Legend of Saltillo, Coahuila: The image of Christ that came by mule

THE IMAGE OF CHRIST THAT CAME BY MULE

(Legend of Saltillo, Coahuila)

There are some religious figures that are very highly venerated, due to the long centuries of preceding history surrounding them. In many cases, there is a long line of miracles associated with them, and these, over the years, have become legends. Such is the case of the image of Our Lord (The Holy Christ) at The Chapel, Saltillo. The events related here took place on August 6, 1607, according to some written testimonies of the time.

Legend has it that in the afternoon of that far-off day, a mule, bearing a heavy load on its back, suddenly arrived in town. The mule was quite alone, without a carrier, and it settled down to rest at a place not far from the church of Saint Esteban, exactly where the present-day Cathedral is located. Those who saw it arrive assumed that its owner would no doubt turn up a little later; but the rest of that day came and went, and, by the next morning, the mule was still resting, quietly and alone, at exactly the same spot.

Some people started to try to get the mule to move on; but try as they might, the animal stoutly refused to move. Then, the rumor started to spread throughout the village and, in just a few minutes, the entire population had gathered around the beast. No one had ever seen it before, and, therefore, they had no idea who its owner might be.

While they were deeply engaged in discussion about this phenomenon, the local priest appeared. After meditating a little on the situation, he finally ordered some of the men to unload the box from the beast's back and to open it up, so they could find out what was inside. When the men had finished their task, the mule got up and ran away towards the South at top speed; it was never seen again and nobody ever found out where it had gone to.

When the villagers opened the box, they realized, to their utmost astonishment, that there, inside, was a beautiful image of Jesus Christ, apparently made of dried corn dough. At his feet, there was a small wooden box that contained a single splinter of wood. Because it was the rainy season, they tried to take the figure out of the box, intending to keep it safe in the temple of Saint Esteban, all the time expecting that, sooner or later, its unknown owner would appear to claim the statue.

However, not even the repeated efforts of several strong men, all hauling together, were enough to lift the image out of the box to take it inside the temple. After some serious thought, the priest ordered that a small shelter be built then and there, on that very spot; this was later replaced by a church – the future Saltillo Cathedral. Time passed by, and nobody ever came to claim the image as his own; the local people, however, took it to be a divine manifestation.

There was one other factor that conduced devotees to worship the image with so much fervor: the numerous miracles attributed to it by the sick and needy who make their pilgrimages to the figure, to beg for its aid. It is said that part of its divine and healing power comes from the wooden splinter inside the small wooden box, because, according to local beliefs, it was taken from the Holy Cross on the very day of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Legend taken from the book by Homero Adame, “Myths and legends from all over Mexico” (Mitos y leyendas de todo México). Editorial Trillas. 2011. Translated by Pat Grounds.

The image of Christ was taken from La Casa del Arce Rojo web site.

Mexican indigenous myths and legends of the dead: The Huehues, a legacy of Xantolo

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THE HUEHUES, A LEGACY OF XANTOLO

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Legend heard in San Vicente Tancuayalab, SLP

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There are many versions about the origin of the dances of the Huehues. On the one hand, some suggest that arose through Tének traditions, but others say it dates back to the time when they were conquered by the Aztecc who subjugated the Huasteca. No matter which story is correct, the fact is that those who execute the dances are confident that they predate the arrival of the Aztecs and, therefore, are part of their ancestral culture, although it has undergone syncretism.

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In the village of Saint Vincent Tancuayalab people say that the tradition began many years ago. According to legend, one day of celebrating the holidays of All Saints Day everyone was sad as they went to the cemetery to leave offerings to their dead – the appearance of the cemeteries in those days was different from today because there were no crosses or Christian images; besides, the custom was to feel sad and mourn the deceased in their day and everybody paid full attention to such tradition.

