Mexican "St. Death" Worshipped Video -- National Geographic

Mexican "St. Death" Worshipped Video August 28, 2008—Mexican devotees honor the folk saint Santa Muerte—a scythe-carrying skeleton—each month, though the Catholic Church links the saint to black magic and Satanism.Welcome to the National Geographic video player.Video Sections

Daily News Video - See the latest videos or breaking news from researchers and explorers in the field as they make the discoveries that shape the way we see the world.

Latest News - See the latest videos of breaking news from National Geographic.
- "Drunken" Street Dance in Japan - August 21, 2008—Forty thousand costumed revelers took to the streets in Tokushima, Japan, where some dancers emulate "drunken fools" in remembrance of a sake-infused 15th-century celebration.
- 1,300-Year-Old Peru Mummy Found - August 27, 2008—The rare pre-Inca mummy was masked and entombed with a child sacrifice. Found near high-rises in Lima, the tomb is one of the few known unlooted Wari burials.
- 125,000 Gorillas "Found" - August 5, 2008—A new census conducted in the Republic of the Congo suggests that there are about twice as many western lowland gorillas in the world than previously thought.
- 9-Story Candle Tower Carried - September 5, 2008—A more-than-90-foot (27-meter) tower with candles is carried through an Italian village to honor St. Rose, who died more than 750 years ago.
- Alaskans Choose Mine Over Fish - August 27, 2008—Alaskans voted down protections that would have stopped the huge proposed Pebble Creek mine, which may boost the area economy but could harm economically important fisheries.
- Ancient Sahara Graveyard Found - August 14, 2008—A 10,000-year-old cemetery with hundreds of skeletons is giving unparalleled insight into life in Africa's great desert when it was green and lush.
- Asteroid Seen in Close Flyby - September 8, 2008—The space probe Rosetta made a close flyby of asteroid Steins, some hundreds of millions of miles from earth, and transmitted high-resolution photos.
- Atom Smasher Starts Up - September 10, 2008—The biggest science experiment ever has begun underneath Europe. Scientists hope the Large Hadron Collider will recreate conditions like those just after the big bang.
- Australian Wetlands Threatened - August 22, 2008—Australia's Coorong wetlands, long a haven for migrating birds and the fish they feed on, are threatened by the shrinking Murray River, the wetlands' primary source of water.
- Baby Whale Sees Boat as Mother? - August 18, 2008—An apparently injured humpback whale calf in waters near Sydney, Australia, is behaving with a yacht in ways the whale would normally behave with its mother.
- Baby Whale to Be Euthanized - August 21, 2008—A starving humpback whale calf—apparently orphaned and trying to suckle yachts near Sydney, Australia, for the past several days—will likely be euthanized, according to scientists.
- Boat-Suckling Whale in Danger - August 19, 2008—For the second day an orphaned humpback whale calf is trying to nurse from yachts in an Australian harbor. If the whale doesn't get milk soon, the animal could die.
- Children Mine Gold in Africa - August 14, 2008—In Africa boys as young as 12 and 13 risk mercury poisoning in mines to help provide for their families.
- City Elephants Go to Camp - September 16, 2008—A camp for working elephants helps preserve the mahout way of life in Thailand—and helps the beasts get back to nature.
- Crackdown on Peru Indian Protest - August 19, 2008—Amazonian Indians have blocked roads and oil and gas projects in Peru to protest a new law that makes it easier for the government to sell their lands.
- Deadly Hanna Deluges Haiti - September 4, 2008—"If I couldn't swim, I would have been dead," said one Haitian survivor after tropical storm Hanna caused massive flooding, cutting off one city and killing dozens.
- Dogsledding Without Snow - September 3, 2008—Australia sees little snow, but that doesn't stop some enthusiasts from "dogsledding." How? Just add wheels.
- Egypt Palace on Fire - August 20, 2008—The 19th-century Cairo palace that houses Egypt's upper house of parliament was heavily damaged, and at least 13 people were hurt.
- Giant River Stingrays Found - July 22, 2008—After an exhaustive search, an explorer finds one of the elusive rays—perhaps the largest freshwater fish—near Bangkok. And then it gives birth.
- Giant Waves Crash Over Buildings - September 9, 2008—Surging over buildings as tall as five stories, waves from Hurricane Ike pounded a Cuban town on Monday. The hurricane is headed for the U.S. Gulf Coast.
- Green Polar Bears Draw Stares - September 9, 2008—Thanks in part to their hollow hairs, polar bears at a Japanese zoo have turned green from algae in their pond.
