The Land of the Dead ("Tierra de los Muertos" in Spanish) is an underworld known in Mexican folklore as the final destination for spirits of the deceased.
This realm has complex dimensions occupying deep space. In its heart is a large city full of bright lights and colors, while bridges covered with marigold petals branch from the city for the dead to venture across. The structures in the city are actually buildings upon buildings of previous homes, as the world is constantly expanding to accommodate the new souls that enter. The only beings that inhabit this world are human and animal spirits of the deceased (who have the appearance of "living" skeletons) and the animal-like Alebrije. This last species not only coexist with the humans of the afterlife, but also act as a guide for the ones who need them.
Reflecting Mexican folklore, the souls of those departed come to the land when they die. Although, in death, the spirit will appear as the age when they died. They also retain the status they had in life, thus there are spirits that are considered celebrities, while other spirits continue their former occupation. The spirit will reunite with their loved ones in the afterlife, but on Día de Los Muertos, those souls can cross over the bridges and return to the Land of the Living to see their living relatives once again. As long as these souls have a picture of who they were in life on their family's ofrenda (altar), they can cross the bridge successfully. In order to get back into the Land of the Dead however, spirits must present ethereal copies of the offerings from their family's ofrenda. For obvious reasons, restrooms do not exist in the Land of the Dead.
If a human enters the Land of the Dead by disturbing or stealing from a gravesite during Día de Los Muertos, they gradually turn into a spirit and remain trapped in the realm if they can't leave by sunrise. They will need the spirit of a family member (or at least, a spirit the person thinks of as family to bless a marigold petal to return them to the Land of the Living. However, the spirit can add any conditions they desire to the blessing; if the human breaks them after accepting the blessing, they instantly return to the Land of the Dead.
Despite their nigh-eternal existence in the Land of the Dead, the spirits depend on the memories of the living to continue to exist. In fact, the realm works around three types of "deaths" that each spirit goes through: The first is the last breath the spirit takes when they were human; the second is their own burial; and the third is when the last person who remembers them dies. The third type is considered a "final death" for the spirit, for when they are no longer remembered, they fade into oblivion through disappearing into light and dust. But if a person passes down stories of who the spirit was to other people, and the people wish to remember the spirit, the spirit can continue to exist.
Places of Interest[]
- Marigold Bridges: They are colossal bridges made from marigold petals which connect the land to the cemeteries in the Land of the Living. Multiple bridges are connected to the city and each appears to lead to a single location. The bridges themselves are sentient: they can sense whether or not one is allowed to cross them depending on if their picture is displayed on the family ofrenda. If they are not, the bridges make the soul sink into the petals and unable to cross. Once the sun rises after Dia de los Muertos every year, these bridges evaporate into thin air as seen in the deleted scene "To the Bridge". As it was dangerous for any soul to cross them during that period, crossing them would get any soul to be given a premature 'Final Death'.
- Marigold Grand Central Station: It is a large complex which serves as the realm's main transport system.
- Department of Family Reunions: It is a resources department responsible for directing new arrivals to their respective family clans. They use ofrendas from the Land of the Living to locate and direct the spirits.
- Arts District: It is a section of deceased artists, the dead here are found doing what they loved when they were alive.
- Plaza de la Cruz: It is a plaza dedicated to Ernesto de la Cruz. It features a statue of the musician in the center, just like its counterpart in Santa Cecilia, the Mariachi Plaza. This was presumably altered in accordance with the real one after Ernesto's duplicity was discovered.
Trivia[]
- Several Mexican celebrities and music idols make cameos in the Land of the Dead, including Frida Kahlo, Pedro Infante, Jorge Negrete, Maria Felix, Agustín Lara, Cantinflas, El Santo, and Zapata.
- Although alebrije were not traditionally tied to Dia de Los Muertos; the filmmakers felt the folk art would be well-represented in the film and were excited to see these figurines come to life. In addition, Pedro Linares, the creator of alebrije, dreamed of these creatures when he was sick and near-death, leading to him creating the art. The Coco team saw the connection between the alebrije and death to incorporate them into the Land of the Dead, as guides in the spiritual world.
- Marigolds (or cempasúchil) are present throughout the land, as it is said that marigold flowers emit pleasant aromas that attract the dead and lead them back to their families.