Urban Legends

Which one did you like the most? 

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La Llorona

The legend of La Llorona (pronounced "LAH yoh ROH nah"), Spanish for the Weeping Woman, has been a part of Hispanic culture in the Southwest since the days of the conquistadors. The tall, thin spirit is said to be blessed with natural beauty and long flowing black hair. Wearing a white gown, she roams the rivers and creeks, wailing into the night and searching for children to drag, screaming, to a watery grave.

First tale: One legend has it that La Llorona, christened "Maria," was born to a peasant family in a humble village. Her startling beauty captured the attention of both the rich and the poor men of the area. She was said to have spent her days in her humble peasant surroundings, but in the evenings, she would don her best white gown and thrill the men who admired her in the local fandangos. The young men anxiously waited for her arrival and she reveled in the attention that she received. However, La Llorona had two small sons who made it difficult for her to spend her evenings out, and often, she left them alone while she cavorted with the gentlemen during the evenings. One day the two small boys were found drowned in the river. Some say they drowned through her neglect, but others say that they may have died by their mother's own hand.

Second tale: Another legend says that La Llorona was a caring woman full of life and love, who married a wealthy man who lavished her with gifts and attention. However, after she bore him two sons, he began to change, returning to a life of womanizing and alcohol, often leaving her for months at a time. He seemingly no longer cared for the beautiful Maria, even talking about leaving her to marry a woman of his own class. When he did return home, it was only to visit his children and the devastated Maria began to feel resentment toward the boys.
One evening, as Maria was strolling with her two children on a shady pathway near the river, her husband came by in a carriage with an elegant lady beside him. He stopped and spoke to his children, but ignored Maria, and then drove the carriage down the road without looking back.

After seeing this Maria went into a terrible rage, and turning against her children, she seized them and threw them into the river. As they disappeared down stream, she realized what she had done and ran down the bank to save them, but it was too late. Maria broke down into inconsolable grief, running down the streets screaming and wailing.

The beautiful La Llorona mourned them day and night. During this time, she would not eat and walked along the river in her white gown searching for her boys—hoping they would come back to her. She cried endlessly as she roamed the riverbanks and her gown became soiled and torn. When she continued to refuse to eat, she grew thinner and appeared taller until she looked like a walking skeleton. Still a young woman, she finally died on the banks of the river.

Not long after her death, her restless spirit began to appear, walking the banks of the Santa Fe River when darkness fell. Her weeping and wailing became a curse of the night and people began to be afraid to go out after dark. She was said to have been seen drifting between the trees along the shoreline or floating on the current with her long white gown spread out upon the waters. On many a dark night people would see her walking along the riverbank and crying for her children. And so, they no longer spoke of her as Maria, but rather, La Llorona, the weeping woman. Children are warned not to go out in the dark, for La Llorona might snatch them, throwing them to their deaths in the flowing waters.

La Llorona has been heard at night wailing next to rivers by many and her wanderings have grown wider, following Hispanic people wherever they go. Her movements have been traced throughout the Latin American countries and even in the United States. The legend has become part of Hispanic culture everywhere. Part of the legend is that those who do not treat their families well will see her and she will teach them a lesson.

The Hispanic people believe that the La Llorona will always be with them, following the many rivers looking for her children, and for this reason, many of them fear the dark and pass the legend from generation to generation.

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Urban Legend “La Llorona”

Vocabulary Words

1.  Christened- (past tense of christen) – To baptize, name or dedicate to God in a ceremony.
2. Peasant- (noun)- a usually uneducated person of low social status.
3.  Humble- (adjective)- not arrogant, simple.
4.  Don- (verb) put on.
5.  Thrill- (verb) to cause a sudden sharp feeling of excitement.
6. Fandangos-  (noun) a lively dance.
7. Cavorted- ( past tense of cavort) to leap or dance about in a lively manner. (verb)
8. Drowned- (past tense of drown)  to suffocate by submersion especially in water. (verb)
9. Neglect- (verb) to leave undone or unattended to especially through carelessness.
10. Caring (to care) feeling concerned. (verb)
11.  Seemingly-  (adjective) outwardly or superficially evident but not true or real.
12. Resentment- (noun) a feeling of indignant displeasure or persistent ill will at something regarded as a wrong, insult, or injury.
13.  Seized (past of seize)- to attack or physically overwhelm.  (verb)
14.  Stream-  (noun) a body of running water.
15.  Riverbank- (noun) the bank of a river.
16.  Restless- (adjective) lacking or denying rest. Continuously moving.
17. Hesitation-  (noun) a pause.
18. Lavished- (past tense of lavish) marked by abundance or excess. (adjective)
19. Roamed (past tense of roam) - to go from place to place without purpose or direction.
20.  Rage- violent and uncontrolled anger.
21.  Snatch- o take or grasp abruptly or hastily.

