Dia De Los Muertos - this is the name of the amazing event that occurs annually in early November in Latin and Central America. It is a celebration of the dead, during which they remember their deceased relatives, try to placate the goddess of death and show respect for the afterlife.
The ancient tradition has become famous throughout the world, as unusual symbols attract attention and inspire the appearance of emblems, badges and tattoos in the style of Muertos. The body art denotes an interest in Mexican culture, a desire for a reliable amulet that protects against fatal injuries and mishaps in personal life.
Santa Muerte is a tattoo and amulet. The meaning of the tattoo
The religious-Catholic compositions are iconic images that glorify death. The Mexican authorities and the official church consider the adherents of this current to be Satanists and black magicians.
Santa Muerte - tattoos that have long been part of the modern art of body painting and have spread far beyond the borders of Mexico. In such pictures a lot of artistic embodiments and symbolic meanings.
The essence of the direction repeats the philosophy behind the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead. In the modern trends of the direction of Santa Muerte use highly artistic images of captivating female faces with necromantic overtones.
Often they are applied to the body as a mystical amulet. The meanings of male and female tattoos differ, but they also share some common features. The direction of body painting, despite its Catholic origins, is based on ancient Mayan and Aztec beliefs.
Typical meanings of Santa Muerte-inspired images:
| Symbol . | Meaningful nuances. |
| Luck | Such tattoos are made by representatives of criminal clans in Mexico and from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, wishing to attract Fortuna's favor to their side. |
| Health | An amulet-appeal to the holy death for deliverance from illnesses and help in hopeless situations of life. |
| Love | According to Mexican women, a body art favors the return home of a straying husband and serves as a love spell. |
| Justice | A skeleton with a feminine outline holds a scale with its bony fingers, reminiscent of the goddess of justice. According to Mexican Catholic beliefs, such a symbol restores justice and severely punishes the guilty. |
| Wealth | The adherents of the Santa Muerte cult are convinced that death worship will bring material prosperity. |
For modern girls and men outside Mexico, spectacular, dark and mystical-looking body art has more of an artistic meaning than a symbolic one. Often they serve the purpose of epatage.
For men
Members of the stronger sex predominantly put images of a woman's face with imitations of skull bones and all sorts of dark and mystical details on different parts of the body.
Such images are imbued with sentimentality, passion, excitement and other semantic nuances. A woman's face with a sensual mouth on a man's body symbolizes the sweet solace that death brings.
A spectacular drawing can conceal:
- a latent aggression;
- the violent temper of its bearer;
- the irreconcilable rage of the Mexican gangster clans;
- the joy of life;
- the pain of loss and other variations of emotion.
A maiden figure with an imitation of a skeleton, holding playing cards or dice, is intended to inform others that the owner of the work of body art is a favorite of Fortune and a dabbler of fortune.
The image of a woman's face covered with a black veil with skull signs - the calling card of a dangerous, cunning and experienced player. For men, the tattoo is meant to cute girlish image with half-closed eyes and frozen on the face of a grimace of passion. This image symbolizes the tireless lover. The details are of great importance. The presence of cold steel or firearms in the picture hints at the fact that its bearer was accustomed to take the best from life and was not afraid of blood.
Women's hands folded in prayer signify the patronage of holy death and absolution for sins that are regularly committed. A woman's face with flowing tears, surrounded by floral ornaments, symbolizes humility and redemption.
Santa Muerte is a tattoo on which men often depict a grimace of anger. It is frozen on the face of a girl clutching a dagger or other edged weapon in her hand. Such a drawing symbolizes the deed, not washed away even with blood.
For men, the body image in the spirit of the Catholic cult of the holy death has an emotional connotation, serves as a hint of a character trait and a passionate nature. Such faces have many variations and artistic and stylistic embodiments. The interpretation of the meaning of the tattoo depends not only on the figure itself, but also on the presence on it of additional elements, details, objects.
For women.
