A series of articles looking at paranormal
beliefs & stories from across the globe
beliefs & stories from across the globe
LEGENDS OF MEXICO
“There are mysteries which man can only guess
at,
which age by age they may solve only in part”
--Bram Stoker; Dracula
Mexico. Whether you’re shopping for souvenirs in a small town with narrow cobblestone
streets, or taking a sunset stroll on a palm tree lined beach, you will encounter friendly
people with strong history and culture.
We are about to go on a journey. A journey that will take us to the darker side of Mexico...
La Llorona
La Llorona. Depending on what part of Mexico or South Texas you are in, the legend of La
Llorona is a different tale to tell. In research I came across at least 7 or 8 different versions.
We will take a look at several different La Llorona theories across the country.
The prefix “La” refers to the fact that she was a female. The term La Llorona translated
means “The crying woman”, but unlike the Banshee from Irish folklore, La Llorona has quite
a different reason for weeping.
Most stories hint that she was woman as beautiful as she was mean, that was perhaps
wronged by a man; a charmer she met, and ultimately fell in love with. Though that is where
the similarities end.
One tale says that after falling in love with a man that was a local, he charmed her and
soon she was carrying his child. Once he found out she was pregnant, he shunned her and
went away to live a fun filled life. Out of sadness and insanity from losing her lover, she
went to the beach and drowned her baby and then she herself lay down crying and crying
in the sand until she died as well. This version accompanies the rumors that small children
have vanished around the area, although I could not find any facts to collaborate this.
Another variation of this version is that while carrying the child in her arms, she walked into
the river and drowned herself and the child at the same time. Soon after, a woman was
spotted roaming the streets in town. She is said to lure cheating men away with her beauty
and they are never seen again.
A different look at La Llorona is as follows...
Some claim that she was a harlot. A single mother looking to snag herself a rich man and
have a life with no worries. She met a rich man, and dated him until he found out that she
had a child. Not wanting to be a father, he ended their relationship. In a state of misery, she
went to the local river and drowned her baby. The body was found a week later.
Another tale depicts her as Maria. A virgin never having known a man. While still living at
home with her parents, she came up pregnant but still stood firm that she was a virgin. Her
parents tried to hide the pregnancy to no avail. One dark night as she lay sleeping after
giving birth, her father took the baby and drowned it in the river. By the time Maria arrived
at the river to save the baby, it was too late. The baby drowned and Maria died from
hemorrhaging.
The town folk wondered at her disappearance but they need not ponder long, for soon
after her death a woman was spotted by the river holding a baby in her arms and crying a
soulful cry. These sightings are still reported today.
Some say she had more than one child, and when the man she loved found out, he no
longer wanted to be with her because he did not want to be a father. To win his love and
affection, she stabbed her children and threw them into the river. When she went to the
man and told him what she had done so that they could be together, he was appalled. He
sent her away. She then realized her faux pas, and went to the very same river.
In tears, she killed herself. When she went to see God, she was sent back to forever walk
the earth and as further punishment for her crimes, she was given the head of a horse.
The timeline for sightings is a sketchy one. One article says the first sightings were right
after her death in 1531, but further reading places the first reported sightings to be in the
1550s. By the 1800s sightings and the story had spread throughout Mexico and beyond the
borders.
In most sightings she is usually crying and saying “¡ aay mis hijos!” translated means “Oh
my children!”
Could it be that La Llorona is none other than La Malinche?
Early 1500s La Malinche is born. Ultimately she is taken into slavery and given to Hernan
Cortes; a Spaniard who played a lead role in the conquest of Mexico. La Malinche is then
renamed Dona Marina. She helps Cortes in the conquest of Mexico, and at some point
gives birth to twin boys fathered by Cortes. Some reports conflict this and say that she gave
birth to one son rather than two.
It is said that after she had his children, Cortes takes on a mistress who convinces him to
leave Dona Marina. He obliges and takes their son or sons with him. Dona Marina grieved
the loss of her offspring, and was saddened that she had betrayed her own people with her
part in the conquest. In Spain, La Malinche’s name is praised, while in Mexico she is
considered a betrayer.
Some folks claim that it is Dona Marina that roams the streets at night crying.
A few of the areas she has been spotted in are as follows:
Rio Grande River
La Plaza Mayor sightings from the 1700s all the way up to today.
Around rivers in Honduras, Central America
New Mexico
California
South Texas
The Tecpan river
A recent sighting in San Pedro Sula where she allegedly drowned some school children
although I found no facts to back this up.
Some of the names and terms you may hear when people refer to her are:
Sofia
Linda
Maria
La Ciguanabana
La Sucia (meaning the dirty one) this is in the Honduras area.