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Jan Van Hunks- South Africa

In the early 18^th century there was a Dutch pirate named Jan van Hunks. He decided to retire from his exciting life at sea and live on the slopes of Devils Peak in South Africa.

Van Hunks sometimes walked up the mountain where he smoked his pipe in peace, away from his nagging wife. One day as he was smoking, a mysterious man approached him and asked Van Hunks if he could borrow some tobacco. After a bit of bragging, a smoking contest developed, the winner's prize would be a ship full of gold. After several days the retired pirate defeated the stranger, who turned out to be the devil. Thunder started rolling, the clouds closed in and Jan van Hunks disappeared leaving only a scorched patch.

It is told that the cloud of tobacco smoke turned into a tablecloth. "The tablecloth" is known as the white cloud that can be seen over Table Mountain when the south- eastern wind blows in summer. Whenever this happen it is said that Van Hunks and the devil are at it again.

Video of the Tale

The actual cloud can be seen here. This is a video of Table Mountain in South Africa.

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What is El Chupacabra?

El Chupacabras is a creature that has been known to attack livestock in Puerto  Rico, South and Central America, and as far north as the United States. The word comes from two Spanish words chupar "to suck" and cabra "goat" Animals killed by El Chupacabra have all been found drained of blood from a distinctive three hole puncture mark on the animals chest. Its main targets have been goats and sheep, but it is also know to have attacked chickens, turkeys, and dogs. There have been no reports of humans ever being attacked by El Chupacabra. 

The first reported attack by El Chupacabra happened in 1995 in Puerto Rico, where 8 sheep have been reported killed. Each of the animals had the same puncture wounds on their chest, their bodies were also drained of blood. At first locals blamed this on Satanic cults performing animal sacrifice. Later that year in August however, a woman named Madelyne Tolentine saw a strange hairless "dog creature" in the town of Canovanas, where as many as 150 farm animals had been killed in the same fashion.

Shortly after attacks began to happen all over South and Central America, and the Caribbean. The first attack in the United States occurred in October of 2004. A rancher in San Antonio Texas killed a creature that was attacking his livestock. He described as " A hairless dog creature". The creature, named the Elmendorf Beast was taken in for DNA testing. The scientists determined it was a coyote that was suffering from mange. That same month 2 more corpses were discovered, both were determined again to be coyotes or wild dogs suffering from severe mange.

In April of 2006 the Russian news station MosNews featured a report of a strange "hairless dog creature".  This creature was linked to the death of 32 turkeys in a small central Russian village, all the turkeys had the same puncture marks as older victims, and all were drained of blood.

In May 2007, 300 sheep were reported to have been killed in Bovaca Columbia. Zoologists from the National University of Columbia have reported that they found a specimen that fits the description of El Chupacabra. All 300 sheep have been killed in the exact same fashion as older attacks.

In August of 2008, a farm owner living in Capiz Philippines, reported that he saw a strange dog like animal attack and kill 8 of his chickens. His description matched that of Latin American descriptions of El Chupacabra.

That same month a DeWitt county (Texas) deputy named Brandon Riedel filmed on the dashboard camera of his police cruiser a creature he described as "About the same size as a coyote, but hairless with a long snout, and short front legs"

CNN in September of 2009, aired a report showing close up footage of a unknown creature. The corpse is believed to be that of El Chupacabra.  Eye witness reports vary on descriptions of El Chupacabra. Some describe it as a creature with a reptile like appearance, with greenish grey skin. It has sharp spines or quills that run from the base of the creatures neck to its tail. It's approximately 3 to 4 feet (1 to 1.2 meters) tall. the creature has also been reported to have a kangaroo like stance and hop, one report claiming to have seen one leap as high as 20 feet in the air, Other reports claim the creature has a panther like long nose and face, and has a fork tongue.

The most common reports claim to resemble a hairless dog, with rodent and kangaroo features. The creature has visibly shorter front legs, long snout, and a pronounced ridge on its back. It has been reported to make strange shrieks when surprised.