Wearing such a mystical image on the body means for girls to be under the patronage of death. Women's tattoos of this stylistic orientation have long ago acquired more of an artistic-epathetic meaning than philosophical symbolism.
Santa Muerte tattoos can also be done by girls.
As in the case of the male drawings, they reflect the passionate and extraordinary nature of its possessor. The more indomitable temperament and hot temperament in the fair sex, the brighter and more expressive composition it is suitable. Women's sketches perform in the iconographic spirit. The detailing of the drawing, the expression of the face and the pose of the saint on it are important.
The most common female meanings are:
- A praying figure with her face raised to heaven and her hands raised high. The image symbolizes the absolution of sins.
- The presence of the mask on the face or in the hand. Hint of a playful nature and favor of Fortune.
- The presence of a rose in the natal composition. Such a tattoo symbolizes the promise of passionate love and the girl's capacity for strong feelings.
- A woman's face framed by black feathers or snow-white wings. The drawing signifies submission to fate and adherence to a fatalistic philosophy.
- A maiden's face with clearly drawn rough seams and prayerfully folded palms. The image symbolizes a fate filled with pain and suffering.
Female Chicano tattoos, dedicated to the Catholic cult of death, address the power of the charm of their owner, her beauty and her ability to charm men.
Muertos Meaning
The tradition of celebrating the feast of the dead dates back more than 3,000 years, when the first Indian tribes inhabited lands from southern Nicaragua to northern Mexico.
Cultural values changed, one nation was replaced by another, but invariably the same festival was held year after year, born out of the cult of worship of the goddess of death. In August, according to the Aztec calendar, rituals of supplication to the Sacred Death and commemoration of the dead were supposed to take place.
After the continent was conquered by the Spanish, the tradition did not die, but it changed dramatically - instead of a month, the feast lasted only two days, and people stopped keeping skulls of deceased relatives in the house, replacing them with symbolic figurines made of sugar.
For the festivities, altars richly decorated with flowers and sweets were erected in every home, on which photographs of the dead, their favorite objects and drinks were placed.
The obligatory traditional symbols of the Muertos holiday are skulls and skeletons, and they can be seen everywhere - in sugar and chocolate decorations and numerous decorative figures. One of the most popular images of the holiday is a skeleton girl in a brightly colored dress.
The image of the Saint of Death is the most sought after during the Day of the Dead, and many people appear on the streets with faces painted to resemble the skull--the black outline of the empty eye sockets and nose, and the mouth as if sewn shut with large stitches.
The tradition has changed slightly over time in different regions of the continent. In Honduras, carnival processions are held at night, and sweets are made of pumpkin and honey. Singers sing at the tombs at night, delighting the ears of the family gathered for the feast.
In Peru it is obligatory to erect altars in the houses, where the favorite delicacies of the deceased are placed. Nothing is eaten or drunk until the morning prayer, which kicks off the merry feast.
In Nicaragua, many people spend the night in the cemetery, arranging to sleep right on the graves, and in Venezuela there is no Day of the Dead at all. In Honduras, all the paths of the cemetery are strewn with flowers, while in the Czech Republic, many candles are lit among the graves.
Places to apply
When using the tattoo as a talisman and mystical talisman choose to image areas of the body that are hidden under clothing. If a spectacular naked composition is applied in order to surprise and shock others, it is exposed.
The most popular location for men is the chest, on which you can place the composition of impressive size. Girls often put the mystical image on the lateral surface of the body, successfully weaving it into the rib lines. There are virtually no restrictions on the choice of place for artistic tattooing.
On the hip
A rarely used part of the body to apply a spectacular image with a mystical touch. The drawing, made on the hip, can be worn invisibly to the surrounding people.
This is its only advantage. The skin area is not considered the most appropriate place to create a holy death image.
On the wrist.
A small image will fit here. Players on the wrist apply a female face covered with a black veil. Such a tattoo over the palm with the cards has a symbolic meaning and is intended to ensure the favor of Fortune.
