The legends and myths of the state of Veracruz in Mexico are generally related to Mexican historical events. Thanks to its topography, it has been possible to create a large number of stories that enrich its cultural traditions.
The myths and legends of this state are generally a combination of indigenous oral traditions mixed with the great influence that had the Spanish conquest in the region.
This state is considered as the core point in the history of Mexico; the birth of the Mexican mestizo nation.
This region has a great coastline where you can find beaches, lagoons and rivers. In Veracruz you can also find forests, plains, and mountains that have inspired a lot of legends.
Veracruz witnessed the birth and growth of the mother of all mesoamerican cultures : the Olmecs , whose roots can be located hundreds of years BC.
The traces of this culture, together with the Huastecos Y Totonacas , and the influence Nahuatl can be observed in its great cultural baggage.
List of myths and legends of the state of Veracruz in Mexico
1- Legend of the mulatto woman from Córdoba
It is based on an event that happened in the 16th century when the Holy Inquisition accused a mulatto woman of witchcraft. The record of this case can be found in the General file of the nation.
The story tells that in Cordoba lived a beautiful woman, called Mulata who never grew old. It was thought that this woman had a pact with the devil or that she was a witch so she was accused of witchcraft.
On the day of his execution, the jailer came to fetch her from his cell. But the woman had drawn a ship on a cell wall.
To the surprise of the jailer, the woman jumped into the boat and it disappeared in the corners of the cell. The woman was never seen.
2- The Tamiahua Mermaid
The story goes that a woman named Irene went out to fetch firewood during Holy Week. He then went to wash his face in a river. Both acts were forbidden so the girl asked the gods for forgiveness.
It is said that the woman came out with a mermaid's tail, her skin turned red and her hair tinged red. The witnesses went out to chase her with ships, but they could not reach her.
The girl was singing to a boat that appeared in the sea and was never heard of. Legend has it that if a person listens to this siren, they will have an accident.
3- The crying child
This story is located in the lagoon of Ojo de Agua, in Orizaba. It is said that a worker who passed by and heard the cry of a child, after finding him found him sitting at the foot of the lagoon.
The boy told him that he was lost and asked him to load him up to Potrerillo Church.
The lord accepted and the boy told him not to turn to see him until the first church they met.
As they approached the church, the Lord began to hear strange noises and looked at the child; instead of the child there was a monster laughing horribly. The Lord released the child and entered the frightened church.
It is said that when that monster managed to enter a church, the lagoon of Ojo de Agua would overflow in flood Orizaba, causing death and destruction.
4- La llorona
This is the version of Xico. Supposedly the llorona leaves from 12:00 to 1:00 in the morning in the rivers. The weeping woman was a woman who listened to tears because she thought she had lost her children.
5- The jewel of gold coins and the mermaid
In Orizaba lived a very rich man with a big house. Since he had so much money, he decided to bury a pot full of coins in a waterhole.
The man placed the bronze statue of a siren on the side of the pot to watch over her. However, the years went by and the man died without telling anyone about the treasure.
For this reason, every June 24 at 12:00 PM the siren becomes flesh and blood and nothing for the water eye.
At dawn, it becomes a statue to take care of the pot of coins that has not been discovered.
6- The Sambomono
In Tres Zapotes lived Juanito, a lonely boy, with his father. One day, other children discovered that Juanito had had hair all over his body and a tail; they began to mock and to call him 'Juanito the bear'.
Juanito, angrily, told his father that he wanted to leave so that no one would ever bother him again.
Therefore, Juanito decided to go to live on the mountain, declaring that he would kill anyone who came. He gave his father a sea snail and told him to sound it when he came to visit him so Juanito knew it was him.
Soon screams began to be heard on the mountain; people began to disappear. People believed he was an animal and called him Sambomono.
The father, embarrassed, never said that it was his son but warned the people that if they had to go through the mountain, they would touch a snail.
7- Nahuani and Ahuilizapan
In the hill San Andrés and lived a warrior named Nahuani, who was accompanied by his best friend: an eagle called Ahuilizapan.
When Nahuani died, Ahuilizapan flew to the sky to plummet. Where his body fell, a volcano formed: the peak of Orizaba.
8- Legend La Niña del Ángel
In 1908, a two-year-old girl died. His parents asked for a marble monument to be made imitating his daughter. The sculptor made the structure together with a guardian angel.
Legend has it that the angel moves to protect the girl; more than 100 years have passed and the monument is still in perfect condition.
It is said that sometimes the angel can be seen in the pantheon 'Juan de la Luz Enríquez' stealing flowers from other tombs to place them to the girl.
9- The black dog
In Alvarado there was a man who molested women, robbed and wreaked havoc in the village. The people of the village tried to lynch him but they never found him.
At the time, a black dog appeared and in the market bit a lady's hand. Then the black dog began to wreak havoc throughout the village, and everyone detested him.
One day, a man began to beat the dog until it could not move. When the dog was lying down, he got up on two legs and took off his hide.
Under that skin was the man who had caused all the trouble. The man ran and was never seen again in the village.
10- Dance of the Negritos
In Papantla there lived an African slave woman with her son. One day, his son was bitten by a snake and to save him, he executed an African ceremony applied in those cases; sang, danced and shouted around the young man.
Some Totonac natives observed the performance and as they liked the movements, they decided to imitate it and adapt it to their own culture. This is how the dance of the Negritos was born.
References
- Legend of the weeping woman, Veracruz (2010). Recovered from mitosyleyendasmexico.blogspot.com.
- The jewel of gold coins and the mermaid. Recovered from myths-mexicos.com.
- The mulatto of Cordoba. Retrieved from paratodomexico.com.
- The black dog. Recovered from myths-mexicos.com.
- Mexican myths and legends- Veracruz. Recovered from myths-mexicos.com.
- Legend of the little angel. Retrieved from paratodomexico.com.
- Myths of Veracruz. Recovered from mitoscortos.com.mx.
- The legend of the dance of the negritos. Recovered from myths-mexicos.com.
- Veracruz (2007). Recovered from holayadios.wordpress.com.
Nahuani and Ahuilizapan. Recovered from myths-mexicos.com.