Discover Your Alebrije Spirit Animal: Origins, Meaning, and How to Connect

Alebrijes (pronounced: ah-leh-bree-hez) stand as vibrant symbols representing the beauty, mystery, and magic deeply embedded in Mexican culture. These fantastical creatures, often depicted as surreal mashups of different animals, have captured global imagination. Thanks to popular media, such as Disney’s Coco, many people around the world now recognize this distinct Mexican folk art and are eager to explore their own connection, often asking, What Is My Alebrijes Spirit Animal?

While films like Coco have wonderfully introduced Alebrijes to a wider audience, they sometimes present a simplified or inaccurate portrayal. Contrary to the movie’s depiction as ancient “spirit guides for the afterlife” tied directly to Day of the Dead traditions, Alebrijes are a much more recent creation, originating in the 20th century. Their rise to prominence was significantly boosted by iconic Mexican artists like Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo.

The True Origin of Alebrijes

Today, the Alebrijes most commonly seen are hand-carved from wood and painted with intricate patterns, predominantly found in Oaxaca. However, the original Alebrijes were crafted from papier-mâché and first brought to life in Mexico City.

The inventor was a 30-year-old Mexican papier-mâché artist, or cartonero, named Pedro Linares. In 1936, a severe illness led him to a profound, hallucinatory dream. In this dreamscape, he encountered strange, fantastical creatures—a donkey with wings, a rooster with the body of a frog, among others—roaming a surreal forest. These animals repeatedly chanted a nonsensical word: “alebrijes”.

Upon waking, Linares was captivated by the vivid imagery and the mysterious word. Drawing on his expertise in papier-mâché, he began recreating the creatures from his dream, sharing these unique works with his family and friends. His fantastical creations soon caught the eye of renowned artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, who recognized his extraordinary talent and commissioned him to create specialized Alebrijes for their collections.

Miniature alebrijes figures displayed on a stone surface in San Martin Tilcajete, Oaxaca

Beyond the Myth: The Purpose and Meaning of Alebrijes

The exact purpose or interpretation of Alebrijes can vary depending on the artisan or individual. Fundamentally, Alebrijes celebrate the boundless magic of creativity and offer a tangible connection to a more ethereal, spiritual realm.

A defining characteristic is that no two Alebrijes are ever precisely alike. Each artisan infuses their spiritual animal creation with unique traits and personality through form, features, and color. Some might possess wings, others antlers, horns, or fins, blending disparate animal characteristics into harmonious, albeit surreal, forms.

Pedro Linares’s original papier-mâché Alebrijes tended to be more fantastical, otherworldly, and at times, even frightening, directly reflecting his intense dream experience. In contrast, the Oaxacan style, which became widely popular later, often features realistic interpretations of specific animals adorned with vibrant colors and detailed patterns like stripes, polka dots, flowers, and flames. Regardless of the style, features are frequently exaggerated or contorted, emphasizing their playful and mystical nature. Facial expressions range from whimsical to serene.

Collectively, Alebrijes serve as a reminder to embrace adventure, welcome new opportunities, and actively seek out the beauty and magic that surrounds us in the world.

Historical photo of Pedro Linares, the inventor of alebrijes, working on a large papier-mâché figure in his workshop

Ancient Roots: Tona and Nahual

Although Alebrijes themselves are a modern invention, the concept of magical spirit guides is not new to Mesoamerica. Looking back through history, we find evidence that ancient cultures held beliefs in similar protective spirits, known as “tona” and “nahual“.

In Zapotec culture, the tona (meaning animal or protective spirit) was assigned to an individual based on their specific birthdate according to the traditional Zapotec calendar. This calendar organized time into cycles, with each day associated with a particular animal or tona. Animals included coyotes, lizards, armadillos, turtles, snakes, rabbits, deer, frogs, monkeys, owls, eagles, jaguars, butterflies, fish, hummingbirds, and snails.

The nahual (also spelled nagual), associated more with Mayan, Toltec, and Mixtec cultures, refers to the ancient belief that certain individuals could shapeshift into animal forms. Mythology suggested that these men would enter nature, fall asleep, and the animal appearing in their dreams would become their official nahual (nah-wahl).

