Myths and legends from the State of Tamaulipas: The Snake

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THE SNAKE

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(Folk story from Padilla, Tamaulipas)

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One cool evening, we were sitting on the porch at Don Evaristo’s in the moonlight. We had been talking about Quetzalcoatl, the ‘Plumed Serpent,’ the Mayan counterpart, Kukulkan, and the very similar figure of Viracocha, among the Incas. After a long, pensive silence, Don Evaristo said:

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“Yes, the snake has traditionally been a very strong motif in most cultures of the world. It’s a symbol of wisdom, but at the same time, it’s often also a symbol of death or trickery.”

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“Do you know any modern stories about snakes?”, asked Emily.

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“Oh, sure! Here’s one from the state of Tamaulipas – from the reservoir that swallowed up the town of Padilla.

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“Padilla, incidentally, was once a prosperous city, which played an important role in Mexico’s imperial past. At the time, Padilla was the capital of Tamaulipas, believe it or not! Folk tale written by Homero Adame.

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“On July 19th, 1824, Agustin de Iturbide, ex-president and emperor of Mexico, was executed there, by a Federal Government firing squad. It was, in fact, just after Iturbide’s return from exile. Then, 171 years later, this town wrote its last page in history: it disappeared under the waters of the Vicente Guerrero reservoir. Nowadays, when the reservoir waters are at their lowest point, you can just see the remains of Padilla – a ghost town, no more than the ruins of the former church and the schoolhouse. Nothing else is left of its illustrious past. Folk story written by Homero Adame.

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“Anyway, back to the snake story – a fisherman who works on the Vicente Guerrero reservoir said to me one day:

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‘You know what, Evaristo, all those things they say about the snake in the middle of the reservoir are true! I’ve seen it with my own eyes!

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‘One weekend, we all went out fishing as usual, and we were taking the boat out to the middle of the reservoir because that’s where the biggest fish are. So, there we were, cruising gently along, when one of my friends said: “Look! Over there! There’s a rattlesnake in the water!” Now, that was a very strange sight to see, because any child knows that rattlesnakes only live on land, right?

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‘But we hadn’t seen anything yet! We stopped the engine, to stare at the snake, and imagine our surprise! Before our very eyes, the snake rose up in the water, up and up till it was standing up, as straight as a rod, on its tail! We were all struck dumb with amazement! Then the snake bent its head back down towards the water, dived in, and disappeared from sight! We just didn’t know what to think! If anyone else had told me the same story, I would have thought he was inventing it. But I swear to you, I saw the whole thing with my own eyes, and it’s as true as I am standing here today!

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‘None of us could stop talking about that rattlesnake, not that day, nor for many days to come. Most people thought it was just a typical fisherman’s tale, and that we were making it all up, but then another fisherman confessed that he had once seen the snake too. It was in the very same spot, and he saw it standing up on its rattle, too!’

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“And that was it!” said Don Evaristo. “To be honest, I don’t know what to think, either. There are many tales of sticks and staffs turning into snakes, but I have never heard of a real, live rattlesnake standing up on its rattle before! And even less, in the middle of a lake!” Folk story found in Homero Adame's blog.

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Written by Homero Adame and translated by Pat Grounds. Originally published in the English textbook Orbit 3. By Homero Adame, Pat Grounds and Carol Lethaby. Ediciones Castillo, S.A. de C.V. Monterrey, Mexico. 2000. Pp. 178-179.

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You can find more Mexican myths and legends on this link:

• Mexican folk stories

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A great Mexican tradition: The Day of the Dead

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SOME WAYS MANY MEXICANS HONOUR THE DEAD…

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Legend has it that the European festival of All Souls Day was first devised by Odilon, Abbot of Cluny, France, in the 9th century. By the year 998, All Souls Day was generally established as a festival throughout the Christian world, though the precise rituals varied among different ethnic groups.

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For example one interesting variation existed for a time in Naples, Italy. On All Souls Day, people traditionally opened up the family crypts, filled them with candles and torches and decorated them with colourful flowers. In many cases, people even washed and dressed the bones of their dead in bright new clothes!

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In Mexico, many people celebrate two Days of the Dead, beginning on 1st November by specially remembering those who died as children, and continuing the celebration on 2nd November, in memory of all those who died as adults. According to some researchers, however, there were more feast days for the dead before the Conquest.

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Bright yellow zempoaxochitl flowers – the colour of which is supposed to guide the dead back to their families – surround photographs of the deceased at their gravesides or on special altars at home. In Mexican cemeteries, children are allowed to play among the tombs, while the adults decorate the graves with candles and flowers. Some people even take food with them, to prepare a graveside meal during their vigil. Others make trails of flower petals leading to the doors of their houses, to show the spirits their way home. In other regions, however, people use a purple flower called “Pata de león” to decorate the graves.

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All these customs are deeply rooted in the Pre-Hispanic belief that the spirits of the dead went neither to paradise nor to hell, but often wandered for years before finally crossing over into the Land of the Dead (Mictlan, in Nahua tradition). Once a year, on the Day of the Dead, they would return to visit the earth for just one short night.

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There are different practices in different regions, always related to the local traditions inherited from each of the country’s 62 major Indian groups. In southern Mexico, for example, people burn copal (incense) over the altars to the dead, and in some communities, people even light fires in the doorways of their houses to guide the spirits home! Some take guitars to the cemetery and serenade the dead with their favourite songs all night long.

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A further example: among the Chamula Indians, in Chiapas, there is a solemn ritual which involves the sweeping of all the roads and cleaning of the fresh water springs, in order to guarantee the dead a pleasant journey home.

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Text written by Homero Adame and translated by Pat Grounds. Originally published in Activate! 3. By Pat Grounds, Homero Adame, and Carol Lethaby. Ediciones Castillo, S.A. de C.V. Monterrey, México. 2003. P. 52.

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Would you like to read more about Mexican traditions? Follow this link:

• Mexican Traditions

If you wish to read Mexican folk stories? Follow this other link:

• Mexican Folk Literature

  

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