Devoted to Death: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint by R. Andrew Chesnut (review)

Devoted to Death is an engaging introduction to the folk saint Santa Muerte. In lucid prose, R. Andrew Chesnut presents one of the first academic accounts of the skeletal saint whose popularity in Mexico and the United States has grown dramatically over the past decade. Drawing on years of experience as an ethnographer of popular religion in the United States, Central America, and South America, Chesnut introduces the history of Santa Muerte, or Saint Death; recounts her adherents’ varied ritual expressions; and describes the material culture associated with her community of devotees. In mainstream media, devotion to Santa Muerte has been linked to participation in the narcotics trade and other illegal activities. However, one of Chesnut’s key goals is to complicate the image of Santa Muerte as a demonic anti-saint by highlighting the many reasons a broad swath of devotees, from Mexico to the United States, seek out her guidance and protection.

Writing in a sharp yet conversational narrative style, Chesnut documents his own growing understanding of the folk saint’s reach as he recounts key features in devotion to Santa Muerte. Chesnut describes historical accounts of the folk saint and charts her rise from an obscure spiritual aide for lovesick women to a powerful, popular supernatural figure. Scholars suggest her skeletal form hearkens back to images of death that developed in medieval Europe, but Mexican devotees insist she was a beautiful young Mexican woman unjustly killed during the Inquisition. All would agree that the skeleton saint has become more popular among some communities than St. Jude or even the Virgin of Guadalupe, two other popular folk saints in Mexico. Drawing on interviews and first-hand accounts, Chesnut describes features of the saint’s worship, including homemade altars and common offerings in public and private shrines. The book is structured thematically, with each chapter paired with a coloured candle representing a different feature of Santa Muerte devotion. For example, the chapter introducing the history of the sect is represented by the brown candle of wisdom; the chapter describing the products sold bearing her likeness is represented by the yellow candle of money and wealth. This structure enables Chesnut to ingeniously introduce a range of topics concerning Santa Muerte devotion.

One of Chesnut’s primary aims is to consider how devotion to the folk saint has grown so drastically since the 1980s. In part, this can be accounted for by recent historical developments, including the explosion of the drug war in Mexico. Although Santa Muerte was known through the mid-twentieth century as the folk saint who helped women who were experiencing problems with men, she increasingly became affiliated with drug trafficking. Law enforcement agencies in Mexico and the United States have denounced worship of Santa Muerte as witchcraft. Yet although there is sensationalist discourse surrounding Santa Muerte, she is not associated only with violence and vengeance, represented by the black candle. Chesnut’s second primary aim is to dispel exaggerated accounts that she is merely the patron saint of the narcotics trade. Chesnut argues that the popular seven-coloured candle best represents Santa Muerte’s multifaceted personality and powers. Women continue to seek her help in dealing with wayward lovers. Adherents who have fallen on hard times pray to her for help in finding a job. Shop owners seek her support for the continuing success of their businesses. And while drug dealers and prisoners do present her with offerings, others affiliated with the prison system—including social workers, lawyers, and prison guards—also ask her for protection. Overall, Chesnut argues, her devotees are pragmatic; Santa Muerte is so popular precisely because she is thought to be familiar with the lifestyles of her adherents and to quickly respond to her devotees’ requests.

Chesnut eschews an extended bibliography and in-depth historiography in favour of an ethnographic and journalistic focus, which draws readers into the experience of Santa Muerte devotion. The clear and engaging tone of...