Ghosts in Mexican culture

A terracotta statue of Cihuateotl, the Aztec goddess of women who died during childbirth.

After death, the souls of the Aztecs went to one of three places: Tlalocan, Mictlan, and the Sun. The Aztec idea of the afterlife for fallen warriors and women who died in childbirth was that their souls would be transformed into hummingbirds that would follow the sun on its journey through the sky. Those who drowned would go to Tlalocan, the first level of the upper worlds. Souls of people who died from less glorious causes would go to Mictlan, the lowest level of the underworld, taking four years and passing through many obstacles to reach this place.[1]

The Cihuateteo, spirits of human women who died in childbirth, were not benevolent. On five specified days of the Aztec calendar they descended to earth and haunted crossroads, hoping to steal children whom they had not been able to have themselves.[2]

The Cantares Mexicanos is an important collection of lyric poetry transcribed from Náhuatl into Roman letters around 1550 CE, about 30 years after the fall of Tenochtitlan. In his 1985 edition of these poems, John Bierhorst interprets the poems as "ghost songs" that were intended to summon the spirits of dead Aztec warriors back to earth to help their descendants under Spanish rule. If the songs were successful the ghosts would descend from heaven fully armed and ready to fight, demanding payment in human sacrifice.[3] This interpretation is, however, controversial.[4]

The traditional Maya live in the continual presence of the "(grand)fathers and (grand)mothers", the usually anonymous, bilateral ancestors, who, in the highlands, are often conceived of as inhabiting specific mountains, where they expect the offerings of their descendants. In the past, too, the ancestors had an important role to play, with the difference that, among the nobility, genealogical memory and patrilineal descent were much more emphasized. Thus, the Popol Vuh lists three genealogies of upper lords descended from three ancestors and their wives.[5]

These first male ancestors - ritually defined as "bloodletters and sacrificers" - had received their private deities in a legendary land of origins called "The Seven Caves and Seven Canyons" (Nahua Chicomoztoc), and on their disappearance, left a sacred bundle. In Chiapas, at the time of the Spanish conquest, lineage ancestors were believed to have emerged from the roots of a ceiba tree.[5] Comparable beliefs still exist amongst the Tz'utujiles.[6]

The Purépechas that live in what is now Michoacán believe that the monarch butterflies that travel to the region towards its winter habitat (Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve) symbolize the spirits of the dead as they journey from the afterlife. There is the legend of Mintzita, the daughter of the Purépecha king, and her fiancé. Their ghosts arise and head towards a specific cemetery every Noche de Muertos. Noche de Muertos or Night of the Dead, a variation of Diá de Muertos, is a major holiday in the region in which one custom involves the floating of hundreds of small candles on Lake Pátzcuaro and other bodies of water. Michoacán is even known as El alma de Mexico or the soul of Mexico.[7]

Day of the Dead at a Mexican cemetery.

The Day of the Dead (Spanish: El Día de los Muertos), is a holiday celebrated in Mexico and by Mexicans and Central Americans living in the United States and Canada. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. The celebration occurs on November 1 and 2 in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day (November 1) and All Souls' Day (November 2).

Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. Due to occurring directly after Halloween, the Day of the Dead is sometimes thought to be a similar holiday, both being in the family of Allhallowtide.

Mexican academics are divided on the exact origins of The Day of the Dead celebrations. Most consider it a mixture of both indigenous roots and European Catholic traditions. Rituals celebrating the deaths of ancestors have been observed by these civilizations perhaps for as long as 2500–3000 years.[8] The festival that became the modern Day of the Dead fell in the ninth month of the Aztec calendar, about the beginning of August, and was celebrated for an entire month. However, current modern-day depictions of the festival have more in common with Catholic European traditions of the Danse Macabre. Archaeologist Augustin Sanchez Gonzalez notes how the festival was moved towards the end of October and early November by the Spaniards to syncretize with the Catholic Allhallowtide.

People go to cemeteries to communicate with the souls of the departed who are paying a holiday visit home. The descendants build private altars, containing the favorite foods and beverages, as well as photos and memorabilia, of the departed. The intent is to encourage visits by the souls, so that the souls will hear the prayers and the comments of the living directed to them.[9]

In most regions of Mexico, November 1 honors children and infants, whereas deceased adults are honored on November 2. This is indicated by generally referring to November 1 mainly as "Día de los Inocentes" (Day of the Innocents) but also as "Día de los Angelitos" (Day of the Little Angels) and November 2 as "Día de los Muertos" or "Día de los Difuntos" (Day of the Dead).[9]

According to some, the legend of El Charro Negro arises from the syncretism in 1920 between indigenous and European beliefs. El Charro Negro represents the dark side of the human soul, a story that warns of blinding greed. This character was transmuted into dark deities by ethnic groups such as the Wixárika.[17] Among the Huichol deities, which are linked to a dark part are defined as "Neighbors" or "Mestizos", the one that stands out the most within these deities is the god Tamatsi Teiwari Yuawi, which in Spanish is called "Our Big Brother the Dark Blue Mestizo". The result of the meeting of these two cultures, also unites two religions; the Mesoamerican (specifically the Huichol) and from Spain, the result will be a Mestizo popular culture, which creates a figure of Ibero-American folklore, that is, the "Charro Negro".[18]

