Image
The San La Muerte devotion is based on interactions between worshipers and the Saint Death represented by man-made sculptures. Individual sculptures are addressed as San La Muerte (because of their small size these San La Muerte sculptures may also colloquially be referred to as 'Santito' ('Small Saint'). The representation of San La Muerte varies according to the individual saint maker that has crafted him, however the classic figure is a human skeleton, standing, with simple, minimalistic features. The skeleton usually carries a scythe, in some cases with drops of blood on the edge. The same image can be dressed mostly in black and red cloths. Other representations include a standing skeletons without a scythe, sitting skeletons and skeletons in a coffin.
San La Muerte sculptures can be carved from wood, bones, metal (especially bullets) and usually stand between 3 and 15 centimeters tall. Increased powers are attributed to sculptures which are crafted from materials of significant origin, such as the last phalanx bone of the little finger, a bone from a dead baby, wood taken from a dead person's coffin, or a crucifix that belonged to someone recently deceased. Other more common raw materials include guaiac tree and cedar wood.
According to believers, a San La Muerte sculpture, in order to be able to grant favors, needs to be consecrated by a Catholic priest seven times. If the sculpture is carved out of the bone of a Catholic man it only needs to be consecrated five times (as the bone has already been consecrated twice). To get sculptures of San La Muerte blessed, worshipers resort to subterfuge by concealing a picture of San La Muerte underneath a picture of a conventional saint. When a priest blesses the regular saint picture, it is felt that San La Muerte underneath has also been blessed.
Aside from sculptures that are usually kept on an altar or at a fixed place in the house there are a range of personal forms of the ritual that entail representations of San La Muerte being worn on (in the form of amulets and tattoos) or in the body (in the form of carvings inserted under the skin of the worshiper). San La muerte tattoos, amulets and body insertions are believed to offer special protection from death, bodily harm and imprisonment. Among devotees, fired bullets, preferably those that have wounded or killed a Christian man, are regarded as the most powerful raw material for amulets. Other materials for amulets include (human) bone, silver and gold. Tattoos of San La Muerte exhibit a wide variety of styles. From rudimentary outlines to elaborate depictions of three dimensional figures. Images of San La Muerte are usually accompanied by partial or complete transcriptions of prayers to him.
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