Spanish Myths and Legends

by Mimi and Samantha

La llorona- The Witch

This legend is well known in Mexico or southwestern United States. Tales of La llorona can be traced back for centuries through tradition. There have been three documented encounters with the ghost. La llorona means " The Crying One"

Summarization of the Legend

This legend is about a young girl who lived in a town where if you weren't married by fifteen you were an old maid. Maria was nineteen and was considered a selfish witch. Later she met Luis and within a year she had a baby. A few days after she had a baby Luis disappeared. One afternoon she heard people joking about having seen Luis somewhere. Maria got so mad and drowned her baby in the pond. She realized what she had done and lied their crying until she decided to drown herself. People fear her

because they think she will lure kids into the

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El Dorado

It was thought El Dorado was in the mountains of Columbia near present day Bogota. The story represents hope and greed. El Dorado is known as "the golden one".

Summarization of the Legend

When rumours began to spread about their being a gold kingdom in the highlands of South America, expeditions took place through the jungles and mountains. All expeditions were held to find and conquer El Dorado "the lost city of gold," but all missions failed to find the gold chief, the kingdom, or the lake holding gold. However, a famous seeker Raleigh reported he found the city, but there was no trace of it being where Raleigh said.

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Lady of Guadalupe

This legend is important to the Hispanic religion and culture. Lady of Guadalupe is basically Mexico's version of a Shroud of Turin(centuries old linen cloth with an image of a crucified man). Lady of Guadalupe is very famous because there is nowhere in Mexico where you will not find a reproduction of the image.

Summarization of the Legend

In 1531 the spanish had been occupying Mexico for about 10 years. A peasant, Juan Diego, was walking in what's now known as Mexico City when he saw the glowing figure of a teenage girl on Tepeyac(a hill). She identified herself as the Virgin Mary and asked him to build her a church on this spot. Diego recounted this to the Archbishop of Mexico, Zumarraga. However Zumarraga asked him to prove her identity with a miracle. Diego returned to the hill and she told him to pick some flowers. Although it was winter so none had bloomed, but Diego found some he

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........picked them. The Virgin Mary bundled them flowers in Diego's cloak woven from cactus fiber and called a tilma. He presented the tilma to Zumarraga, the flowers fell out and he recognized them as Castilian roses a type he had never seen before. But miraculously the cloak had been imprinted with a colorful image of the Virgin Mary.

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The actual tilma is preserved from the date, showing the familiar image of her head bowed and hands together in prayer, is the Lady of Guadalupe.

The Legend of the Sun and Moon This legend shows how little people knew about
the world back then.

Summarization of the Legend

The Gods met in Teotihuacan: Who will light the world? A God named Tecuciztecatl said:I will take care of the lighting. The God asked- Who else? He picked Nanahuatzin. Then the two began to prepare for sacrifice. Soon the Gods gathered around the fire. Tecuciztecatl tried but was affraid to jump into the fire. Then Nanahuatzin closed his

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..... and jumped in. After Tecuciztecatl saw Nanahuatzin jump into the fire he threw himself in. Then the Gods looked east and all of a sudden the sun rose blinding them. In the same order the they entered the fire, the gods appeared Sun and Moon. Nanahuatzin would be the Sun and Tecuciztecatl would be the Moon and light the world.

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The Legend of the Volcanoes

The Romantic legend of this couple has been passed on, ever since the Pre- Columbian era. Now the people of Mexico know the origin of these magnificent volcanoes. These volcanoes rise beyond 17,000 feet in elevation giving a breathtaking sight. They are snow capped year round, located 45 miles southeast of the nation's capital, Popo and Izta.

Summarization of the Legend

When the Aztecs arrived, before the mountains had reached their permanent form, a beautiful princess named Mixtli was born. She was the daughter of Tizoc the Tlatoani Emperor. Mixtli was demanded for marriage by a nobleman Axooxco but her heart belonged to a peasant name Popoca. Popoca went into battle, to conquer the title of Caballero Aguila. If he claimed this nobility, Popoco could fight Axooxco for the hand of Mixtli. Mixtli knew the danger Popoco was in and heard that he was killed. But in fact he was returning victorious.

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..... returned to find her dead he picked her up and carried her body into the mountains. Popoco stayed at her feet watching and waiting for her to awaken. They have remained therE ever since becoming Iztaccihuatl (the Sleeping Women), Popocatepetl (the Smoking Mountain) and Cerro Ajusco (the high point of Distrito Federal).

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Bibliography
"AZTECAH." AZTECAH. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://www.aztecah.com/diaynoche_eng.php>. "La Leyenda Del Sol Y La Luna." Red Mexicana. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://www.redmexicana.com/leyendas/elsolylaluna.asp>.

"Hispanic/Spanish Legends." My ECoach. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://www.myecoach.com/online/webresourcelist.php?rlid=4112>.

"El Dorado." Wyrdology. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://www.wyrdology.com/other/el-dorado.html>. "The Story of El Dorado." Come Catch the Waves at Caribbean. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://www.cariwave.com/eldorado.htm> "La Llorona Legend and Ghostly Sightings." Suite101.com. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://jill-stefko.suite101.com/lallorona-legend-and-ghostly-sightings-a120703> "Our Lady Of Guadalupe | Www.sancta.org." Guadalupe. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://www.sancta.org/intro.html>. "The Virgin of Guadalupe." Skeptoid: Critical Analysis Podcast. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4201> "The Legend of Guadalupe." The FolkArt Gallery-folk Art from around the World. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://www.thefolkartgallery.com/guadalupe.htm>. "La Leyenda Del Sol Y La Luna." Bibliotecas Virtuales. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://www.bibliotecasvirtuales.com/biblioteca/narrativa/leyendas/elsolylaluna.asp>. "Mitos Y Leyendas De Mxico: La Leyenda Del Sol Y La Luna." Mitos Y Leyendas De Mxico: La Leyenda Del Sol Y La Luna. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://www.guiascostarica.com/mitos/mexico44.htm>. "Legend of the Volcanoes." Go Texas Soccer!! Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://gotexassoccer.com/trips/highpoints/mex_mex/volcano_legend.htm> "The Legend of Popocatpetl and Iztacchuatl - Mexico's Volcanes - Mexico." The Legend of Popocatpetl and Iztacchuatl. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://www.mexonline.com/history-popo.htm>.