La Ofrenda is your Friend

A Hispanic Retelling of the Orpheus Myth

 

We’ve been telling each other the story of Orpheus for thousands of years. Countless operas have been composed, myths and stories told, and it’s even on Broadway in a folk pop musical Hadestown. It’s a myth that has stirred the imagination for generations.

 

No matter the setting, time, or culture, the barebones of the story remain the same: a man is in love, his wife dies suddenly, and unable to cope with the loss, he sets out to rescue her soul from the after life. His success in resurrecting her depends on the telling; in the original Greek myth, Orpheus breaks the rule given to him by Hades, the king of the Underworld, and ultimately returns to the living empty handed. In Sir Orfeo, Orfeo’s wife is kidnapped by the fairies, whom he charms with his musical performance. He brings her home, and the two have a much happier ending than the Greek Orpheus who is torn to shreds by the Maenads.

Kenzie MacDonald, an environmental sciences major and OWU senior, has tried her hand in continuing to tell this iconic tale with a Hispanic twist. Her interest in Greek mythology spans back to her childhood enjoyment of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, another example of modern retelling of ancient myths and archetypes. Some other sources of inspiration include animated films like Coco and The Book of the Dead in their depictions of the rituals and beliefs around the Land of the Dead and The Day of the Dead celebrations.

A key part of the her story is the titular la ofrenda. On Dia del los Muertos or The Day of the Dead, families set up floral shrines for their deceased loved ones, including tissue paper flowers, candles, religious images and crucifixes, and the foods they enjoyed in life. The word ofrenda literally means offering, as prayers are said for the souls and food is offered for their enjoyment.

 

La Ofrenda is your Friend

by Kenzie MacDonald

 

Both families had come together for the joining of Maria and Santiago. This was a huge event, a joining of two families under the eyes of God. They lived in a small city called Cholula, which is located in the metropolitan area of Puebla, Mexico. Maria and Santiago were about to be married in an hour inside Templo de Santa María Tonantzintla. 

 

The outside of the church was alive both in its own beauty, but also with the lively crowd mingling below its sturdy arms. Decorated with maroon talavera tile with an ochre stucco facade, this church stood out amongst the rest, which is really saying something since Cholula was known to be overrun by churches. 

 

 The inside was magnificent in its colors and the awe it created within you. So many faces lined the walls, all of them staring down at you and as if judging your every action. 

 

Maria had been going to this church her whole life and absolutely loved it. The church made her feel God and her ancestors were watching over her. As the wedding drew closer, flowers of every imaginable color and kind were brought in: Dahlia’s for elegance, creativity and dignity, Belize Sage for protection and healing, Birds of Paradise for beauty and excellence, Mexican Honeysuckle for happiness, and Chocolate Cosmos for beauty and order.

 

The time had come. Santiago was standing at the altar with his los padrinos  – those are people who are important to the groom and the bride and help sponsor the wedding- by his side.  

 

The mariachi band started playing the bridal chorus as Maria entered the church with both her mama and papa at her side. She wore a beautiful trumpet style wedding dress with a lace bodice and beautiful pink Dahlias at the bottom of her dress. It was a spectacular wedding, but I won’t go into full detail because it happened during Mass and Mass takes a long time. The couple kneeled on the kneeling pillows, given to them by their los padrinos, then they said their vows. 

 

Both Maria and Santiago were crying and looking at each other with so much love in their eyes. 

 

Santiago said, “ That this is the happiest day of his life and may we never be apart.” 

 

How sweet. It’s time for el lazo, when the bride and the groom get tied together in a silk cord by their los padrinos to show their mutual support of each other. 

 

Then, the couple go off to have a mini honeymoon in Cancun, but they must be back in a timely fashion so as to not miss out on Día de los Muertos (the day of the dead) which was coming up in a week. The couple had decided to come back a few days before the festivities started. Despite their more modern understanding, they were at heart traditional Mexicans who respected their dearest holidays.

 

Cancun was beautiful with sparkling blue waters. They were excited to enjoy the beautiful warm waters. Maria and Santiago had dreamed of coming to this place for a long time. The first few days were utter bliss: mojitos, swimming, and massages. 

 

The fourth day of their honeymoon was when it all went south. 

 

Maria and Santiago went to go swimming in the grove. They had packed beach supplies to stay at the grove all day. The sun was high in the sky and the weather was perfect. Santiago was snorkeling in the water by the reefs off shore, while Maria walked in the water farther down near an opposite reef. 

 

Maria was walking along when she saw a colorful fish in the water near the reef edge. She tried to catch it and kept reaching her hand into the reef’s crevices. She felt this painful sting in her hand, her whole body started to paralyze, and she teared up as she began to sink under the waves.

 

Her last thoughts were of Santiago, who was yards away submerged under water, looking at the Marine wildlife with his snorkel on. Santiago emerged 5 minutes later, so excited to tell Maria all about the creatures he had seen and to give her the snorkel so she could take a look herself.  

 

“ Maria!” Santiago looks around, “ Maria!! Where are you?!” 

 

A little more panicked now, Santiago rushed to where he had last seen his beloved. A color caught his eyes in the waves, red like the clothes Maria had on. He rushed over to the reef where there was something big caught on its edge. His heart rate picked up and he prayed that it was not who he thought it was. 

 

“ Maria? Nooooo NO nO! No Maria, my beloved, come back to me my beautiful joya,” Santiago shouted.  

 

He carried her body out of the water screaming for help, set her on the sand and gave CPR, but to no avail, she had been under for too long. He screamed his grief to the world.

