This is an ancient Aztec/Mexica symbol that represents death as transformation. The swirls coming out of it's mouth represent speech and/or song.
Mesoamerican Indigenous peoples believe that the spirits of our deceased loved ones come to visit on the Day of the Dead, dia de los muertos, on Nov 1 & 2. It is a time of year in which people celebrate and honor the memory of their past loved ones.
The Aztec/Mexica people, along with many other Mesoamerican Indigenous groups, embraced death and saw it as just another stage of life. They used images of skulls as reminders of their mortality and to use their time on Earth wisely by constantly reflecting on who they are and who they need to be during their time on Earth. "Palabra de Miquiztli" translates to "Death's Spoken Word", reminding us that death speaks to us from the other side to remind us of our loved ones as well as of our own mortality.
Mesoamerican Indigenous peoples believe that the spirits of our deceased loved ones come to visit on the Day of the Dead, dia de los muertos, on Nov 1 & 2. It is a time of year in which people celebrate and honor the memory of their past loved ones.
The Aztec/Mexica people, along with many other Mesoamerican Indigenous groups, embraced death and saw it as just another stage of life. They used images of skulls as reminders of their mortality and to use their time on Earth wisely by constantly reflecting on who they are and who they need to be during their time on Earth. "Palabra de Miquiztli" translates to "Death's Spoken Word", reminding us that death speaks to us from the other side to remind us of our loved ones as well as of our own mortality.