- Gustav Pummels U.S. Gulf Coast - September 1, 2008—Hurricane Gustav battered the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts Monday, sending waves over New Orleans' levees but leaving officials optimistic that the city would be spared.
- Gustav Targets Louisiana - September 1, 2008—Hurricane Gustav barreled toward Louisiana Monday morning, prompting what is now the largest evacuation in state history.
- Hillary In His Own Words - January 11, 2008—Sir Edmund Hillary describes his historic climb to the top of Mt. Everest...and reveals why there is no photo of him on the summit.
- Huge Rocks Crush Homes - September 8, 2008—Boulders, some the size of apartment buildings, tumbled from cliffs above a Cairo shantytown Sunday, killing at least 31.
- Hurricane Gustav Damage - September 2, 2008—Despite weakening before landfall, Hurricane Gustav left widespread damage along Louisiana's coast. New Orleans' levees appear to have held, and now the damage assessment begins.
- Hurricane Ike Devastation - September 13, 2008— See scenes of Hurricane Ike's devastation from a wide swath of coastal Louisiana and Texas, including flooding, fires and wind damage in Galveston and Houston.
- Hurricane Takes Out Bridge - September 15, 2008— A typhoon—as hurricanes are called in parts of Asia—produced heavy rain and floodwaters that washed away part of a highway bridge in Taiwan, plunging cars into the raging river below.
- Hurricane's Rampaging Floods - September 16, 2008—A typhoon—as hurricanes are called in parts of Asia—caused massive flooding and a major landslide that buried a tunnel entrance in Taiwan.
- Ice Shelves Crumbling in Canada - September 4, 2008—A Manhattan-size ice chunk, from an ice shelf believed to be thousands of years old, is among many pieces breaking off shelves in the Canadian Arctic this summer.
- Ice Trek Meets Polar Bears, More - August 25, 2008—National Geographic explorers take a three-month adventure through ice and Arctic waters to reach the islands of Franz Josef Land north of Russia.
- Ike Damage: Aerial Views - September 15, 2008— See aerial footage of Hurricane Ike's worst damage: flooded neighborhoods, destroyed homes, boats on land. The hurricane struck Saturday, devastating Galveston, Texas, and other Gulf Coast towns.
- Invasive Lionfish Explode - August 22, 2008—Thought to have escaped from a Florida fish tank, stinging red lionfish are multiplying from the Caribbean to North Carolina, threatening native animals.
- London Skeletons Displayed - August 26, 2008—Building projects in London have unearthed over 17,000 skeletons, some dating to the Middle Ages. Some of the oddest are now on display.
- Meet the Frog Licker - August 8, 2008—While studying poisonous frogs in the wild, scientist Valerie Clark sometimes licks the amphibians to quickly determine their toxicity.
- Mexican "St. Death" Worshipped - August 28, 2008—Mexican devotees honor the folk saint Santa Muerte—a scythe-carrying skeleton—each month, though the Catholic Church links the saint to black magic and Satanism.
- Mystery of Auroras Solved? - July 24, 2008—For the first time, scientists may have found the triggers of space "explosions" that result in unusually bright auroras, also called the northern lights and southern lights.
- New Catfish Species Found - September 4, 2008—While exploring Venezuelan wilderness, scientists discovered a new catfish. And they got a closer look at a fish species that lives for almost exactly one year.
- Oldest Mummies on Display - September 3, 2008—More than 2,000 years older than the oldest Egyptian mummy, the world's earliest known intentionally preserved mummies are on display in Santiago, Chile.
- Olympic Panda Twins Debut - August 18, 2008—Twin giant pandas born in China during the Beijing Olympics join five cartoon pandas designated as the games' mascots.
- People vs. Monkeys in Singapore - August 25, 2008—As human development in Singapore encroaches on the natural habitat of long-tailed macaques, frequent conflicts are breaking out.
- Pregnant Woman Sacrificed? - September 11, 2008 — Peru archaeologists have found what may have been a pre-Inca pregnant woman sacrificed for an important religious event.
- Pristine Islands to Be Protected - August 26, 2008—U.S. President George W. Bush has proposed marine national monuments around several U.S.-held islands in the Pacific Ocean. It could become the world's largest protected area.
- Putin Tranquilizes Tiger - September 2, 2008—Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin helped scientists collar a huge Siberian tiger by shooting it with a tranquilizer gun.
- Quake Pandas Hanging On - September 5, 2008—A major earthquake this year in China had a lasting impact on the population of giant pandas, killing at least one of the animals—plus five people who had been working to preserve the species.
