The legend of La Llorona is one of the oldest and most popular stories of the Latin American people. Its origin is uncertain, but it has been passed down from generation to generation, giving rise to various versions depending on the geographical location. This magical and supernatural story is part of the cultural identity of Mexico and the rest of Latin America and is usually depicted in plays around the Day of the Dead.
Origins of the legend
The first written record of the legend dates back to the 16th century, by Fray Bernardino de Sahagún. At the time of the conquest, Fray compiled the story of the eight omens of the Mexican people, referring to this popular character. But there is no further information about it, so it is unclear what its true origin is.
According to various sources, La Llorona is the result of the mixture of several pre-Hispanic myths and religious beliefs during the Spanish conquest.because it refers to several representations of mother goddesses. One of them is Tonantzin, a goddess worshiped on the hill of Tepeyac and who would later be identified with the Virgin of Guadalupe.
The rest of the versions that currently exist on the legend of La Llorona date from the colonial era. In fact, it was from this period that the legend underwent transformations, since it was forbidden to speak of pre-Hispanic goddesses, as it would be blasphemy and heresy, but the indigenous essence of the story does not was not completely lost;
The appearance
La Llorona is described as a woman with long black hair.dressed in a long white coat that seems to float in the air. Their cry is heartbreaking, a complaint that echoes in the silent nights, warning the unwary who approach rivers or lakes. It is said that if you hear their screams, it is a sign that death is near. Children are often advised not to go near water, as La Llorona might try to take them with her, mistaking their cries for those of her own children.
La Llorona and pre-Hispanic tradition
The story of La Llorona in Mexico alludes to myths from pre-Hispanic timeslike Xtabay from the Mayan culture, and Tzitzimimes or Cihuacóatl from the Aztec culture. All of them refer to a woman who sold her city to the Spanish conquerors and, as a result, cries out desperately, lamenting the death of all of them.
In places like Xochimilco (Mexico), where the legend is very popular, La Llorona seems to have some relationship with the goddess Tenpecutliwho, like her, committed the murder of her children in the river.
It is also linked to the divinity Cihuacóatl, half woman and half snake, associated with fertility and birthsas well as women who died in childbirth. One of the first texts that reflect the similarity of this goddess with La Llorona is the work “History of Things in New Spain” by Fray Bernardino de Sahagún, which describes that “the outfit with which this woman appeared was white”.
The most popular versions of La Llorona
Currently, There are many versions of what she looks like and what causes her to lament and burst into tears at night. The character of La Llorona is, in almost all her versions, a mother tormented by the unbearable pain of having lost or murdered her own children.
Sometimes he is identified with Malinchethe indigenous concubine of Hernán Cortés who cries with regret for her betrayal of her indigenous people, that is, for her children. It refers to a broken symbol, according to which the ancient goddess knew the fate of her people and could do nothing to prevent it.
Another version of La Llorona tells the story of an indigenous woman who falls in love with a Spanish soldier with whom she has three childrenbut he never proposes to her and abandons her to marry a Spanish woman. The young indigenous woman, after learning that she has been betrayed and abandoned, drowns her children in the river full of pain. Then, realizing what he had done, he committed suicide. Since then, his spirit has wandered along the banks of the river saying “Oh, my children!
The present
Today, La Llorona is a ghost of Mexican folklore which, despite its different variations depending on the region, It refers to the soul of a suffering woman who drowned her children and who cries in regret every night, frightening those in its path with its cries of despair.
La Llorona’s story, while terrifying, is also a call for empathy, reminding us of the importance of caring for and valuing those close to us.
Thus, La Llorona continues her cry in the dark nights, an eternal reminder of the stories that unite us and haunt us throughout time.
Recommended Reading
Myth of La Llorona in Latin Spain
La llorona in the Hispanic world