Weeping Woman
The Woman in White
Dona Marina
La Malinche
There are two morals related to this story. One is to keep wandering men at home; the
other is to make sure that children will behave.
There are so many different variations of this tale, that it is hard to find a grain of what may
have really happened and if anything really happened at all.
As always, I will leave it up to you the reader to decide.
La Lechusa
Years ago, when I was in college in Texas, my best friend told me a story that I have never
forgotten.
She told me the story of La Lechusa. She went on to say that when she was a baby living in
Mexico, that there was a legend of a witch. This witch was called Lechusa. The Lechusa
was known to be a shape shifter, in particular, was infamous for transforming into a large
bird. The Lechusa it is said would steal little children. She told of her own run in with the
witch. One night when she was asleep in her crib which was by a window, the witch in the
form of a very large bird, tried to snatch her out of the window. Of course her parents
awoke and stopped this from happening.
Now, years later (won’t say how many years) I have decided to do some research into the
subject.
Lechusa or Lechuza translated means owl perhaps a barn owl.
Reports depict it as being bigger than the normal everyday owl. Wings span from nine to
fifteen feet, and the creature itself at least four to five feet tall. Some descriptions say that
even though the witch shape shifts into an owl, that her face stays in human form, and her
eyes glow red.
Many people say that one can summon La Lechusa. After midnight there is a ceremony
that would be performed involving tying knots into a rope and chanting certain spells, then
reversing the process by untying the knots. Depending on what one would want; whether it
be money, love, health, there would be a different chant.
Other stories depict La Lechusa also as a witch, but not to do your bidding, it will attack you
the first chance it has. Perhaps it is the spirit of a woman scorned as some suggest.
Most sightings are in South Texas and Mexico. Usually a lonely and desolate highway is the
sighting area.
I did not find any information that La Lechusa is especially fond of kidnapping children.
Mayan Folklore
In Southern Mexico, there are stories and traditional folklore from the Mayans.
Like many other countries I have studied, Mexico joins the bandwagon on traditional oral
folklore on how things on earth came into being.
The Mayan culture in Southern Mexico is heavily embedded with folklore. Many of these
tales have been translated into Spanish and English by a gentleman named Fernando
Penalosa.
Some examples are as follows:
Rabbit and the Cap of Antlers; the story describes how a rabbit got its ears, and a deer got
its antlers.
Jaguar Takes Little Skunk Hunting.
The Coyote and the Hen
Many more can be found on the web, some can be found here:
http://www.kstrom.net/isk/maya/mayastor.html
El Chupacabra
Mexico has claimed its stake in the field of crypto zoology. El Chupacabra.
El Chupacabra if broken down to chupa cabra roughly translated to English means “It
absorbs goats” this is about right for this alleged crypto creature.
The Chupacabra has struck fear into the hearts of many believers across Mexico. It is a
crypto that allegedly goes around sucking all the blood out of animals. What is usually left is
a puncture wound or two. It is yet undiscovered what animal is actually doing this. This is
one of the reasons the Chupacabra is so hard to disprove, as there is no known animal that
kills their prey with this method. Also some say it isn’t past taking an occasional organ from
the animal, even though the only exit point would be the small puncture wound(s)
Just like many unknown crypto creatures, the physical descriptions vary. Some say it runs
on two legs and has horns or spikes riding up and down its spine. Some folks say it has red
glowing eyes, and fur; possibly dark grey or black in color. Other reports contradict this by
saying it has no fur at all, but rather a scaly reptilian skin. Most witnesses agree that its
forelegs are shorter, which I find strange. If the two forelegs are shorter, then I cannot see
how it runs on all four legs. It would seem more plausible that the creature is bipedal. Some
people claim it has a tail, others claim it does not. Approximately 3 to 4 feet in height, and
moves extremely fast. The head is oval, and the jawbone is long. The teeth must be at least
three to four inches long because of how deeply it penetrates its victims.
Some claim dogs or even baboons as the culprit.
One police department in Mexico stated that in their examination of the carcasses, there
was no loss of blood; at least in that region of the country. Rumors of two captured
chupacabras; one in Puerto Rico and one in the USA. Though on further examination of the
captured creature in the USA, the final analysis was that it was a dog or coyote with the
mange.
A lot of citizens believe that UFOs and these creatures have some sort of connection. It is
interesting to note that Mexico is one of the top countries with UFO sightings. Others
believe it is a government experiment of genetic manipulation gone awry (also known as
anomalous biological entity or ABE)
Whatever it is, it has lots of folks frightened.
