People have always been extremely interested in death, despite its bleak image. A symbolic meaning was attached to the image of death, which has taken its place in tattoo art. The Santa Muerte tattoo , the cult of which is widespread throughout Mexico, is a vivid embodiment of this interest.
1) The meaning of the Santa Muerte tattoos
The Holy Death Tattoo is drawn in the form of a skeleton with a scythe behind the shoulder. The Mexican Grim Reaper can hold a ball in one hand and scales in the other. The scales symbolize power and justice, while the sphere symbolizes the earth. So this picture shows that death has power over the whole world and that sooner or later everyone will encounter it.
More than 5 million Mexicans worship this saint who symbolizes the image of death. She is regarded as the merciful mother and patron saint of all mankind. In addition, the worshipers of “”Santa Muerte”” convinced that she will help them survive in the criminal world, that she will give them the strength and opportunity to support their families, and that she will treat all kinds of diseases.
The Santa Muerte tattoo has special meaning for bandits and people who are members of the Mexican drug trafficking cartels. For them, this representation on the body is a protective image that saves them from the bullets of their enemies and the handcuffs of the police. The process of tattooing such an image on the skin is a sacred ritual, during which the owner must fulfill certain strict duties.
Santa Muerte style tattoo sketches are often depicted in the form of a woman’s face showing parts of the skull. In these tattoos, the nose and eyes are highlighted in a certain color, the earrings are depicted in the form of a cross, the rose is painted on the hair, and lines that look like seams are depicted in the area of the mouth or lips.
A spider web can be depicted on the forehead or chin. Various colors are used to tattoo the image of death on the body. This makes the image look both colorful and slightly spooky to those unfamiliar with it.
2) A Mexican saint who is not very Catholic
Admittedly, Santa Muerte’s history is a bit of a mystery save for its roots, which hail from Mexico and the rest of Latin America. Only recently has the saint become an important figure for millions of people in Central and South America and even in parts of North America. However, the Vatican has issued a statement distancing the Catholic faith from the saint of death. In 2013, he even went so far as to describe the cult as “blasphemy against religion.” However, this hasn’t stopped Santa Muerte’s popularity from growing exponentially. Her most famous shrine is in downtown Mexico City.
Of course, it was only a matter of time before people would convert Our Lady of the Holy Death into body art. In fact, at the end of the article you can see some tattoos dedicated to Santa Muerte. Some people are very fond of the idea of using their entire back to depict a tattooed shrine honoring the Mexican Grim Reaper.
The Santa Muerte is its own sect, separate from other religions. However, according to the Huffington Post newspaper, Mexico’s Santa Muerte isn’t necessarily very keen on people being totally devoted to her. In fact, some followers of La Santa Muerte are still actively practicing other religions at the same time. Most images of La Santa Muerte depict her as a skeleton wearing the robes of a saint.
While the proportion of practicing Catholics continues to fall, the number of La Santa Muerte adherents is actually increasing. “She has between 10 and 12 million followers and has only been popular for 12 years,” Andrew Chestnut, author of the book Devoted to Death: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint, told Vice magazine.
You can’t deny that this saint is creepy as hell and your parents probably wouldn’t approve of you getting this saint of death tattooed on you.
Some of the Mexican folklore surrounding La Santa Muerte holds that she is the most effective and fastest saint in answering prayers, but this service is not free and comes at a price. The Santa Muerte will answer your prayers, but only if you make her a promise. If you do not keep your promise, there will be serious consequences, e.g. B. the death of a loved one.
After decades as a fringe saintLa Santa Muerte is experiencing a renaissance and has become entrenched in the general consciousness of Mexicans, South Americans and even Catholics. The leap into the ordinary world so frightened the Catholic Church that its officials would look for ways to push Santa Muerte into oblivion. The Catholic Church has taken a firm position. The Santa Muerte is a satanic cult .
Enriqueta Romero is the woman credited with bringing La Santa Muerte out of the shadows and into the public eye. The first real altar to the Holy Death was designed in front of her home in Barrio Tepito, Mexico City. However, Enriqueta Romero and Enriqueta Vargas made sure that La Santa Muerte became known throughout Mexico.
That’s pretty unusual. Two women of the same name have spoken out against the Catholic Church. Enriqueta Vargas lives in Tultitlán and organizes weddings and baptisms for devotees of La Santa Muerte. Despite an ongoing campaign against La Santa Muerte, the Church appears to be losing the battle against the saint. “A lot of people here have a reverence for them while still considering themselves good Catholics,” Chesnut said. « And this is a real challenge for the Church ». Enriqueta Romero isn’t worried about the ongoing pressure the Catholic Church is putting on to hide La Santa Muerte.
“You can do it,” Romero told National Geographic of the church’s pressure, “But have you seen how empty their churches are? ». Indeed, the Santa Muerte seems to be causing quite a lot of concern for the Catholic clergy. The criminal situation in Mexico has led some members of cartels to take an interest in Santa Muerte.
3) The ideal spot for a Santa Muerte tattoo: arm, back or leg?
Although there is no regulation or standardized practice regarding Santa Muerte tattoos, many devotees have chosen to have a tattoo on their arm . This is where the tattoo is easiest to wear on a day-to-day basis and one of the areas best hidden in an emergency.
The leg is also a good choice if you want your tattoo to remain inconspicuous, e.g. B. at work. If you like to show off your muscles that you trained in the gym, you can also choose the back to inscribe a huge tattoo with lots of details and elements.
If all these tattoos interest you, but you don’t necessarily want to wear this work of art for a lifetime, you can opt for temporary tattoos.
4) The best Santa Muerte tattoos for men
Here are some of the best Santa Muerte tattoos that you can find on the internet. Some are worthy of real works of art.