 

Finally, Santiago whispered, “Why? Why Maria? Why not me?” 

 

Tears fell freely to the ground, as he held her staring into the face he loves, the face that used to be filled with such life but now is cold and lifeless.

 

The news got back to Cholula very quickly, and the families went into mourning. Santiago was inconsolable. The days without Maria were draining; he was sent into deep depression, he wasn’t eating, sleeping or showering. 

 

He could not live another day without his love. He had tried to live for two days, he had tried to accept his fate, accept the cards that he had been dealt, but he was angry. How dare the world do this to him, take away his one true love. 

 

Well, Santiago was going to join her, and tomorrow just happened to be Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. It was the perfect day to join her. He helped his family put up la ofrenda, marigolds set all around the altar, so that it stood out amongst the rest of the house. Pictures of his family litter the ofrenda, and Santiago added Maria’s picture with the others. Tomorrow he would bring Maria’s favorite foods and bread to give her, and light candles for her and the rest of the family who have passed on. 

 

 

The next day, the Día de los Muertos celebrations were in full swing, music, dancing, and delicious food. 

 

“How can they all be happy at a time like this? Maria is dead and soon so will I,” Santiago mumbled to himself as he brought his offerings to la ofrenda.

 

He sat on his knees on the ground and looked up at Maria’s picture and whispered,  ”I will see you soon.” 

 

Santiago looked around for  the rest of his family and quickly made his way to the kitchen. Nobody was there, they were all at the festivities in the square. He took a kitchen knife, went out back, and shoved it straight into his heart. 

 

His world goes black, but only for a moment. 

 

Santiago quickly woke, the world around him was bright with color. He was both Christian and traditional so whether he wakes up in heaven or with la muerte is like flipping a coin (but he doesn’t know that).

 

He looked at his hands and they were skeletons. He did it, he’s dead. The other dead mulled around with excitement since it was Día de los Muertos and they got to see their families again. Each fallen one had their very own Alebrijes, a colorful land of the dead spirit animal. Santiago looked around for his own, but couldn’t seem to find one. He just shrugged and headed through the crowd to find his beloved. 

 

He found it quite difficult, there were skeletons everywhere. Huge buildings dwarfed him and alebrijes flew through the air, trailing streaks of color behind them. It was quite a dizzying experience. He asked everyone he ran into if they had seen Maria, but nobody knows who he’s talking about. 

 

When all seemed lost he finally spotted the back of a head he remembers. If he still had a heart it would’ve sped up. Fate had smiled upon him! He ran towards her yelling Maria, she turned, and she was as beautiful in death as she was in life. Now Maria was running towards Santiago too, wishing to embrace him once more. 

 

But it seems that fate had not really been smiling on him, it had just been teasing him. The second their fingers were about to touch, Santiago disappeared leaving Maria alone. Before Santiago, Maria was replaced, and La muerte stood high above him. 

 

“Where are your alebrijes?  She asked, puzzled. “Everyone has an alebrijes.”

 

“I woke up without one ma’am,” Santiago  answered meekly. It’s not everyday you stood before death. 

 

“You woke up without an alebrijes? Then you don’t belong here. It’s not your time. You must be sent back,” she said sternly. 

 

“No please, I beg of you. I came here to join my beloved in the afterlife because I could not bear to live without her. She was my everything, the reason I live, the reason I laugh, the reason I love,” Santiago pleaded. “Without her the world is one I do not wish to live in. Have mercy, I killed myself to be with her. If I cannot stay then send her back with me, but do not break our conjoined souls apart once again. The pain would be too intense and I will kill myself every single day if I have to to be with her once again.”

 

 Santigo was crying big fat tears at this point, but I’m not sure how though since he’s a skeleton. 

 

La Muerte sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose, saying, “I have a feeling you will be very annoying and will keep coming back, so I’ll let you stay. But you must promise me you will not tell her why you do not have an alebrijes? Okay?” 

Santiago gets to go back to Maria. They hugged and embraced and the first thing Maria does is show off her alebrijes, a purple and pink Mexican wolf.

 

Santiago responds, “I do not have one and I never will.”

 

That saddened Maria and she wanted him to tell her why. 

 

“Why not?” She asked. “Not having an alebrijes is bad, it means you were such a horrible person on earth.”

 

 Maria is horrified. Is Santiago not the person she thought he was? 

 

“What aren’t you telling me?” 

 

But Santiago wouldn’t tell her. He simply said nothing.

 

She shouted, “I won’t be with you then, I can’t stand to be with such a wicked individual.”  

 

And of course he can’t bear not being with her or her being angry at him, so he confessed right away.

 

A giant skeletal  hand descended from the ceiling and plucked Santiago from the ground. It was la Muerte. She shook her head and tisked as she violently threw him out of the land of the dead.

 

As Maria realized what she had done, she called out, “I love you and I shall wait for you!” as Santiago was thrown back to the living.

 

The festivities were still going on and nobody had realized he had been gone. Santiago stood and stared into place for a long time. He then cried fresh tears as he went to join his family in the square. He really needed to see his mama right now. The future will be hard for Santiago, the wound of grief was fresh. But Santiago learned to smile again, he learned to be happy about little things in life. He knew that Maria was with him even if not physically. When La Muerte finally came to pick Santiago up, he embraced her like an old friend. When he woke up in the land of the dead, Maria was right in front of him and his colorful Coati alebrijes stood beside him. 

 

 

 

Sources and Inspiration:

https://www.proflowers.com/blog/mexican-flowers 

https://www.brides.com/mexican-wedding-traditions-4801186

The Day of the Dead Ofrenda