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I was replying to a post in another section in the forum, when I remembered this legend from Mexico. I thought I'd share.

La Llorona (translates roughly as the Crying Woman) is a figure that appears constantly in all the mythology of prehispanic Mexico. The general story speaks of a woman dressed in white, who goes around screaming "Oh, my children!!!" as in mourning. There are several versions of her origin.

The Xochimilca version speaks of Cihuacoatl, which translates as "wise woman". Cihuacoatl was also a title given to woman who died in childbirth (who were highly respected and became almost divine beings). She was a goddess, and the first woman to give birth (so she became the protector of women in labour and ruled the Cihuateteo, the place where women went after they died in childbirth). She helped Quetzalcoatl (the Plumed Serpent, one of the most important gods) to build the present era of human existence by grinding bones of past eras and mixing them with blood. She left her son Mixcoatl (god of tempest and hunting, also, the representation of the Milky Way) in a crossroad, and later came back to look for him, finding nothing but a sacrificial blade. She then came back over and over again, crying desperately to mourn her loss. Supposedly, she appears near the canals of Xochimilco.

Another version of this myth is Aztec. In this version, we have Coatlicue, the Mother Goddess of the nahua culture. She received the title of Tonantizn, Our Beloved Mother. The legend says that several prophesies warned Aztecs about the arrival of the Spanish. Tonantzin warned them about the death and destruction the foreigners would bring. After the Aztec empire fell and the Aztecs were killed (mainly by diseases), the story says Tonantzin began to walk among the ruins of the empire (located in downtown Mexico City, that in old times was filled with canals) screaming "Oh, my children!" mourning the deaths of her children, the Aztecs.

Yet another version of the story states that this woman is Malintzin, also known as La Malinche or Doña Marina, a Mexican noble woman who served as an interpreter to Hernan Cortes. This version says that her cries reflect her remorse for betraying her people and helping the Spanish conquer Mexico.

Some versions of Southern Mexico say she is some kind of seductress who attracts men near rivers and drowns them.

The more modern version says that there was a mestiza (half Spanish, half indigenous) woman who was the mistress of a Spanish man. She bore her children, and loved him deeply; but he married a Spanish woman and abandoned her. In her despair, she drowned her children and killed herself. Since then, she mourns for her children, constantly looking for them, filled with remorse. This version has different variations, ranging from: la Llorona being a rich woman who fell in poverty and killed her children to avoid disgrace, to a bride who never made it to her wedding (which does not fit with the very important children part.)

La Llorona is almost always seen near water, or in places where there was water (like downtown Mexico City). She mourns for her children. She is dressed in white. She appears not only in Mexico (as far as I know there are other Llorona stories in Latin America).

I keep wondering if some of the apparitions of la Llorona are related to the Unseelie. The reason is that today, she is feared as an evil spirit, who takes away children. According to this, you must place open scissors in your window to keep her away. The legend says she is near if you hear her cry far, far away, and very far if you hear her cry near (funny stuff). I know a few people who have heard her and agree her cries are chilling. I doubt she is related to our Mother Tonantzin or Cihuacoatl, or even Malinzin. I do think this Llorona is a negative spirit capable of harming those who let her.

I'd love to read your thougts on this legend.

I feel a bit creeped out XD

Daji

"Another version of this myth is Aztec. In this version, we have Coatlicue, the Mother Goddess of the nahua culture. She received the title of Tonantizn, Our Beloved Mother. The legend says that several prophesies warned Aztecs about the arrival of the Spanish. Tonantzin warned them about the death and destruction the foreigners would bring. After the Aztec empire fell and the Aztecs were killed (mainly by diseases), the story says Tonantzin began to walk among the ruins of the empire (located in downtown Mexico City, that in old times was filled with canals) screaming “Oh, my children!”

Thats so strange, I just had a dream a few days ago, I was at an old canal near a big river, and we were in a group of people, or maybe I was alone, but I went up to talk to these people and one of them was a matriarch, somebody told me that and I was like wow because I've been looking for the 72 lost zen matriarchs, she had light brown skin and she was not older than me, maybe even a little bit younger and I looked at her and I was just like 'Goddess!' it kind of suprised me that I said that but I did, then we talked about something, something happened and I were in the city, but there was home there, like a place nearby

like museums, like we were staying in the museum or a store or something

and I was with my friend except he had crutches, then we were walking and we encountered this guy who looked almost exactly like my friend except he had no crutches, he was a lot bigger than me though and he was angry, for some reason, it seemed like a lot of peple were picketing and protesting something, like equal rights, it felt like it was in those times

we were kind of just walking though

and this guy comes up and he is so angry, and my friend can't do anything, but he was angry at me, we probably would have had to have fought, i remember crutches like wings, maybe it was my conscience, thats an interesting way to look at it

but then, Pomo's blessing, I woke up

I think its a good sign, of good things returning

that that dream opened up and showed me that the way of Goddess is wise and true and I can trust her… its buried underneath much, but all go through cycles, all rise and fall,

even this all one ness, the notion that all is one, despite the basic truth, feelings get involved, beautiful feelings and they are the life to things and the stories, sometimes i didn't understand stories but they always have been a part of my life, even when i put away stories, there is another story dreaming itself how to live within the stories, and write yourself, is wantism a healing way passed down by the ancients

