La vida no puede existir sin la muerte, por eso estoy aquí.

by Josue Loera Ramirez · Valle de Ignacio Allende, MX

The Mexica culture has transcended through its beliefs about life and death, showing the Lord of the Underworld; Mictlantecuhtli, who was in charge of watching over the souls of those who died of natural causes. Far from modern cultural belief, Mictlán was not a place of sorrow and eternal torture, but a space for souls; after passing through nine levels testing their worth for four years and guided by the great dog Xoloitzcuintli; to achieve eternal rest. Upon arrival, Lord Mictlantecuhtli greets them saying: "Your sorrows have ended, go now, to sleep your mortal sleep." The Mexica placed great importance on how animals were treated in life, as it is a Xoloitzcuintli dog that is waiting for the soul to guide it on its journey to Mictlán, and it will judge whether that soul was truly good in life. The cempasúchil flowers are associated with the duality of life and death, their bright color is related to the sun and life. This is why they are very common in altars and other Mexica representations related to the Day of the Dead.