Calaveras: Celebrating Life and Death Through the Arts

For many people, Mexico is synonymous with the annual festival of Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead. One of the most recognizable images of this poignant reflection of the profound connection between the living and the departed is the Calavera. These intricately crafted and vibrantly decorated representations of human skulls epitomize the beauty, richness and complexity of a tradition deeply ingrained in the Mexican cultural tapestry.

Origins

Like Dia de Muertos itself, the history and origins of calaveras is both complex and contested. There is clear evidence of the existence of death ceremonies and celebrations in pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican Mexico, and artifacts that show that artificial renditions of skulls and other bones played a part in those ceremonies. Most historians argue, however, that the modern day Dia de Muertos is more likely to have risen from the melding of Catholic traditions imposed by the conquistadors with preexisting beliefs about the relationship between life, death and spiritual planes. Similarly, the calavera skulls seem to have their roots in the fusion of Spanish traditions and with both Mesoamerican and modern Mexican influences.

It is difficult to establish when the first calaveras appeared in Mexico, however there is evidence of artificial skeletal figurines being sold as far back as the 1740s. The recognizable calavera however, with its distinctive vibrancy, first appeared in the late 19th and early 20th century, initially in the work of artists and caricaturists, most famously those of José Guadalupe Posada. Posada was responsible for drawing the most famous calavera design, that of Catrina, who remains the most instantly recognizable character associated with Day of the Dead. Since then calaveras have evolved in many forms with artistically rendered ornaments, beautifully painted sugar confections, breathtaking face paint and body art, and even a poetic form become key features of Día de Muertos celebrations all across Mexico.

Edible Calaveras

Perhaps the most famous calaveras, and certainly the most popular with children, are the exquisitely decorated skulls crafted from sugar and other edible materials. While skulls made from chocolate and other foodstuffs are available, the traditional medium is cane sugar, with the skull cast in one piece. The process is known as alfeñique, with the cane sugar being mixed with lemon juice before then being molded. Sometimes vanilla essence is used to flavor the mixture, although many are unflavored. There are also regional recipes, with Puebla being known for the addition of peanuts and Oaxaca for further sweetening the mix with honey. The huge number of calaveras purchased every year means that their production is a great undertaking.

The appearance of the calavera is considered to be far more important than the taste, and many people dispose of them after the festival rather than consuming them. For this reason it is not uncommon for some to feature inedible decorations. It is common for the name of a loved one to be written onto the skull using sweet decoration tinted with vegetable oils. In general decorations use bright or metallic colors and can be made from other confections or candied fruits.

While mass produced calaveras are widely available, the best ones are hand-decorated, with some artisans spending all year preparing unique skulls for the upcoming celebration. It is traditional to buy them from market stalls, with markets in Mexico City, Puebla, Oaxaca and Toluca being particularly well-known for the quality and variety of calaveras available.

Literary Calaveras

The original artistic representations of calaveras were often deeply political, meant to represent that even those wearing rich jewelry and fine clothing were just skin and bone beneath the finery and would soon die and become skeletons like everyone else. This art form was adept at poking fun at the wealthy and powerful without making an open attack that might invite reprisal. They were sometimes accompanied by verses that lamented the death of a person in a humorous manner that was in fact another thinly veiled criticism of a living person. The first primarily literary calaveras appeared in the 1870s in Guadalajara and spread across the rest of the country.

This tradition of writing poems of remembrance for a living person as if they had died has continued and is used both as a way to criticize politicians and other public figures and as a way to playfully make fun of friends and loved ones. The verses will usually describe the manner in which the person being ‘remembered’ passed away, identifying their perceived faults or flaws as the cause behind the fictional death. In tone they are often similar to the comedic roasts popular in the US, but can be used to gently say something that might otherwise be difficult to raise to a loved one.

There are no specific structural rules, and the poems can vary from short limerick style compositions, to multi-verse poems with sophisticated rhyme and meter. It is however common, if not required, for death herself (death is female in Spanish - La Muerte) to feature as a character instead of just as an event.

Ornamental Calaveras

Anyone who has been to Mexico will have seen the beautifully painted and brightly colored decorative skulls sold in stores all over the country. These are usually made from clay and then either hand or machine painted depending on the quality. They are used to decorate altars and homes during Día de Muertos and have also become some of the most popular souvenirs for visitors to the country. While traditionally sized a little smaller than an actual human skull, they are widely available in almost any size imaginable. There has also been a growing number of cheap plastic replicas available for purchase, although these are still largely viewed as inauthentic.

Final Thoughts

The very best examples of each of the forms of calaveras are genuine works of art which make the viewer or reader look at life, death and their own mortality in a new way. They transform death into something that is not an end to be feared, but that is a step into a new form of being that while still linked to this world also carries its own unique form of beauty.

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