8″ Santa Muerte Fixed Statue, Various Atlanta Candle Company

 WE have an 8 inch statue of Santa Muerte in several different colors.  The colors are listed in the variant Natural color scheme. Her Full name is actually Nuestra Señora de la Santa Muerte, which translates to Our Lady of the Holy Death. Researchers consider Santa Muerte to be a “folk saint” whose qualities and origins derive from a range of religious and spiritual traditions. The worship of Santa Muerte typically blends Catholicism and Mexican neo-paganism.

Depictions of Santa Muerte usually involve a robe-clad female skeleton. Santa Muerte also tends to carry a scythe or similar item with her. Thus, many compare the figure to the Grim Reaper.

In many ways, the two are very similar. Like the Grim Reaper, people generally don’t think of Santa Muerte as a dead human being, but rather as an overall personification of death.

However, Santa Muerte isn’t necessarily a sinister or evil figure, as some might assume based on her appearance. Many followers of Santa Muerte associate her with healing and protection. They also see her as a figure who can facilitate a safe journey to the afterlife.

History of Santa Muerte
The history of Santa Muerte offers the opportunity to learn about cultural shifts throughout Mexico’s history in general. Although scholars have written entire books on the subject of Santa Muerte, this general overview should help you get a basic sense of how the figure has grown in popularity over the course of centuries.

Origins
It’s worth noting that scholars have not reached a consensus on the origins of Santa Muerte. The information here is just a sampling of some of the more prominent theories.

Some believe that Santa Muerte is a holdover from indigenous spiritual practices that the Spanish colonizers largely eradicated. Supporting this theory is the first known reference to Santa Muerte. It appears in a 1797 Inquisition report citing various idolatrous beliefs and practices amongst the indigenous peoples of Mexico and the surrounding regions.

Specifically, some researchers now theorize that the original inspiration for Santa Muerte was Mictecacihuatl, an Aztec goddess involved in death rites. In fact, some Santa Muerte followers consider her to be the reincarnation of Mictecacihuatl.

However, others believe that Santa Muerte represents a combination of Catholic and traditional beliefs. They point out that death figures have long played a significant role in Catholicism. Thus, they argue that Catholic beliefs the Spanish brought with them may have at least influenced the development of Santa Muerte as a folk saint.

Others suggest that European depictions of the Grim Reaper also contributed to Santa Muerte’s origins. This would naturally explain the similarities between the two figures’ appearances. Along with the Grim Reaper, depictions of death figures in tarot cards may have also shaped Santa Muerte’s appearance somewhat.