The image on the wrist can be performed in any style - from monochrome graphics to multi-color. Girls put a face with a spiky rose on this part of the body. A small drawing of a female figure with skeletal features, inscribed in a crown with diverging rays looks spectacular on the wrist.
It symbolizes the absence of fear of death. There are a huge number of spectacular options for the wrist with deep meaning. The most popular is a female one with a sensual mouth pierced with stitches reminiscent of surgical stitches.
On the calf.
Santa Muerte is extremely rarely applied to the legs below the knee. This part of the body is categorically not recommended for tattoos in the spirit of the Mexican Catholic cult.
People who are not afraid to shock people around them sometimes create mystical-inspired faces and graceful outlines of figures with skeletal lines peeking through on the calf.
On the leg.
The lower extremities are not often used to create mystical-inspired depictions in the spirit of Santa Muerte. Such drawings predominantly have artistic rather than religious significance.
The leg bears the image of a female face with prayerfully folded hands or an outstretched bone finger perpendicular to the lip line.
On the shoulder.
Part of the body to create an artistic image with mystical overtones is suitable for both men and girls. Religious drawings of medium size look harmoniously on the shoulder.
A popular image for this part of the body is a pretty woman's face framed by the hood of a monk's cloak and with a red rosebud under the chin.
On the forearm.
Above the elbow they make a drawing of the holy death in various artistic incarnations most often for religious purposes.
Catholic symbols and details adorning the image are common. The female figure or face is depicted in a praying pose, with eyes turned to heaven and palms folded penitently.
On the hand.
For people advocating their own religious beliefs or wishing to demonstrate them to others, any part of the upper extremity will do. Sometimes an artistic composition with occult meaning occupies the entire hand area - from shoulder to wrist.
Of the creative options and sketches of Santa Muerte often choose those that have a clear Catholic content and indicate belonging to a cult. A woman's face is depicted with various expressions of feeling and emotion frozen in her eyes, with a cross on her forehead.
On the hand, a vertically positioned or bent maiden figure looks spectacular. One of the most unusual images is of a skull, in which the outlines of a woman's face can be vaguely guessed, with gaps instead of an eye, with clock hands in the mouth and a dial on the circumference.
On the back.
The large area of this part of the body allows you to create large-scale compositions with various symbolic elements and many details. The image of Santa Muerte is put on the back both for religious reasons and for purely artistic and aesthetic purposes.
For a small drawing, the scapular area is suitable. Here effectively looks girlish face with frozen sorrow in his eyes and thrown on his head monkish hood. For the back is suitable tattoo, made in any technique of body painting. Often the image is applied as a talisman or a magical amulet.
Colors used in the Santa Muerte tattoo
The colors used in traditional tattoos are quite bright because they signify celebration. However, some tattoos depicting the death of Santa Muerte have only black and gray tones, as they show mourning.
Muerto sketches.
Here's a quick overview of all the colors traditionally used and what they symbolize:
- Red - usually represents flame, fire or blood. It often symbolizes passionate, immortal and eternal love;
- Yellow and orange - usually represent the flowers of Mexican Velveeta, the Sun, light and general joy and happiness;
- pink - represents celebration and happiness for those who have died and are entering new life;
- white - represents the innocence of the departed or the hope that they will begin a new life;
- purple - symbolizes grief over the loss of a loved one, as well as the suffering and pain that death brings to those who are left in this world;
- black - symbolizes death in its "true" form and Aztec mythology.
Tips for choosing sketches
Art composition should look harmoniously and interestingly on the body, reflecting
- The emotional state of its wearer;
- his religious beliefs;
- personality traits;
- temperament;
- experienced events.
If the tattoo is applied solely for artistic purposes, choose a sketch in accordance with their own taste preferences. The finished image can be modified by adding new details, elements and symbols.
Santa Muerte is a tattoo that has hundreds of variations and artistic embodiments. The finished sketch can be taken as a basis and make any changes in it. The result and the realism of the drawing depend on the talent of the master.
