Bring out your dead...dress them up and put cigarettes in their mouths: Bolivians decorate skulls dug from graves for indigenous religious festival to bring good luck and blessings
- The Day of the Skull takes place every year in Bolivia on November 8
- Some skulls are handed down through generations but many are taken from abandoned graves
- They are decorated and taken to a cemetery in La Paz a week after All Saints Day
- The skulls are cared for by the faithful who believe they give them protection
- The Roman Catholic Church disapproves of the practice but recognises it to maintain its influence in the South American country
To
many it would seem macabre but to the faithful in Bolivia’s capital La
Paz, it is a celebration steeped in spiritual significance.
The
Day of the Skull mixes Andean pre-Hispanic beliefs with Roman
Catholicism - even though the Church disapproves of the display where
skulls are dressed up with flowers, hats and sunglasses and cigarettes
are put in their mouths.
Many of the skulls have been handed down through generations but some have been taken from unnamed abandoned graves.
On display: The human skulls or
'natitas' are displayed outside the Cementario General chapel in La Paz,
Bolivia. They are surrounded by offerings of coca leaves, flower petals
and cigarettes
Lit up: Many of the human skulls on
show are kept in people's houses during the year, and dusted off for the
big day. They receive blessings and are decorated with offerings
Tradition: Thousands of people attend
the celebrations of the Day of the Skull in La Paz, Bolivia. They are
greeted by the priest inside the General Cemetery chapel in the
tradition which marks the end of the Catholic All Saints holiday
The
Roman Catholic Church does not endorse the practice believing that it
stems from pagan origins. However ever since an uproar 15 years ago when
the cemetery's parish refused to open its doors to believers, the
parish allows believers to take part in the blessing ceremony.
The
skulls, or 'natitas,' are kept in people's homes, where believers give
them names and keep them in glass cases or on makeshift altars.
The skulls are usually not of family members but of strangers, often recovered from unnamed, abandoned graves or purchased.
Held tight:
The skulls, known in Spanish as 'natitas' have been handed down through
generations. However many are from unnamed, abandoned graves
Blessings: People hold the skulls as
they wait to be greeted by the priest inside the chapel. The skulls are
used as amulets and are believed to offer protection. There is a mixture
of Catholic and indigenous traditions in Bolivia
Spiritual ceremony: The Day of the
Skulls is an integral part of the country in South America where the
traditions and cultures of the Aymara, Quechua and other groups remain
strong
Devotion: Candles and other offerings
are placed in front of the skulls. Some are the remains of family
members that have been exhumed, while others may have been given to them
by friends. Often, the skulls have been stolen from secret cemeteries
and passed down for generations
Strong belief: The chapel in the main
cemetery of La Paz was filled with hundreds of people trying to place
their skull in the best position for the annual ceremony to honour the
'natita' tradition
Decorated: Glasses and flowers adorn
the skulls, which are kept in people's houses during the year. Many
Bolivians keep the skulls of close relatives at home as a talisman which
they then have blessed once a year during the macabre festival
Devotee: The skulls are kept in urns
of wood or glass, or in toy boxes and decorated with garlands of nardos,
which is a curative plant with white, fragrant blossoms. Some skulls
wear hats or caps inscribed with a name
Protection: The tradition of The Day
of Skulls is thought to stem from the pre-Columbian custom of keeping
skulls as trophies. Their display symbolises death and rebirth
In memory: The day begins with songs
and prayers by mariachi bands, with much singing and dancing in the
cemetery gardens. The celebrations are a mixture of the sombre and the
festive
Offerings:
The Bolivian church considers the Day of the Skull a pagan cult, but
chooses to recognise it as a way of retaining its influence in the
indigenous-majority country
Standing on ceremony: The skulls are
taken for blessings at church and although there is no mass held,
devotees have the skulls blessed before taking part in the festivities
Ancient Andean beliefs holds that people have seven souls, and one stays with the skull.
Believers
think this soul has the power to visit people in their dreams, heal and
provide protection. This is the thinking behind the various decorations
on the skulls, which act as a sign of gratitude.
The
belief in 'natitas' is deeply rooted in poor neighbourhoods and among
rural migrants, but isn't popular among Bolivia's middle class.
