Exploring the Path to Mictlán and Its Underworld Origins in ‘Día de Muertos’ Traditions 

Exploring the Path to Mictlán and Its Underworld Origins in ‘Día de Muertos’ Traditions 

The Day of the Dead (or Día de Muertos), celebrated on November 1 and 2, carries an ancient rhythm that predates the arrival of Christianity. Its altars, covered in marigolds and lit by candles, are more than tributes to memory. They are gateways built from faith and myth, connecting the living with those who have crossed into the afterlife. Beneath the sugar skulls and bright paper cutouts lies the essence of a pre-Hispanic belief that continues to shape Mexican identity: the journey through Mictlán.

The World of Mictlán

In the language of the Mexica, Mictlán means the place of the dead, though its meaning was never tied to punishment or fear. It was a realm of passage, a vast and silent expanse known as the house of darkness. Every soul, regardless of class or virtue, was destined to enter its depths, moving through nine levels of trials before finding peace. The journey was long and guided by a brown dog that helped the soul cross the first river, a companion believed to carry loyalty even after death.

The Mexica viewed death as continuation rather than disappearance. Life flowed in cycles, governed by deities who controlled both birth and destruction. Among them stood Quetzalcóatl, Huitzilopochtli, Tezcatlipoca, and Xipetótec, each representing a different force within the balance of existence. Death, in this understanding, belonged to life, and the act of remembering was considered sacred.

Altars as Bridges

Modern altars echo the philosophy of Mictlán through their structure and meaning. Each level represents stages of passage, a gradual movement between the visible and the unseen. The most intricate altars contain seven tiers, once believed to mirror the seven forms of death recognized by pre-Hispanic cosmology. When Catholicism arrived, these levels were reinterpreted through the lens of Christian doctrine, blending two spiritual worlds into one continuous tradition. The result is a ritual that exists between two histories yet loses nothing of its power.

The offerings — food, flowers, water, and personal objects — carry the intention of easing the soul’s return. In many homes, these altars honor both ancestors and pets, extending affection to all who once shared space with the living. It is through these gestures that the ancient view of death as a passage remains alive within the fabric of everyday life.

A Passage Through Darkness

According to Mexica mythology, the path through Mictlán was filled with guardians and obstacles. Souls faced fierce winds, rivers of blood, and mountains that collided against each other. Along the way appeared spirit guides, later known as alebrijes, creatures that protected travelers through the perilous crossing. The final encounter awaited them in the presence of Mictlantecuhtli and Mictecacihuatl, the lord and lady of the underworld, who granted peace to those who completed the journey.

This understanding of death shaped how the living celebrated existence. For the Mexica, to honor those who had departed was to affirm continuity and love. That sentiment endures across Mexico, where families build altars filled with photographs, favorite foods, and symbols of devotion. The ritual transforms grief into gratitude, silence into reverence, and loss into connection.

Mictlán was never a place of despair. It represented the idea that death does not erase, but alters the form of being. Through every candle and marigold, through every song offered to the night, this ancient vision survives, carrying forward the belief that life and death coexist within the same eternal cycle.

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