Different images are intended for men and girls. When choosing a suitable sketch, it is important not to mix up. It is desirable to consult with a specialist or together with the master of the salon to decide on the image and the technique of its execution.
Meaning of the Muerto tattoo in women
The image of the Mexican death on a woman's body speaks of her passionate nature, craving for dangerous adventures and ventures.
Muerto tattoo sketches
Basically, the Muertos girl tattoo carries the following meanings:
- absolution of sins, in case the Goddess of Death is depicted with folded palms;
- attracting good luck, if the girl holds the mask in her hands;
- a symbol of immortal love, when the woman's face is depicted with roses and skulls;
- mystery, mystery, danger if the Muerte girl holds a finger near her lips.
Santa Muerte tattoo in color.
Red, black and blue colors are used, with a slight presence of other shades. Ruby-graphite sketches are considered classics, which best convey the somber content and its connection to the otherworld. Such tattoos rarely use bright, positive and soothing tones. From the red palette, color nuances reminiscent of blood are chosen. These include ruby and cranberry shades.
Of the green spectrum to create a spectacular tattoo the preference is given to swamp and mossy colors, which, with a certain amount of imagination can be taken for traces of cadaveric decay. From the blue palette choose a cold and dead-pale colors.
A powerful amulet.
But also not a gang member can choose a tattoo with Death, seeking her protection. It is believed that this image will cure the wearer of the natal drawing from disease. In addition, the saint is credited with assisting in matters of justice. Mexicans also believe that Santa Muerto will help them in matters of love. This aspect of the revered image attracts women to him. The Sacred Death, if asked for in prayers, will bring home a straying husband or give the opportunity to enchant a man who has not reciprocated feelings.
The Santa Muerte tattoo is black and white
Images of this color scheme look strict and laconic. The solution is suitable for fans of minimalist sketches. Black and white sketches more often represent an image of a woman's face, not the entire figure. It is surrounded by special symbols that have an individual meaning for the bearer of the tattoo. These can be images of spades and clubs ace on the background of a deadly pale female face with an imitation of a skull.
In the monochrome style often creates religious symbols. A mysterious pale female face covered with a black veil looks spectacular. Black and white designs are no less diverse than eye-catching colored tattoos.
Decorations and ornaments in Santa Muerte tattoo designs
Muertos sketches
Most tattoos have decorations dedicated to the celebration of the Day of the Dead. Such traditional symbols of this holiday include:
- Calendula or Cempasuchitl flowers, which are used to decorate altars as well as the graves of the dead. Velvets are believed to attract the souls of the departed with their bright colors and wonderful fragrance;
- blooming and vibrant red roses are often combined with sugar skull tattoos to signify and denote immortal, eternal love. Such tattoos are often done by people who have lost their partners or the love of their lives;
- Elemental symbols. Earth is often represented by some kind of fruit or "bread of the dead" (Pan de Muerto is used during traditional rituals). Water is usually represented by tears, wind by fluttering strings, and fire by flames or bright red.
Types of tattoo plot
Fantasies on the theme of the artistic embodiment of the frightening appeal of death are the subject matter of Santa Muerte. A spectacular monochrome and color drawing is performed in the form of a graceful female figure with a scythe. Sometimes she holds a scale in her hand, which symbolizes the inevitability of justice and the inevitability of retribution. The image of the ball represents the frailty of earthly existence. The symbolic meaning of the gravity of death is often expressed in the form of a tattoo with this motif.
Common plot elements:
- Stitches in the corners of the mouth, imitating rough and sloppy surgical stitches;
- Cross earrings in the ears;
- a rose woven into the hair;
- playing cards and dice;
- various kinds of weapons;
- spider's webbed chin;
- a face covered with a veil.
A typical subject is a female figure in bright attire. Sometimes the head of the girl-death is crowned with a crown. Such images symbolize the positive perception of the end of biological existence and its inevitability.