- Robots "Express Themselves" - September 10, 2008—Developers have created robots that appear to make human expressions and show human-like emotions.
- Solar Eclipse Coming August 1 - July 22, 2008—Parts of the Northern Hemisphere will soon see a rare total solar eclipse. Find out how it works, where to watch, and more.
- Space Station Sees Hurricane - September 5, 2008—Astronauts on the International Space Station have a unique view of Hurricane Ike as it crosses the Atlantic Ocean.
- Spain's Tomato Food Fight - August 28, 2008—In Buñol, Spain, residents and tourists pelt each other with more than 200,000 pounds of ripe tomatoes in the annual Tomatina festival.
- Stuck Polar Bears Eating Birds - July 25, 2008—The guillemot, a seabird that depends on ice, is losing its habitat and falling prey to polar bears desperate for food. Part of Wild Chronicles' Climate Connections series.
- Sun Used to Purify Water - August 28, 2008—Just 48 hours of sunlight can kill germs that cause cholera, typhoid, and other diseases—a discovery that's already helping Kenya's poor.
- Tasmanian Devil Cancer Worse - August 28, 2008—The fatal cancer that has ravaged Australia's Tasmanian devils is evolving more quickly than the feisty marsupials can fight it.
- The Hurricane Ike of 1900 - September 13, 2008— Hurricane Ike isn't the first epic storm to slam Galveston, Texas. See scenes of the devastation from what is still called the worst natural disaster in U.S. history.
- Town Buried in Mud - September 11, 2008—A village in China of about a thousand people was buried in a mudslide from an illegal mining operation. At least 128 people are reported dead so far.
- Undersea Roman Town Draws Divers - September 11, 2008—Some remains of an ancient Roman harbor and town off Israel's coast, partially submerged, can only be viewed by visitors wearing diving or snorkeling equipment.
- Unusual Mummy Found in Peru - July 17, 2008—His eyes covered with metal plates, a thousand-year-old elite mummy has been found surrounded by unfamiliar artifacts—shedding light on a mysterious culture.
- Village of Twins Is a Mystery - September 11, 2008—A small village in India has about a hundred pairs of twins, mostly same sex and 90 percent born in the last 20 years. No one can explain the phenomenon.
- Wheeled Tortoise Gets Around - August 20, 2008—A ten-year-old tortoise with paralyzed hind legs has been fitted with wheels at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo—and her "love life" is picking up speed.
Latest News - See the latest videos of breaking news from National Geographic.
Animal News - See the latest videos of breaking news from researchers and explorers in the field as they make the discoveries that shape the way we see the world.
Culture & Places News - See the latest videos of breaking news from researchers and explorers in the field as they make the discoveries that shape the way we see the world.
Environment News - See the latest videos of breaking news from researchers and explorers in the field as they make the discoveries that shape the way we see the world.
History News - See the latest videos of breaking news from researchers and explorers in the field as they make the discoveries that shape the way we see the world.
Space & Tech News

Animals Video - All the beauty and excitement of the animal kingdom comes to you in thrilling footage of lions, sharks, squid and more.

Daily News Video - See the latest videos or breaking news from researchers and explorers in the field as they make the discoveries that shape the way we see the world.

Environment Video - Get an in-depth look at the constantly changing Earth, from natural disasters like volcanoes and tornadoes, to global warming and other effects of climate change.

Kids Video - Wild, creepy, cute, and slimy animals from puppies and lions to lizards and snakes all do thier amazing things and we catch it all on video.

Music Video - Watch videos of music from your favorite country, listen to international music, and see other world music videos from National Geographic.

Science & Space Video - Watch a video about science, the human body, and the solar system, and see other science and space videos from National Geographic.

Specials Video - Watch thrilling trailers and clips from events like the annual National Geographic GeoBee to the release of new giant-screen films.

Travel & Cultures Video - The rich variety of the world's landscapes and cultures come to life breathtaking footage from China, India, Egypt and more.

Global Links

National Geographic Home

Video Home

Video Site map

You need the Flash Player version 8 or higher and a JavaScript enabled browser to view this site. Please click here to download the free flash player.© 1996-2007 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.