Los muerto tienen sed, los vivos culpas'

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Los muerto tienen sed, los vivos culpas.

• The dead are thirsty, and the living are
  culpable. From Ricardo Arjona.

The Use of Image in Altars Honoring the Ancestors
in Pre-Conquest and Modern Mexico
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A presentation for the AAR 2008 Contemporary
Pagan Studies Group and Religion and Popular
Culture Group

• By Anne Key, Ph.D.
• College of Southern Nevada
• and
• Prof. Hector Parra Fuentes, Anthropologist
• Institute of Anthropology
• University of Veracruz

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• Altar from
• Zontecomatlán.
• Note arch over altar.

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Totonac altar from Atzalan. Note papel picado
and the 7 levels.
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Altar from Xalapa. Note trail of petals leading
to altar.
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Altar from Nautla. Note petal trail leading up
to the images of the Virgin and Christ.
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• Altar from Chiltoyac.
• Note trail of petals in the form of a cross.
• Paper birds and toys around arch of altar are to
  especially entice children.

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• Altar from
• Zozocolc
• de
• Hidalgo.
• Note large paper balloons above, to entice
  children.

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• Close-up of Zozocolc de Hidalgo Altar

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Pan de los Muertos (Bread of the dead) Note the
human form.
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Table set for return of ancestors. Note tamales.
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Altar Xalapeño
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Altar of Carrizal. Note food offerings tamales,
coffee, bread, bananas, apples, pan de muerto,
cookies.
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Altars for the single soul, dedicated to all of
those that are not remembered by anyone else.
Note the arches. Offerings on these altars
usually only consist of salt, water, and a candle.
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• Altar in downtown Jalapa.
• Note statue of Mictlantecuhtli and El Tajin-style
  pyramid.

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Altar in downtown Jalapa with Jesus and Sacred
Heart motif
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• Altar in downtown Coyoacán dedicated to the dead
  and missing women of Juarez. Note Templo Mayor
  motif.

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Typical Home Altar
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Traditional November 2nd celebration in the
cemetery.
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Typical celebration on November 2nd in a cemetery.
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Day of the Dead art from an exhibition in Mexico
City.
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Altar Xalapeño