Sightings have occurred in many different countries including the USA but prominently in
Mexico, Puerto Rico and Brazil. Satanic cults have also been suggested.
One thing is for sure, something is killing thousands of animals in a strange and unknown
manner.
Flying Humanoids
There have been many strange things happening in the skies above Mexico lately. The
increased sightings have demanded the attention of authorities. For many of the
documented sightings come from regular everyday folks right up to the Mexican Air Force
and police officers alike.
They call these particular sightings Flying Humanoids. They are in the realm of UFOs but
instead of a flying disk or what have you, it is more of a human shape flying being. This is
an ongoing mystery that baffles the experts.
In my research, I have seen it suggested that they may be half deflated balloons.
I also came across an interesting consideration that what people are witnessing could be
something similar to the Williams X Jet. Although this idea scoffed at because they say the
body shape of what they are seeing, is nothing like a human navigating a Williams X Jet or
similar; perhaps a Wasp (Williams aerial survey platform from the US army) a jet pack.
Mexico is a country strong in its beliefs. A lot of citizens believe that this is some form of a
Bruja- a witch.
In Monterrey, Mexico, frequent sightings have dubbed the flying being as bruhas de
Monterrey (Monterrey witch)
These beings are not shy; they do not try to leave when video taped. One horrifying
account puts a police officer at the scene, only to be allegedly attacked by one of these
creatures. Watching the video of his interview, right after it happened, it was evident that he
was shaken up from the experience.
There have been sightings of more than one flying humanoid at a time as well; one reports
states that three were three beings interacting with one another.
I came across one article that reports a few different sightings, but I find it odd that three of
the sky watchers who witnessed these “beings” separately and on their own, happen to
know each other. What are the chances? “Who” and “why” are the unanswered questions;
as this is an ongoing mystery.
Until next time...
Tracey H.
PROOF Paranormal
Links
http://www.mysticaluniverse.com/mystical_creatures/Lechusa/Lechusa.html
http://www.lallorona.com/La_index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Llorona
http://www.kruela.ciberanika.com/leycol12.htm
http://www.kstrom.net/isk/maya/mayastor.html
http://www.folkart.com/folktale/
depiction of the chupacabra image source found here and used freely with permission http://commons.
wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Chupacabras.JPG
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williams_X-Jet
http://www.rense.com/general66/humsan.htm
http://www.unsolvedmysteries.com/usm418174.html careful pop ups
http://www.texancultures.utsa.edu/crossroads/index1.htm
at,
which age by age they may solve only in part”
--Bram Stoker; Dracula
Mexico. Whether you’re shopping for souvenirs in a small town with narrow cobblestone
streets, or taking a sunset stroll on a palm tree lined beach, you will encounter friendly
people with strong history and culture.
We are about to go on a journey. A journey that will take us to the darker side of Mexico...
La Llorona
La Llorona. Depending on what part of Mexico or South Texas you are in, the legend of La
Llorona is a different tale to tell. In research I came across at least 7 or 8 different versions.
We will take a look at several different La Llorona theories across the country.
The prefix “La” refers to the fact that she was a female. The term La Llorona translated
means “The crying woman”, but unlike the Banshee from Irish folklore, La Llorona has quite
a different reason for weeping.
Most stories hint that she was woman as beautiful as she was mean, that was perhaps
wronged by a man; a charmer she met, and ultimately fell in love with. Though that is where
the similarities end.
One tale says that after falling in love with a man that was a local, he charmed her and
soon she was carrying his child. Once he found out she was pregnant, he shunned her and
went away to live a fun filled life. Out of sadness and insanity from losing her lover, she
went to the beach and drowned her baby and then she herself lay down crying and crying
in the sand until she died as well. This version accompanies the rumors that small children
have vanished around the area, although I could not find any facts to collaborate this.
Another variation of this version is that while carrying the child in her arms, she walked into
the river and drowned herself and the child at the same time. Soon after, a woman was
spotted roaming the streets in town. She is said to lure cheating men away with her beauty
and they are never seen again.
A different look at La Llorona is as follows...
Some claim that she was a harlot. A single mother looking to snag herself a rich man and
have a life with no worries. She met a rich man, and dated him until he found out that she
had a child. Not wanting to be a father, he ended their relationship. In a state of misery, she
went to the local river and drowned her baby. The body was found a week later.
Another tale depicts her as Maria. A virgin never having known a man. While still living at
home with her parents, she came up pregnant but still stood firm that she was a virgin. Her
parents tried to hide the pregnancy to no avail. One dark night as she lay sleeping after
giving birth, her father took the baby and drowned it in the river. By the time Maria arrived
at the river to save the baby, it was too late. The baby drowned and Maria died from
hemorrhaging.