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=IHPXP52K

and this is us shamanizing

Kikuyo said:

Creeeepy! I don't know much about Mexican history and culture, and living in Massachusetts I can't really say I've ever encountered La Llorona (I love saying that name by the way, it rolls off the tongue so nicely and sounds kinda ominous!) but I think it's striking how common the idea of child-stealing spirits are across cultures. One particular one I know of is Yuki-onna, the Snow Woman in Japanese mythology, who resembles the La Llorona mythos quite a bit.

The idea of supernatural abduction always gives me the heebie-jeebies. Part of me wants to say the myths arise from social naivete, trusting each other enough to assume that it couldn't have been your neighbor who stole your kid — and in the past it was much easier to get away with stuff like that, whereas today there are cameras everywhere, everyone has a cellphone, etc. If there really are supernatural abductions, well I don't really know what I think. It's just creepy. Being kidnapped was one of my worst fears as a kid, and to throw otherworldly creatures into the equation is so frightening.

I think La Llorona (and many of the child-stealing entities out there) could be related to the Unseelie, but I also wonder if there are other groups of beings out there outside of humans and fae. I mean, is everything split down the middle between of-the-human-world and of-the-faery-world, or are there other worlds intersecting as well? If she were an Unseelie, do you think it is one creature, or maybe a group of group of creatures with the same purpose/mission?

When I read the post I was instantly reminded of Yuki-onna! You got to it first. :) I think some, or most actually, part of the child-stealing myths are based on less otherwordly reasons; mainly humans abducting other human children.

I am also reminded of the fact that, throughout history, various sidhe have been feared as child-stealing entities. Replacing the stolen children or people with fairy counterparts. The horseshoe (cold iron) above the doorway thing may have originated from wanting to ward off fae.

I don't think that everything is either Seelie or Unseelie or Neutral. Mainly because I don't think the terms cross between cultures. Considering Seelie and Unseelie are courts within the European… branches? of sidhe, I'm not sure how likely it is that they have spread worldwide (on their side, I mean). But I do wonder if their side of the veil also contains the creatures from other cultures. I think for simplicity reasons, Mr. E refers to everything on his side as fae, right? Elves and other fae from his side have travelled worldwide reaching quite a few places…

So is anything that does bad, I suppose, automatically given the title of unseelie? I think one good example would be the "sounds of unseelie" post. I've seen the show before and it is a Native American creature that I can't quite remember the name of, but the natives who are aware of its existence don't call it unseelie. It is simple, well, evil, I guess.

In Mexico my parents have heard her cries, once when it was pouring down rain and the other at night toward the river in our village which was overfilled with water. I personally never heard her cry but plenty of other people have. Supposably you hear her more in our village when its rainfall season.

Having a human form does not rule out the possibility of a water spirit. Nixes appear as men and women and are often seen on land doing regular human things. These are german water spirits. They're normal til you go home with them. Then they have things laying around the house like the souls of those who drowned ect.  The only distinction is that they're in desperate need of tooth whitener. In an age when everyones teeth were black theirs were green. Something a little colgate and floss would take care of quite nicely.

Another thing Catholics didn't like anything to do with otherworld inhabitants because they told people things about the otherworld and they wanted the church to be the sole authority on which the people would rely for information. So you see changes after the introduction of christianity. So we see nasty little additions like baby killing and such to the tales. The celtic otherworld inhabitants suffered the same indignity.

I've been to mexico quite a bit in I never heard anything like your describing. You do sometimes up here hear the coywolves screeching and howling. I heard them just the other day and it sounds really really scary. I mean it makes your blood run cold. Even though I knew what it was it still creeped me out. I'd heard the recording of the kill screeching ( when they've taken down an animal)  just the day before so I knew what I was hearing. THey sound kinda like coyotes but it is different because they're like 80 percent wolf up here.

The recording didn't do justice to that, it just didn't sound like something a living creature could make.  Also when the Loons go at it in June at night time that sounds almost as bad.

It's possible that not being familiar with the animals up here that a mexican could have heard those creatures making their noises and thought it was La Lloranita or even a demon cause thats the first thing you think of when you hear that.

I SO KNOW THE LEGEND!

MEXICO ROCKS!