Source: http://snakeeyes.hubpages.com/hub/Urban-Legends-El-Chupacabra

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The Headless Horseman

A New York Ghost Story 

retold by S. E. Schlosser

One cold winter night, early in the New Year, a certain Dutchman left the tavern in Tarrytown and started walking to his home in the hollow nearby. His path led next to the old Sleepy Hollow cemetery where a headless Hessian soldier was buried. At midnight, the Dutchman came within site of the graveyard. The weather had warmed up during the week, and the snow was almost gone from the road. It was a dark night with no moon, and the only light came from his lantern.

The Dutchman was nervous about passing the graveyard, remembering the rumors of a galloping ghost that he had heard at the tavern. He stumbled along, humming to himself to keep up his courage. Suddenly, his eye was caught by a light rising from the ground in the cemetery. He stopped, his heart pounding in fear. Before his startled eyes, a white mist burst forth from an unmarked grave and formed into a large horse carrying a headless rider.

The Dutchman let out a terrible scream as the horse leapt toward him at a full gallop. He took to his heels, running as fast as he could, making for the bridge since he knew that ghosts and evil spirits did not care to cross running water. He stumbled suddenly and fell, rolling off the road into a melting patch of snow. The headless rider thundered past him, and the man got a second look at the headless ghost. It was wearing a Hessian commander's uniform.

The Dutchman waited a good hour after the ghost disappeared before crawling out of the bushes and making his way home. After fortifying himself with schnapps, the Dutchman told his wife about the ghost. By noon of the next day, the story was all over Tarrytown. The good Dutch folk were divided in their opinions. Some thought that the ghost must be roaming the roads at night in search of its head. Others claimed that the Hessian soldier rose from the grave to lead the Hessian soldiers in a charge up nearby Chatterton Hill, not knowing that the hill had already been taken by the British.

Whatever the reason, the Headless Horseman continues to roam the roads near Tarrytown on dark nights from that day to this.

Video of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

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Bloody Mary

excerpted from Spooky Pennsylvania

retold by S.E. Schlosser

She lived deep in the forest in a tiny cottage and sold herbal remedies for a living. Folks living in the town nearby called her Bloody Mary, and said she was a witch. None dared cross the old crone for fear that their cows would go dry, their food-stores rot away before winter, their children take sick of fever, or any number of terrible things that an angry witch could do to her neighbors.

Then the little girls in the village began to disappear, one by one. No one could find out where they had gone. Grief-stricken families searched the woods, the local buildings, and all the houses and barns, but there was no sign of the missing girls. A few brave souls even went to Bloody Mary's home in the woods to see if the witch had taken the girls, but she denied any knowledge of the disappearances. Still, it was noted that her haggard appearance had changed. She looked younger, more attractive. The neighbors were suspicious, but they could find no proof that the witch had taken their young ones.

Then came the night when the daughter of the miller rose from her bed and walked outside, following an enchanted sound no one else could hear. The miller's wife had a toothache and was sitting up in the kitchen treating the tooth with an herbal remedy when her daughter left the house. She screamed for her husband and followed the girl out of the door. The miller came running in his nightshirt. Together, they tried to restrain the girl, but she kept breaking away from them and heading out of town.

The desperate cries of the miller and his wife woke the neighbors. They came to assist the frantic couple. Suddenly, a sharp-eyed farmer gave a shout and pointed towards a strange light at the edge of the woods. A few townsmen followed him out into the field and saw Bloody Mary standing beside a large oak tree, holding a magic wand that was pointed towards the miller's house. She was glowing with an unearthly light as she set her evil spell upon the miller's daughter.

The townsmen grabbed their guns and their pitchforks and ran toward the witch. When she heard the commotion, Bloody Mary broke off her spell and fled back into the woods. The far-sighted farmer had loaded his gun with silver bullets in case the witch ever came after his daughter. Now he took aim and shot at her. The bullet hit Bloody Mary in the hip and she fell to the ground. The angry townsmen leapt upon her and carried her back into the field, where they built a huge bonfire and burned her at the stake.

As she burned, Bloody Mary screamed a curse at the villagers. If anyone mentioned her name aloud before a mirror, she would send her spirit to revenge herself upon them for her terrible death. When she was dead, the villagers went to the house in the wood and found the unmarked graves of the little girls the evil witch had murdered. She had used their blood to make her young again.

From that day to this, anyone foolish enough to chant Bloody Mary's name three times before a darkened mirror will summon the vengeful spirit of the witch. It is said that she will tear their bodies to pieces and rip their souls from their mutilated bodies. The souls of these unfortunate ones will burn in torment as Bloody Mary once was burned, and they will be trapped forever in the mirror.