The coexistence between the indigenous and mestizo culture resulted in economic conflicts, where they took over land to use it for their own benefit, for trade, etc. According to sociological records, the god "Mestizo Azul", within the indigenous culture, specifically within the Huichol culture, represents the stereotype of the colonizer who threatens his culture. This god "Mestizo Azul" is more powerful than the Huichol gods themselves, however, he is a despot, a collector and does not know forgiveness.[18]

From a Mixtec perspective, it is said that El Charro Negro is the "patron of the place" who lives on the top of the mountain, caretaker of the region, this individual does not have indigenous aspects, on the contrary, he tells us about characteristics of the colonizers, that is, a white man, tall and mounted on horseback. The Mixtecos speak of how dangerous it can be to find it, that is why they have the belief of carrying garlic, to be able to drive it away. This "lord of the hill" punishes those who cause destruction in the forests, guards the treasures and punishes those who commit greed. Such is the importance of the "Lord of the Hill" that the indigenous people asked for permission with offerings in order to obtain permission to work on their lands. The offerings consisted of cigarettes, mezcal, and food.

There is an anecdote recorded, in the Sierra del Norte de Puebla, where the indigenous people stopped working on a highway, since the permission of the "lord of the hill" had not been requested.

San Martín de Caballero, is known in the cities as a saint who is asked for money with the phrase "San Martín de Caballero, give me a little money" while alfalfa is offered to his horse. While in the Mazatec culture he becomes a nocturnal being, where they explain that he is not a saint. He is known as the owner of the lands and the mountains. His characteristics are those of colonizers, he is white and greets in Castilian. Some nights he comes down to visit his animals and watch over the buried treasures. Those who wish to obtain money from this being, must go in a state of indulgence (sexual abstinence) and offer cocoa or a turkey. San Martín de Caballero, gives them instructions, which include, take his horse by the tail to the applicant's house and not say anything in 4 years, if this promise is broken then the applicant's soul is condemned, he dies instantly and San Martín de Caballero takes his body and soul to take them to work with him.

In practically all societies the concept of "the dark" has been conceived, which is even presented as an essential element for balance to exist. And this, the dark, is a kind of constant temptation, linked to human passions, which could make man lose his reason, and as a consequence, lose himself or the luminous part of him .[17]

In the Mexica worldview we have the unforgettable cosmic battle between day and night, between light and darkness symbolized by Tezcatlipoca, one of the four sons of Ometéotl, lord of the night; and Quetzalcóatl (also called the white Tezcatlipoca) .[17]

With the arrival of Christianity in Mexico, dualism was also propelled with the figure of God and Lucifer, and in this cultural bifurcation myths and legends arose about the perennial temptation that is capable of making the soul perish.[17]

According to the legend, the El Charro Negro continues to appear at night, on the streets of cities or on rural roads. Being mysterious, he sometimes accompanies walkers, but if the person agrees to get on the horse or receives coins from it, his luck is given.[19]

It is an evil entity that receives this name for its dark clothing. He always appears dressed in an elegant black charro suit with fine details in gold and silver. He can be seen riding on his horse, the same color, an animal whose eyes look like balls of fire.

Fortunately, the Charro Negro only appears to people who walk alone, mainly at night.

There is not much about inspirations about this evil entity. However, it has appeared in the literature within the story Macario, from which it was used and inspired to create a film with the same name. In 2018, the animated film La Leyenda del Charro Negro was released, created by Anima Studios, based on the legend, where he appears as the main antagonist of the film, as well as of the franchise in general.

• Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories is a book of short stories published in 1991 by San Antonio-based Mexican-American writer Sandra Cisneros. The title story is a modern version of the legend of La Llorona.[20]
• Hasta el viento tiene miedo (Even the Wind has Fear or Even the Wind is Scared) is a 1968 Mexican horror film, written and directed by Carlos Enrique Taboada. The film is about a ghost that seeks revenge in a school for girls. A remake was released for the Halloween season of 2007 with Martha Higareda as the protagonist.[21]
• Kilometer 31 (Kilómetro 31 or km 31) is a 2007 Mexican horror film, written and directed by Rigoberto Castañeda.[22] The film is inspired by the Crying Woman legend (La Llorona) and legends about highway ghosts.[23]
• The Cartoon Network series Victor and Valentino features many depictions of classic Latin and Mesoamerican culture in a more comedic and family-oriented manner:
  • La Llorona appears in the episode "Lonely Haunts Club 3: La Llorona" and is depicted as suffering from empty nest syndrome. She is simply lonely and wants people to visit her which the titular characters and their friends agree to do once a month.
  • La Planchada appears in her self-titled episode and is depicted as a two-dimensional ghostly apparition that can summoned by leaving an iron out at night and coughing three times. She lays herself on the ill and soothes them back into wellness. However, she has a moral standing as she threatened to flatten Victor out due to him inconsiderately spreading chicken pox to the other kids.

• Folktales of Mexico
• Santa Muerte
• List of reportedly haunted locations in Mexico