The Alebrijes are spirit guides, as they were depicted in the 20-day cycle of the Zapotec calendar. Being strongly connected with nature, the Aztec people created these symbolic creatures mixing two living animals with anthropomorphic characteristics.
The origin of the Alebrijes can be traced to Pedro Linares, an artist who lived in Mexico City in the 1930s. Linares said that in 1936 he was very ill and then became unconscious. While in a state of unconsciousness, he began to hallucinate and see visions of a forest with strange animals.
They are depicted as spiritual guardians. One the most imposing of the alebrijes in Coco is Pepita, a mashup of a lion and an eagle that guides Mama Imelda, Miguel’s great-great-grandmother who is key in getting him back to the Land of the Living.
The Alebrijes are imaginary creatures that have elements from different animals such as dragon bodies, bat wings, wolf teeth and dog eyes. Colorfully painted, they were originally made with papier mache but nowadays they are also wood carved. The Alebrije was created by Pedro Linares Lopez in the 1930’s.
Alebrijes sculptures are meant to guide spirits on their journey to the afterlife. Alebrijes are traditionally a fusion of several different animals, and Angeles and his team chose animals specifically for what they represent in Mexican culture.
Alebrijes are not actually something Mexicans believe in. Them being spiritual guides in the afterlife was just Pixar taking creative liberties with a very popular type of folk art in Mexico.
Nowadays, the alebrije is considered an important element of Mexican surrealist art, mainly made of cardboard, paper or wood and believed to protect one’s home from evil spirits. They often take the form of fantastic animals or creatures of mythical origins.
Pedro Linares’ grandson, Leonardo Linares Vargas said that he believes Alebrijes should contain qualities of animals from 3 out of the 4 elements (air, water, earth, fire).
One of them is the alebrije, considered Mexican spirit animals. They are beings with the physical features of one or more real or imaginary animals. One of the most famous crafts in Mexico is that all alebrijes are unique.
Powers and Abilities
As winged Alebrijes have the ability of flight, while Alebrijes with a strong scene of smell can track down who and what they want to find with it’s sent.
During the one year before the film’s epilogue, Dante appears to be friends with Pepita in the Land of the Dead, thus becoming a new alebrije guardian to the family with her, and eventually managed to be appreciated by the living Riveras (in fact, Abuelita has warmed up to him).
A few techniques for discovering your spirit animal:
Learn about the animal connections in your own lineage. Pay attention to your dreams. Think about your past connections to certain animals. Journal about the animals that you feel drawn to. Take a quiz.
Alebrijes are fun, imaginary, brightly-colored and legendary creatures from Mexican culture. They can be captivating for any child, and even in the inner child in all of us.
Alebrijes are carved wooden figures created by Oaxacan artisans. They have become so popular that even the world’s most respected Spanish language authority, the La Real Academia de la Lengua Española, Spanish Royal Academy, has included the term “Alebrijes” in its official Spanish language dictionary.
Presented in Coco as spirit animals, alebrijes, fantastical creatures made out of paper maché or carved from wood, are not specifically associated with Día de Muertos in Mexican culture.
Alebrijes are represented in Mexican folk art as vibrant, fantastical creatures that often resemble dragons, lizards and other mystical creatures. In the animated Disney film about Day of the Dead, Coco, alebrijes are “spirit animals” that guide the spirits of ancestors on their journey.
Sculptures of Oaxacan alebrijes, envisioned as guardians of the nation’s immigrant community, and catrinas, Day of the Dead skeletons, are now at Rockefeller Center.
