Mexico City: Editores Mexicanos Unidos, S.A. pp. 13–18. ISBN 978-968-15-2040-3. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
7. ^ Villarreal, Hector (2009-04-05). "La Guerra Santa de la Santa Muerte". Milenio semana (in Spanish). Mexico City: Milenio. Retrieved 2009-10-07. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
8. ^ Devoted to Death: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint, R. Andrew Chesnut, OUP, 2012 http://www.amazon.com/Devoted-Death-Muerte-Skeleton-ebook/dp/B006DU7CK2/ref=tmm_kin_title_0
9. ^ Pacheco Colín, Ricardo. "El culto a la Santa Muerte pasa de Tepito a Coyoacán y la Condesa". La Cronica de Hoy (in Spanish). Mexico City. Retrieved 2009-10-07. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
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11. ^ "La Santa Muerte de Tepito cumple seis años" (in Spanish). Mexico City: Radio Trece. Retrieved 2009-10-07. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
12. ^ Velazquez, Oriana (2007). El libro de la Santa Muerte (in Spanish). Mexico City: Editores Mexicanos Unidos, S.A. pp. 7–9. ISBN 978-968-15-2040-3. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
13. "El culto a la Santísima Muerte, un boom en México". terra (in Spanish). Mexico City. Retrieved 2009-10-07. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
14. "Santa Muerte: The Extraordinary Devotion To Mexico's Saint Of Death (PHOTOS)". Huffington Post. 2012-03-08.
15. ^ Velazquez, Oriana (2007). El libro de la Santa Muerte (in Spanish). Mexico City: Editores Mexicanos Unidos, S.A. pp. 11–12. ISBN 978-968-15-2040-3. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
16. Ramirez, Margaret. "'Saint Death' comes to Chicago". Chicago Tribune.
17. Harden Cooper, Ricardo (2008-02-14). "Vende bien aquí la Santa Muerte". El Porvenir (in Spanish). Mexico City. Retrieved 2009-10-07. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
18. Jimenez, Eugenia (2009-07-15). "La Santa Muerte tendrá su catedral en el DF para 2010". Milenio (in Spanish). Mexico City. Retrieved 2009-10-07. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
19. http://www.outinthebay.com/archives.htm
20. http://www.lastwordonnothing.com/2012/04/11/a-catholic-saint-and-an-aztec-god/
21. http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?id=16642
22. http://bonemojo.wordpress.com/category/santa-muerte/
23. http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/663167.html
24. http://www.abc.es/agencias/noticia.asp?noticia=296160
25. http://los21.com/vision21/?p=3400
26. http://mexicoytradicion.over-blog.org/article-la-santa-muerte-celebra-bodas-homosexuales-en-mexico-51509467.html
27. http://www.tendenciagay.com/noticias/ampliar/789/culto-a-la-santa-muerte-casara-a-gays
28. http://www.rickross.com/reference/santa_muerta/santa_muerta7.html
29. "Officials: 3 killed as human sacrifices in Mexico". CNN.com. March 30, 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-03.
30. ^ Garcia Meza, Daniel (2008-11-01). "La "Niña blanca" mejor conocida como La Santa Muerte". El Siglo de Torreon (in Spanish). Torreon, Mexico. Retrieved 2009-10-07. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
31. "Templo a la Santa Muerte". Retrieved 2009-10-07.
32. "Santisima Muerte Chapel of Perpetual Pilgrimage". Retrieved 2011-05-15.
33. Martin, Michelle (19 February 2012). "Our Lady of Guadalupe battles 'Holy Death' for devotion of Mexican faithful". Our Sunday Visitor.
34. Lorentzen, Lois Ann (28 May 2009). "Holy Death on the US/Mexico Border". The University of Chicago Divinity School.

External links

• Dr. R. Andrew Chesnut Research Activities

• Devoted to Death: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint, Dr. R. Andrew Chesnut's book talk at the Library of Congress
• Authorities in the northern Mexican state of Sonora have arrested eight people accused of killing two boys and one woman as human sacrifices for Santa Muerte -- the saint of death
• Leovy J (2009-12-07). Santa Muerte in L.A.: A gentler vision of 'Holy Death'. Los Angeles Times, viewed 2009-12-07.
• Santa Muerte a photo essay from Mexico City
• World Religions & Spirituality Project | Santa Muerte
• Cronica de la Santa Muerte
• Santa Muerte: Mexico's Devotion to The Saint of Death
• Santa Muerte: The Skeleton Saint's Deadly American Debut
• Santa Muerte: A Familiar Death

• Angels in Christianity
• Archangels
• Christianity and death
• Christian folklore
• Christianity and Paganism
• Death goddesses
• Demons in Christianity
• Fictional skeletons
• Folk saints
• Homosexuality and Catholicism
• LGBT culture in Mexico
• Mexican folklore
• Our Lady of Guadalupe
• Wonderworkers
• Syncretism