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Thursday, October 30, 2014

crybaby

SOURCE
A woman bore two sons to a man above her in social class.  When he refused to marry her, she drowned her children while in a rage.  But she immediately lamented her actions and began roaming and sobbing for her children.

She continued to cry and search for her dead children by the riverbanks, slowly wasting away until she too eventually drowned.

She is not permitted into the afterlife until she has found every last bone of her children, and she continues to roam the earth searching in vain.  Trapped between the world of the living and the spirit world, she wanders near rivers and lakes, constantly crying.  She is La Llorona, the weeping woman.

The first time I heard the legend of La Llorona (LAH yoh ROH nah), I was just a kid myself.  My hometown was a community of rich hispanic culture, and La Llorona was very well known.

But then I got older and realized the story is just something that parents would tell to keep their kids from wandering off alone.  "Don't, or else La Llorona will come steal/kill you!"

Still, I admit that even into my teen years, we could get freaked out by the stories.  Especially late at night while out in the boonies.  There are a lot of boonies near my scary, superstitious hometown.  It didn't help matters that there is a river that runs through town, and that the river's name is the "Purgatory River".

It is said that if, while in a quiet, dark place, you repeat "La Llorona" three times in a row, you will see her.  So on occasion, in those quiet dark boonies, we'd get to talking about her. Then we'd dare ourselves to do it. Say it three times.

"La Llorona...", we'd begin quietly,  "LA LLORONA...", we'd get a little braver, and finally.... "LA  EDWINA!!"  or anything other than that third La Llorona.  Nope, never happend.

I'm even older now, though.  More intelligent.  More logical.  More thick skinned,  I could do it, I know!

"La  Llorona.... LA  LLORONA....

LA  ENCHILADA!!  LA  ENCHILADA!!


Dang.  So close.

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Linking up with Mama Kat for the prompt:
1.) Something that scared you when you were young…are you still afraid?


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15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh! I thought you had it! Maybe next year. When you're even older.... ;)
Those kind of stories freaked me out too. So did the Ouija board. I went to a haunted house once - 30 years ago. Never been back. I'll take Casper the Friendly Ghost over Freddy any day.

Practical Parsimony said...

Scary stories and haunted houses really frighten me!

carol daniels said...

What a creepy, scary story. I've never heard that one before. Good thing! I wouldn't be able to say her name three times, either... even if it's only a legend.

Rock Chef said...

Pepsi Pepsi Pepsi!

Hah, worked for me!

Madamdreamweaver said...

LOL. Cute story.

Jimmy said...

Oh yeah I think two would be my limit too.

Anonymous said...

Great tale. I love reading and hearing people tell legends. I understand you were scared of La Llorona though.

Guano said...

As I recall, The Cryer would appear BEHIND whoever summoned her. LA HYDRONA! was the other spell-killing 3rd iteration.....and quite apropos given the "agua" connection, I always thought.

Still can't do a 3-fer. Thank goodness for Edwina... and Hydrona!

Anonymous said...

lol In Venezuela we know the legend of La Llorona but I've never heard about the speaking her name three times... I hated those stories so much and my uncles and grandfather got such joy out of freaking me out with them *not cool* but I'm over them now although I probably wouldn't go naming her three times out in the woods at night... why tempt life, right? ;p

terri said...

That's a sad story! But I wouldn't tempt her either by calling out three times. I don't do scary!

Rebecca S. said...

Good Halloween tale! And Purgatory River...wow...who would ever give a river such a name?

Riot Kitty said...

Sorry, I am totally laughing at "la enchilada!"

kayerj said...

That was a great ghost story, thanks for sharing. Stopping by from mama kats kelley at the road goes ever ever on

KatBouska said...

EEEEK!!! That story is freaking me out NOW as a grown adult! How dare you!

Anita said...

La Fajita!! La Fajita!! Or would that be El Fajita?