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San La Muerte | |
|---|---|
 Figures of Gauchito Gil (left) San La Muerte (right) two popular Saints on display in Argentina. | |
| Saint Skeleton, Saint Death, Lord of the Good Death, Lord of Death | |
| Venerated in | Folk Catholicism, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil |
| Feast | August 13, August 15 |
| Attributes | Male skeleton clad in a hooded robe, scythe |
| Patronage | Restore love, good fortune, gambling, protection against witchcraft, protection against imprisonment, inmates, prisoners, luck, good health, vengeance |
San La Muerte (Saint Death) is a skeletal folk saint that is venerated in Paraguay, Argentina (mainly in the province of Corrientes but also in Misiones, Chaco and Formosa) and southern Brazil (specifically in the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul). As a result of internal migration in Argentina since the 1960s, the veneration of San La Muerte has spread to Greater Buenos Aires and to the national prison system as well.
Saint Death is depicted as a male skeleton figure, usually holding a scythe. Although the Catholic Church has rebuked the devotion of Saint Death as a tradition that mixes paganism with Christianity and is contrary to the belief of Christ's Resurrection defeating death, many devotees view the veneration of San La Muerte as part of their Catholic faith.
Although the rituals connected to and powers ascribed to San La Muerte are very similar, San La Muerte should not be confused with the similar folk saint Santa Muerte that is venerated in Mexico and parts of the US, and is depicted as a female skeleton figure.