Popular plots of tattoo designs in the style of Santa Muerte
The main image of this style is death in various guises. It can be a woman's skeleton with a scythe, scales symbolizing justice, or a globe denoting power. The skeleton is dressed in a bright, usually red, dress, complete with flowers, a crown is placed on her head. Often a woman's face is depicted with the outline of the skull visible. In the mouth area, lines resembling stitches are made, a spider web is placed on the forehead and chin, cross earrings are placed in the ears, and the hair is decorated with a rose. Tattoo-Death is in the list of subjects, often ordered in tattoo-saloons around the world.
Tattoo Styles, Features
Drawings are created in different techniques. Even with the use of bright colors and delicate watercolors, the somber content of the tattoo remains. The anatomical features of the skull peeking through on a pretty woman's face are performed in black. The gaps in the eyes, the surgical stitches that continue the cut of the mouth, and the web-covered chin create the feeling of a half-dead girl.
A realistic rendering of emotion depends on the artistic talent of the master:
- Unreasonable pride;
- greed;
- envy;
- rage;
- humility;
- repentance.
Santa Muerte is a tattoo that is often decorated with inscriptions in Latin, Gothic style and rare fonts.
Watercolor tattoo.
Such drawings have softly blurred outlines. They contain contrasting shades that make the image especially expressive.
The effect of lightness and tenderness combined with the somber meaning of the tattoo guarantee an unusual impression from its contemplation. Watercolor drawings are often made by girls.
Tattoo in the style of the Graphic
The sketch of the holy death in such a technique is performed with thin black strokes. A special gloomy effect adds a realistic shadow to the skeleton-like female figure. It is created with shading.
No less expressive feature of the graphic depiction of Santa Muerte is color saturation. There are no halftones and diluted shades in the drawing. The graphic style is characteristic of black and white sketches.
New skool style tattoo
A free technique with no clear rules or restrictions. Rarely used in Santa Muerte. New skool, reminiscent of graffiti drawing and consisting mainly of abstract figures, is not very suitable for creating occult subjects.
Such images are applied by people who want to reduce the degree of gloominess and reduce the frightening essence of the drawing. Young people are attracted to the New Skool originality, the possibility of creating a three-dimensional sketch and the use of bold colors, uncharacteristic of classical images in the spirit of the Catholic cult.
Tattoo in the style of realism
The technique involves drawing a picture with maximum anatomical authenticity, which gives the outlines of the skeleton or skull an even more frightening essence. The work is complex and painstaking, requiring great skill.
The female figure in realistic style looks three-dimensional. The image seems alive and breathing. This technique is used to create sketches intended for religious people. A typical drawing in the spirit of realism is a female figure bent in prayer.
Tattoo in the Slavic style
This technique creates unusual authentic images. They are not limited to template sketches.
You can create your own image of a Mexican death saint with typical Slavic elements. This style is rarely used in Santa Muerte-themed drawings.
Traditional style tattoo.
An American technique involving the depiction of the saint of death in rough, thick lines. The style is considered exclusively male.
The best look images, made in the technique Tradition, on the chest, back and forearm.
Thrash Polka style tattoo
The technique is the result of experimentation in combining typographic design with graphics. Such tattoos look somewhat vulgar and provocative. They are typical of members of Mexican and American criminal clans.
Thrash polka is characterized by features of decadence. Santa Muerte of this style looks even darker and more frightening. Sometimes knives or knuckles are added to the image in a realistic style in the technique of Thrash Polka.
Chicano style tattoo
A variant of the Mexican and U.S. prison nudges. Hispanic criminals are characterized by deep religious beliefs. They put various incarnations of the holy death on their bodies as a talisman or amulet.
The traditional color schemes for chicanos are considered gray and black tones. The images look sharp and have a high degree of detail. In a drawing in the chikano technique there are always elements of criminal activity and attributes of excitement.
Tattoo in portrait style
Such mystical tattoos are characterized by an almost photographic accuracy of a woman's face and the outlines of her figure.