The town folk wondered at her disappearance but they need not ponder long, for soon
after her death a woman was spotted by the river holding a baby in her arms and crying a
soulful cry. These sightings are still reported today.
Some say she had more than one child, and when the man she loved found out, he no
longer wanted to be with her because he did not want to be a father. To win his love and
affection, she stabbed her children and threw them into the river. When she went to the
man and told him what she had done so that they could be together, he was appalled. He
sent her away. She then realized her faux pas, and went to the very same river.
In tears, she killed herself. When she went to see God, she was sent back to forever walk
the earth and as further punishment for her crimes, she was given the head of a horse.
The timeline for sightings is a sketchy one. One article says the first sightings were right
after her death in 1531, but further reading places the first reported sightings to be in the
1550s. By the 1800s sightings and the story had spread throughout Mexico and beyond the
borders.
In most sightings she is usually crying and saying “¡ aay mis hijos!” translated means “Oh
my children!”
Could it be that La Llorona is none other than La Malinche?
Early 1500s La Malinche is born. Ultimately she is taken into slavery and given to Hernan
Cortes; a Spaniard who played a lead role in the conquest of Mexico. La Malinche is then
renamed Dona Marina. She helps Cortes in the conquest of Mexico, and at some point
gives birth to twin boys fathered by Cortes. Some reports conflict this and say that she gave
birth to one son rather than two.
It is said that after she had his children, Cortes takes on a mistress who convinces him to
leave Dona Marina. He obliges and takes their son or sons with him. Dona Marina grieved
the loss of her offspring, and was saddened that she had betrayed her own people with her
part in the conquest. In Spain, La Malinche’s name is praised, while in Mexico she is
considered a betrayer.
Some folks claim that it is Dona Marina that roams the streets at night crying.
A few of the areas she has been spotted in are as follows:
Rio Grande River
La Plaza Mayor sightings from the 1700s all the way up to today.
Around rivers in Honduras, Central America
New Mexico
California
South Texas
The Tecpan river
A recent sighting in San Pedro Sula where she allegedly drowned some school children
although I found no facts to back this up.
Some of the names and terms you may hear when people refer to her are:
Sofia
Linda
Maria
La Ciguanabana
La Sucia (meaning the dirty one) this is in the Honduras area.
Weeping Woman
The Woman in White
Dona Marina
La Malinche
There are two morals related to this story. One is to keep wandering men at home; the
other is to make sure that children will behave.
There are so many different variations of this tale, that it is hard to find a grain of what may
have really happened and if anything really happened at all.
As always, I will leave it up to you the reader to decide.
La Lechusa
Years ago, when I was in college in Texas, my best friend told me a story that I have never
forgotten.
She told me the story of La Lechusa. She went on to say that when she was a baby living in
Mexico, that there was a legend of a witch. This witch was called Lechusa. The Lechusa
was known to be a shape shifter, in particular, was infamous for transforming into a large
bird. The Lechusa it is said would steal little children. She told of her own run in with the
witch. One night when she was asleep in her crib which was by a window, the witch in the
form of a very large bird, tried to snatch her out of the window. Of course her parents
awoke and stopped this from happening.
Now, years later (won’t say how many years) I have decided to do some research into the
subject.
Lechusa or Lechuza translated means owl perhaps a barn owl.
Reports depict it as being bigger than the normal everyday owl. Wings span from nine to
fifteen feet, and the creature itself at least four to five feet tall. Some descriptions say that
even though the witch shape shifts into an owl, that her face stays in human form, and her
eyes glow red.
Many people say that one can summon La Lechusa. After midnight there is a ceremony
that would be performed involving tying knots into a rope and chanting certain spells, then
reversing the process by untying the knots. Depending on what one would want; whether it
be money, love, health, there would be a different chant.
Other stories depict La Lechusa also as a witch, but not to do your bidding, it will attack you
the first chance it has. Perhaps it is the spirit of a woman scorned as some suggest.
Most sightings are in South Texas and Mexico. Usually a lonely and desolate highway is the
sighting area.
I did not find any information that La Lechusa is especially fond of kidnapping children.
Mayan Folklore
In Southern Mexico, there are stories and traditional folklore from the Mayans.
Like many other countries I have studied, Mexico joins the bandwagon on traditional oral
folklore on how things on earth came into being.
The Mayan culture in Southern Mexico is heavily embedded with folklore. Many of these
tales have been translated into Spanish and English by a gentleman named Fernando
Penalosa.
Some examples are as follows:
Rabbit and the Cap of Antlers; the story describes how a rabbit got its ears, and a deer got
its antlers.
