SANTA MUERTE NOT JUST A NARCO SAINT WITH DR. KINGSBURY

·1 hr 1 min·5 clips

An Uber driver abruptly ended a conversation about Santa Muerte, revealing its dangerous, unspoken power.

The episode begins with host Dr. Carlos Vasquez introducing guest Dr. Kate Kingsbury, an anthropologist and adjunct professor. Kingsbury recounts a personal anecdote about an Uber driver who refused to discuss Santa Muerte, setting the stage for the topic's taboo nature. She explains her academic journey into studying Santa Muerte, starting from teaching a course on death and discovering Dr. Andrew Chestnut's book. Kingsbury describes traveling to Oaxaca, Mexico, where she found a hidden Santa Muerte shrine in the jungle, owned by Doña Elena Martínez Pérez, an indigenous Zapotec woman. Doña Elena's story involves a vision of Santa Muerte healing her from a near-fatal illness, leading her to establish the shrine. Kingsbury challenges the media portrayal of Santa Muerte as exclusively a narco-saint, noting that many followers, especially women, have no connection to drug cartels. She delves into the saint's origins, arguing for a syncretic blend of pre-Hispanic indigenous death deities, like the Aztec Mictecacihuatl and Zapotec Xonaxi, with Spanish colonial figures such as the Grim Reaper. The discussion covers the violent suppression of Santa Muerte worship by Catholic authorities in the 18th century, including an incident in 1797 where indigenous people whipped a death figure during a hallucinogenic ritual. Kingsbury explains the variation in Santa Muerte devotion across Mexico's 32 states, influenced by factors like indigenous traditions, Cuban Santería, and media like the James Bond film Spectre. She details the symbolic meanings of different colored Santa Muerte candles, such as green for justice and red for love. The conversation emphasizes Santa Muerte's appeal to women in Mexico, who face high rates of femicide, poverty, and lack of access to healthcare, finding empowerment and therapeutic support in the saint. Kingsbury shares a poignant story of a devotee who overcame sexual abuse through Santa Muerte. The episode concludes with Kingsbury discussing her delayed book due to COVID-19 travel restrictions and directing listeners to resources like SkeletonSaint.com and her academic profiles.

As heard by us

A clear, rough-edged look at Santa Muerte's disputed origins.

This episode traces Santa Muerte with Dr. Kate Kingsbury and keeps returning to the central knot: where the figure comes from, why scholars still split over her roots, and how far the narco saint label really explains her appeal.

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Why you'd press play

If you want Santa Muerte untangled, this gives you a clear-eyed guide with an academic voice attached.

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