FINAL PROJECT: THE CULT OF SAINT DEATH

Since its beginning, Mexican culture has maintained a close relationship and even reverent toward death, that relationship eventually became a cult and it lasted in many places and civilizations in the ancient Mexico, between them Mexicas’s civilization, they represented life and death in stark human figures divided in half. These images have symbolized the duality between good and bad, inside and outside, the moon and the sun, etc. Mexicas or Aztecs was the town where the cult of death became more significant than in others cultures. This brave people took the extreme devotion to death. The Spanish colonization was able to diminish the cult, but didn´t eradicate it, so it remained hidden until the nineteenth century, when occurred the greatest revival in their devotion, as great as the Sacred Virgin from Guadalupe´s devotion.


The skeletal image is wearing a robe of different colors symbolizing something in particular, around of her are the four main symbols like the scythe, the world, the balance and the clock, these represent death is fair, universal, equitable and transforming. His official day is Aug. 15, declared the “Saint Death´s Day” for his faithful; Rituals are organized as similar as Christian´s rituals, including processions and prayers in order to win their favor. Altars  surrounded by different offerings like floral arrangements, fruits, incense, wine, coins, candies, candles, whose color varies according to the petition; as essential elements are required cigars, which must be constantly lit; and a piece of bread . People come to her for miracles o favors related to love, health or work. Also, people ask for malicious purposes, such as revenge and death.


The cult has been growing because people aren´t ready to die and are looking for something to take care of them until the last moment.  Criminals don´t go to the church for its legalized status, although this cult has tried to obtain government licenses. In this time the Catholic´s faithful are fewer than in the 90´s, increasing the number of believers in those cults. Traditional Catholic Church Mexico-USA´s Archbishop Primate David Romo has been the most popular person in this cult, especially among young people. In his masses is common to see hopeful and young faces, in contrast, loading mortuary figures to be blessed. He has promoted the female and male condoms, has accepted abortion in cases of rape and has spoken out against the virginity´s myth. He has also opened the doors of his church to homosexuals and transvestites.

This cult has become evidence that a person may be connected with the organized crime in North Mexico. A lot of drug traffickers get in Saint Death a magic solution to their problems; also they expect to avoid complete punishment after they lost their life.  Have been captured several drug traffickers, who had Saint Death´s altars. She has many faithful among the prisoners, who have chosen her as “protective godmother” by being in a place “full of sins”, despair and risks. Since some years ago there was an awful boom, most of them have tattooed her and their devotion is similar or greater than the Virgin from Guadalupe´s devotion.  

BRAINSTORMING

Introduction:

The cult of Saint Death born in the Pre-Historic era, people adored her in special days and gave her some gifts like sacrificing animals or people, they believed, with that, they would be able to rest in peace. But in these days, death is regarged as a saint, she is wearing with diferent colors, and depend on what is asked; she has a scythe in one hand, to cut the silver thread wich unites the soul and the body. In the last 5 years ago this cult has been increasing.

Hyphotheses:

The cult of Saint Death growns in a country where the social and economical conditions aren´t the best, and where the organized crime has predominated.

Main topics:

• Historical background
• Deities of Death
• Saint Death and Mexico
• Symbolic meanings
• The faithful
• Saint Death and organized crime
• The spiritual Leader

OUTLINING

Main Idea:

How the cult of Saint Death has grew in a country where the social and economical conditions aren´t the best and where the organized crime has predominated

I. Historical background and deities of  Death

   A. How was the birth of this cult

   B. Which have been deities of Death

       1. Natives

       2. Colonization

       3. Contemporary era

II. Saint Death in Mexico and her symbolic meanings

   A. How is the cult in Mexico

       1. Rituals

       2. Dates

       3. Customs

   B. Symbolic Meanings

       1. Clothes

       2. Accesories

 III. The faithful and the spiritual leader

   A. How the faithful have increased

        1. How the cult have increased in the Mexican  society

   B. The spiritual leader

       1. David Romo

   

   IV. Saint Death and the organized crime

   A. Relations between Saint Death and the organized crime

       1. Drug trafficking, violence and a salvation cult

   

SUBWAY STORIES

A writer was interesting about what happen in a Subway from New York City, he was sat watching and in that moment a guy in wheelchair began to ask for money and nobody gave nothing, suddenly, he passed over the red shoes of a girl, she was angry because he had got dirty her new shoes, they began to discuss and he pass again two times over her shoes,  she snatched him violently his cup, where  he was collecting the money, she took improperly his money and threw the cup and left the train.

After that discussion, people wanted to give him money, and in that moment a black girl stood up surprisingly and said them that was a scam and nobody gave anything, so he left sadly the carriage. 


The writer stood up too, and he asked black girl if she had saw those people before, and she said not and she said the government provides good services in hospitals, churches and other places, but the writer continued asking, she began to scare and said she wanted to be completely alone, he was really a nuisance, and a fat man grabbed and threw him outside the train.


PERSONALITY DESCRIPTIONS

• The writer is an observant person, concentrated in his notes, meticulous in his investigation, but he doesn´t respect the privacy of the people, he is a gossipy person.

• The guy in the wheelchair is very sloppy about the way he dresses, he is so vulgar or rude person, he uses an inappropriate language.

• The woman with the red shoes is a materialist person, rude, disrespectful, and aggressive, she is able to equal with a handicapped man in a situation of begging.

• The black girl is a decisive person, with a strong personality, she is a brave girl

FELL RUNNING


Fell running, also known as mountain running and hill running, is the sport of running and racing, off road, over upland country where the gradient climbed is a significant component of the difficulty. Fell races are more organized since XIX century, because many contenders participate for money, and also a lot of people gamble with those races, the professional contenders should pay to race, those people are the fastest and they win some money, and the amateur contenders don´t pay, because those people race to fun.

The name arises from the origins of the English sport on the northern Britain, but in this moment is practicing in all country, especially those in the Lake District, this is a fantastic campsite, it´s a beautiful place because is open, you can feel the nature, and you can feel really free, this place is always cold and in winter is frozen and dirty, you should bring a big bag pack, with many things to keep in a good state.

Sightseeing: visiting famous places in a city like in London the Big Pen or Buckingham Palace.

Pag: You do that before the holiday, and you put some clothes there and put this inside of the suitcase.

Sunglasses:  You wear it when you are in the beach;  you wear it after your eyes.

THE LICENCE


The video describes some traditions have been in some cultures and have been affecting the women´s dignity, those traditions have wanted to represent “love, honor and obey”. This video shows the following traditions:

• The chastity best
• How some cultures buy a woman or change her for animals like goats, to get married
• The local lord deflowers the bride in her marriage night
• Any woman what isn´t a virgin on her marriage night shall be stored to death

Those traditions have stayed for a long time in a lot of countries with a sexist culture and haven´t respected the woman´s rights. I think those traditions should be to change by others more egalitarians; women have been to affect by those cultures as radical as inadequate by our societies.

Women have stayed in silent a long time, but now is time to change and transform our customs.