In Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs, Muñoz Ryan gives the monarch butterflies and Lázaro magical properties. In real life, both creatures have deep cultural significance for the Mexican people.

Native Mexicans considered the monarch sacred. Monarch butterflies appear in ancient Aztec wood carvings and paintings. The Purépecha, an indigenous Mexican people, believed that the monarchs “carried the spirits of warriors” and that the sound of their beating wings were “messages from the afterlife” (Merotto, Tia. “Winged Messengers: How Monarch Butterflies Connect Culture and Conservation in Mexico.” Smithsonian Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage, 31 Oct. 2022).

The monarch is still venerated in Mexico today. Monarch butterflies end their 3,000-mile migratory journey in the central Mexican oyamel fir forests at the beginning of November—when people in Mexico celebrate Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead. The return of the monarchs during this time is symbolically important. On November 1 and 2, people honor and pray for their ancestors and departed loved ones by visiting their graves and setting up ofrendas, or altars. The monarch represents the souls of the deceased returning to visit their families.