Santa Muerte, done in portrait style, is a mixture of realistic technique and engraving.
Black Magic and Satanism
Official authorities have a negative attitude toward this cult, whose proponents they consider Satanists, and Catholic priests accuse Santa Muerte devotees of black magic. But the negativity on the part of government authorities and the church has not hindered the growth in popularity of this religious movement. Every year in early November, Latin and Central American countries hold a festival of the dead, in which the dead are remembered and the Goddess of Death is begged. The ancient tradition inspired the appearance of tattoos in the style of Santa Muerte.
So who chooses to wear this genre? First of all, they are members of street gangs, attracted to Santa Muerte by the provision that all are equal before death - the rich, the poor, the righteous, the transgressors of the law.. The Santa Muerte tattoo is regarded by Mexican and American robbers, drug dealers and other criminals as a reliable talisman against death, wounding and falling into the hands of the guardians of order. But such personal images are chosen not only by those who are not in trouble with the law. It is believed that a tattoo with the image of the Holy Death protects from disease, promotes justice, even helps in love affairs. Women apply a tattoo to return a former love or to make a spell on the person who does not reciprocate.
Meaning of tattoos for men
Men most often choose to tattoo the image of a girl whose face is painted in the form of a skull. The image of the Saint of Death is an expression of the philosophical view of life, where before death all people are equal and the same, without exception, despite merit and wealth. The bearer of the tattoo believes in fate, submits to fate and does not try to avoid what is meant from above.
A popular belief among Latin Americans is that Muertos-style tattoos protect and safeguard gang members. Criminals believe that the image of the Goddess of Death will keep a person from being fatally wounded during a gunfight, save them from being arrested and betrayed by accomplices. It is not uncommon to add scales to the image of the Saint of Death in a tattoo as a symbol of justice and equality. It is believed that such a drawing on the body has a beneficial effect on the health and family relationships of the person.
Fans of magical rituals and communication with the dark forces choose tattoos with images of the Holy Death as a sign of respect for the cult of the dead. Such men often turn to witchcraft, trying to attract good luck, wealth and the favor of women. Tattoos are preferred in the style of realism, using images of beautiful girls made up for the Feast of the Dead in the Mexican national style - these images look organic both in color and in black and white variants. The power and authority of the mortal goddess is emphasized by depicting a crown on her head, or a globe in her hands.
The meaning of the tattoo for girls
The image of the Holy Death is a very strong and effective amulet for girls. By making a Muertos style tattoo, the owner gets the ability to look completely irresistible in the eyes of men. The image, applied to the body, helps to keep a loved one close, return a stray guy or charm a stranger you like. Fans of original and amazing jewelry tattoo attracts unusual and bright - for drawings use saturated shades of red, white, green and black.
The tattoo is chosen by brave and determined individuals, for whom death is not just the end of life, and the transition to another reality, a new form of existence. Many tattoo holders are interested in the traditions of Mexico and the cult of communicating with the dead. In the subjects of tattoos there are often flowers and butterflies, in which, according to Mexicans, the souls of the dead move. Colorful details enliven Muertos-style body art, adding positivity to the somber content.
The connection to chicano
Chicano style is built on the tradition of Mexican gangsters. Hispanic-speaking criminal elements are extremely religious, for them the Muerto tattoo is a kind of talisman. The goddess of death represents a motherly love that will be a protection even after death. That's why a tattoo with a girl's face painted as a skull is considered iconic in the Chicano trend.
It is easy to trace the connection from Mexico's traditional holiday of the Day of the Dead to the cult of Santa Muerte. In the first case, the connection with the departed ancestors is celebrated, which is culturally important for every Mexican.
In the second, the image of the goddess Mictlancihuatl is transformed into the Holy Death, which unites a respectful attitude toward women. In the view of the Chicano ancestors, the mother gives and takes life. So trusting her to protect your body and soul, you are not afraid of other dangers.