It is important to note that beliefs surrounding nahuals have evolved and vary across regions and time. Some interpretations suggest they transform at night to perform malevolent acts, while others view them as healers who communicate with nature. Despite these discrepancies, a powerful, common theme persists from these ancient beliefs: the potential for animals and humans to fuse together or share a deep spiritual connection. It’s fascinating how this ancient concept of fantastical creatures, protective spirits, and shapeshifting influenced Mexican culture and continues to inspire the incredible work of modern Mexican artisans.

For more in-depth information on Alebrijes and their connection, or lack thereof, to Día de Muertos, you might find resources exploring the topic useful, such as books on Mexican traditions.

Detailed photo showing a vibrant, monster-like alebrije sculpture with multiple eyes and horns, typical of Oaxacan style

Finding Alebrijes Today

While Pedro Linares hailed from Mexico City, the Alebrijes that gained international fame and are most widely produced today are predominantly crafted in San Martin Tilcajete, Oaxaca. This small town has earned the moniker “the land of alebrijes,” where generations of artisan families are dedicated to the tradition of hand-carving and painting these magical figures.

San Martin Tilcajete is home to some of the most renowned Alebrije masters. Jacobo and Maria Angeles, who began creating Alebrijes in 1994, are celebrated artisans who now also focus on teaching their craft to others in the community. Their expertise led to them being commissioned to create the impressive, larger-than-life Alebrijes featured at Rockefeller Center for New York City’s “Mexico Week” in 2021. Visiting Oaxaca, particularly San Martin Tilcajete, offers a direct connection to the artisans and the creation process.

Side-by-side comparison showing a plain carved wooden alebrije figure next to a fully painted and decorated version, illustrating the transformation

Connecting with Your Spirit Guide

Understanding What Is My Alebrijes Spirit Animal or connecting with a personal spirit guide can manifest in various ways. Some traditions believe spirit guides are assigned at birth, while others connect through dreams or significant encounters.

Your spirit guide could also be an animal with whom you share a special bond in the physical world, perhaps a beloved pet. Alebrijes are sometimes thought to connect with individuals who share similar characteristics or skills. For instance:

• Someone with a beautiful singing voice might connect with a bird.
• An individual who is fierce, independent, and strong might be connected to a jaguar.
• Those passionate are often associated with dragons (though dragon alebrijes are modern interpretations).
• Tenacious people may share the spirit of a coyote or wolf.
• Loyal and protective individuals could find a connection with a dog.

These are symbolic associations rather than strict rules. The Zapotec calendar tradition remains the more formalized method for determining a protective animal (tona) and spirit guide (nahual) based on one’s birth details.

Giant, colorful alebrije sculptures of fantastical animals on display outdoors in Rockefeller Center, New York City

How To Discover Your Alebrije (Spirit Animal)

As highlighted, there isn’t a single, universally accepted method to definitively discover what is my alebrijes spirit animal. The ancient Zapotec tradition links your protective spirit (tona) and spirit guide (nahual) to your exact birthdate and year, based on their complex calendar cosmology using spirits, symbols, and animals associated with specific days.

For the most accurate reading based on traditional Zapotec beliefs, traveling to Oaxaca and consulting with artisans knowledgeable in the calendar is the ideal, though not always practical, approach. Travelers often find this a profound way to connect with the culture and receive a personalized reading.

If you’re interested in a more casual and accessible exploration, several websites offer tools where you can enter your birthdate to receive a suggested spirit animal. However, it’s crucial to understand that these online tools often do not use the authentic Zapotec calendar for reference. Their results should be viewed as inspiration or a fun way to engage with the concept, rather than a definitive traditional reading. For example, entering a birthdate into such a site might yield a jaguar and butterfly, while a traditional Zapotec reading for the same date could reveal a turtle and coyote.

Despite the differences in methodology, exploring these avenues can be an enjoyable way to learn more about the fascinating world of spirit animals and their representation in forms like the vibrant Alebrijes. [internal_links]

Have you explored what is my alebrijes spirit animal or connected with a spirit guide? Share your experiences or findings in the comments below!