Jaguar Takes Little Skunk Hunting.
The Coyote and the Hen
Many more can be found on the web, some can be found here:
http://www.kstrom.net/isk/maya/mayastor.html
El Chupacabra
Mexico has claimed its stake in the field of crypto zoology. El Chupacabra.
El Chupacabra if broken down to chupa cabra roughly translated to English means “It
absorbs goats” this is about right for this alleged crypto creature.
The Chupacabra has struck fear into the hearts of many believers across Mexico. It is a
crypto that allegedly goes around sucking all the blood out of animals. What is usually left is
a puncture wound or two. It is yet undiscovered what animal is actually doing this. This is
one of the reasons the Chupacabra is so hard to disprove, as there is no known animal that
kills their prey with this method. Also some say it isn’t past taking an occasional organ from
the animal, even though the only exit point would be the small puncture wound(s)
Just like many unknown crypto creatures, the physical descriptions vary. Some say it runs
on two legs and has horns or spikes riding up and down its spine. Some folks say it has red
glowing eyes, and fur; possibly dark grey or black in color. Other reports contradict this by
saying it has no fur at all, but rather a scaly reptilian skin. Most witnesses agree that its
forelegs are shorter, which I find strange. If the two forelegs are shorter, then I cannot see
how it runs on all four legs. It would seem more plausible that the creature is bipedal. Some
people claim it has a tail, others claim it does not. Approximately 3 to 4 feet in height, and
moves extremely fast. The head is oval, and the jawbone is long. The teeth must be at least
three to four inches long because of how deeply it penetrates its victims.
Some claim dogs or even baboons as the culprit.
One police department in Mexico stated that in their examination of the carcasses, there
was no loss of blood; at least in that region of the country. Rumors of two captured
chupacabras; one in Puerto Rico and one in the USA. Though on further examination of the
captured creature in the USA, the final analysis was that it was a dog or coyote with the
mange.
A lot of citizens believe that UFOs and these creatures have some sort of connection. It is
interesting to note that Mexico is one of the top countries with UFO sightings. Others
believe it is a government experiment of genetic manipulation gone awry (also known as
anomalous biological entity or ABE)
Whatever it is, it has lots of folks frightened.
Sightings have occurred in many different countries including the USA but prominently in
Mexico, Puerto Rico and Brazil. Satanic cults have also been suggested.
One thing is for sure, something is killing thousands of animals in a strange and unknown
manner.
Flying Humanoids
There have been many strange things happening in the skies above Mexico lately. The
increased sightings have demanded the attention of authorities. For many of the
documented sightings come from regular everyday folks right up to the Mexican Air Force
and police officers alike.
They call these particular sightings Flying Humanoids. They are in the realm of UFOs but
instead of a flying disk or what have you, it is more of a human shape flying being. This is
an ongoing mystery that baffles the experts.
In my research, I have seen it suggested that they may be half deflated balloons.
I also came across an interesting consideration that what people are witnessing could be
something similar to the Williams X Jet. Although this idea scoffed at because they say the
body shape of what they are seeing, is nothing like a human navigating a Williams X Jet or
similar; perhaps a Wasp (Williams aerial survey platform from the US army) a jet pack.
Mexico is a country strong in its beliefs. A lot of citizens believe that this is some form of a
Bruja- a witch.
In Monterrey, Mexico, frequent sightings have dubbed the flying being as bruhas de
Monterrey (Monterrey witch)
These beings are not shy; they do not try to leave when video taped. One horrifying
account puts a police officer at the scene, only to be allegedly attacked by one of these
creatures. Watching the video of his interview, right after it happened, it was evident that he
was shaken up from the experience.
There have been sightings of more than one flying humanoid at a time as well; one reports
states that three were three beings interacting with one another.
I came across one article that reports a few different sightings, but I find it odd that three of
the sky watchers who witnessed these “beings” separately and on their own, happen to
know each other. What are the chances? “Who” and “why” are the unanswered questions;
as this is an ongoing mystery.
Until next time...
Tracey H.
PROOF Paranormal
Links
http://www.mysticaluniverse.com/mystical_creatures/Lechusa/Lechusa.html
http://www.lallorona.com/La_index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Llorona
http://www.kruela.ciberanika.com/leycol12.htm
http://www.kstrom.net/isk/maya/mayastor.html
http://www.folkart.com/folktale/
depiction of the chupacabra image source found here and used freely with permission http://commons.
wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Chupacabras.JPG
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williams_X-Jet
http://www.rense.com/general66/humsan.htm
http://www.unsolvedmysteries.com/usm418174.html careful pop ups
http://www.texancultures.utsa.edu/crossroads/index1.htm