La Llorona (the Weeping Woman)
Once there was a beautiful, young, and vibrant spirited indigenous girl.
She was so attractive that she came to the attention of a young Spanish
nobleman.
The Spanish nobleman was in society's upper class, of
rich family, and a powerful family of noble European blood. The two fell
in love and were wed under common law. They both lived happy lives and had
three children. Then one day, things started to fall apart.
The rich, Spanish nobleman was to marry a white upper
class woman. Not entirely his fault, it was an arranged marriage done by
his parents. Despite the nobleman's love for the indigenous woman, marriage
between them was unthinkable, she was of lower class. When the nobleman told
his love about his arranged marriage, she broke into tears. She became angry,
resentful, and frustated. But the news gets even worse.
The Spanish nobleman also told her that he would take
the children. The indigenous girl was outraged, angry, but she did not show
it to the nobleman. She kept her feelings hidden. The Spanish nobleman went
away and married. And soon therafter he returned to take the children.
He was shocked by what he saw, the girl had drowned
her three children in a nearby river. She would rather see her children dead
than see them taken away. After the nobleman threatened to bring justice,
she takes a knife and stabs herself in the heart. This was her revenge.
Her sole rises to heaven and she meets with God at heaven's
gate. God asks her where her children were. She admits she killed them,
but that she doesn't know where they are. God then commands, "you may not
enter heaven, until you have found your children." She is returned to the
world in an eternal search for her children. The search never ends, it still
goes on today. She goes around in a white dress that flutters in the wind.
Her attractiveness remains and many men have approached her, only to find
her face is a skull. One can hear her at night, crying out to her children,
"hay mis hijos," oh, my children. She cries and cries and weeps, hence her
name, La Llorona, the Weeping Woman!!!
Note: Parents tend to use this story to keep their
children indoors at night. They warn that La Llorona may mistake them
for her own and take them away.
