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Maratón Creativo Nahualli 2020

Camino al Mictlán: Maratón Creativo Nahualli

By Melva Medina

The Nahualli Creative Marathon drawing contest, held in the midst of a pandemic, at the end of April this year, became the starting point for many artists who were fans of drawing, as well as a new showcase for emerging and professional artists.

Also, with great talents and outstanding work, the winners and honorable mentions were also chosen for giving us a look at the depths of their art and for their dedication in creating fifteen works throughout the Creative Marathon.

“Verustiana” prepares her way to Mictlán

“Verustiana”, one of the winners of the Creative Marathon, in the category of “Emergent”. She shows us her inks technique and the interpretation of the relationship between death and xolo dogs.

Continuing with the tradition of these days, in which we prepare to receive our dead at home, we take a look at the work of this artist in training.

Dogs, those faithful companions of life, and surely, also of death …

If you are sensitive and noble-hearted, you need no effort to adore these four-legged friends and adopt them as part of your family.

The love that dogs offer to people, is the most unconditional there is.

Those of us who are fortunate enough to live with them, see our lives nourished by the privilege of having such good company.

In the world of the dead, there were three main kingdoms, in Tlalocan, the first, the God of water, the rains, and the ruler was Tlaloc.

In the beginning, there was this place for souls who lost their lives because of a death related to that God.

These could be the dead of hydrocephalus, ascites, pulmonary emphysema or even those who died by drowning.

They were buried with dry branches, which as they approached the kingdom of Tlaloc, were transformed into fruit trees.

This place was full of lakes, rivers, and cenotes. With a beautiful climate that allowed them to play naked and enjoy great peace and happiness.

The second kingdom of the dead was the Tonatiuhichan, the place where the God of the Sun, Tonatiuh, reigns.

This was a privileged kingdom, and only those who lost their lives by giving it to others in the form of personal sacrifice could achieve this honor.

Here came the warriors, those executed in sacrifice and women who died giving birth to a new being.

They came to the kingdom of the Sun, where the light-filled them with energy and peace, and they accompanied the Sun for seven years, making their journey through the Cosmos.

After that time, they were brought back to life in the form of hummingbirds, to enjoy the aroma and nectar of the flowers.

The third kingdom was Mictlán, where all the dead of natural causes, ordinary individuals like you and me, would go.

Here, we had to prepare our trip well armed with good deeds, especially with the creatures of nature.

In ancient times, it was important to take care of our Mother Earth and her beings, and one of the most important was in fact the dogs.

Our Aztec ancestors considered Xoloitzcuintle dogs to be sacred animals.

People looked after these hairless specimens with great care, as there was a belief that if you earned their love, they would do everything to help you reach peace on your journey to death, across the Mictlán.

This journey implied crossing that enormous river, while the laments of so many souls tormented by having been cruel in live sound in the background.

And it is that Xolotl guarded the God of the Sun “Tonatiuh” in his journey around the celestial vault.

Finally, they were sent to Mictlán to help the dead cross that river, where an iguana detained those who had mistreated the dogs.

On this road to the Mictlán, hand in hand with “Verustiana”, our Creative Marathon took us beyond this life, and likewise, made us look at other worlds and underworlds.

Full of gratitude to all those who participated in this year’s edition of our Creative Marathon, we want to invite you to closely follow everything that follows – and will continue – happening around this, one of our most important annual events, in the remainder of this year.