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It is said that on that occasion, a masked spirit appeared out of nowhere and began to dance among the tombs. Since people then were quite superstitious and had many fears, they all ran home and went looking for the Tének priest-shaman in order to tell him about such an appearance. Later on they asked him to do a ritual for that poor soul so it could go away somewhere else and stop frightening the local people. The shaman went to the cemetery, accompanied by the locals, and found that the masked spirit was still merrily dancing among the graves.

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The priest asked, "Who are you? What do you want here?”

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The spirit answered in Tének language and so they talked for a while, as people were standing still, following the course of the conversation. Then, the mysterious masked man said a few words in a language that nobody understood, except for the shaman, who did understand the message, and then transmitted to his people. He said: "This being is the very same spirit of Xantolo and wants to teach us how to honor our dead with these dances."

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People were skeptical and thought that maybe it was just a trickster who was playing a joke. Story written and translated by Homero Adame.

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Once again, Xantolo said a few words in that unknown language and then many equally masked spirits appeared out of nowhere and started dancing as though the event was a party and not a day to feel and express grief. Since then, word spread among all peoples of the Huasteca, in San Luis Potosi and Veracruz, and people have followed the tradition of organizing Huehues masked dances dancing in the streets and vaults with singular joy to play, instead of having a long moment of tears and bitterness.

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.To learn more about San Vicente Tancuayalab:

When the Franciscan missionaries founded this town in 1545, they named it San Francisco Cuayalab. In the year 1767, when it was promoted as a town, it changed its name to Villa Fundadores San Vicente. Much later, it received the title of county seat, and with the current name.

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Its historical names have different sources: Cuayalab or Tancuayalab in Tének language means “place of the baton”, San Francisco, because he was the founder of the order, and San Vicente, as the patron saint of the town, although the festival takes place on October 4, day of Saint Francis of Assisi.

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This story was published in the book: Myths, stories and legends of the state of San Luis Potosi, in 2007, published by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture.

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You can read more Mexican folk stories and legends on this link:

Myths, legends and traditions of Mexico

Myths and legends of Mexican tribes from the desert: The mesquites cross

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A LEGEND ABOUT THE NATURAL CROSS IN MESQUITE TREES

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(Edited version of a legend heard in Mier y Noriega, NL)

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The elders of past centuries knew that the tradition of the cross of mesquite was not a thing of Christianity but that it came from further back, long before the Spanish arrived in the highlands and to impose their religion, which was unknown and alien to desert dwellers, the Huachichiles. Even though the conquerors thought everything the natives did was related to the devil, the only thing that they accepted about the huachichiles was the worshiping of the mesquite tree that had its arms outstretched as if they formed a cross, which for the missionaries was somehow similar to the Christian religion. But truth be told, for the natives the so-called cross in the mesquite tree was a powerful spirit of nature expressed in a human-like tree, its body erect and open arms, and they used to ask such spirit to bring rain when drought was prolonged.

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As the syncretism of beliefs took place, time went by and the Huachichil essence of this belief got lost and the cult of mesquite-shaped cross took a Catholic turn. In the present, any mesquite tree with such features is regarded as sacred and people organize a feast on May 3, Day of the Holy Cross. However, when there is drought, people bring offerings to those special trees because they know the spirit within will bring the miracle of rain.

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People in Mier y Noriega, N.L. say that on one occasion, a farmer who was unaware of this tradition was walking in the bush looking for firewood and found a cross-shaped mesquite; he decided to cut it. He came home with a pile of wood and also with the cross to set up an altar. When neighbors found out, he was asked to do something to apologize, but he said he did not believe in those things. On the third day, a very strong tornado swept through the town, killing everyone in the family of the farmer. The farmer, aware that the locals would retaliate against him, fled from the community and nobody ever knew about his whereabouts. Meanwhile, people took the Cross, organized a pilgrimage back to its original site and buried it. Rain continued for several more days, until the fury of the powerful spirit calmed. But the story doesn’t end here: some people say that right on the spot where they had buried the cross eventually grew a robust mesquite in a cross-shaped form, which still exists and people worship it.

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This is an excerpt from the story that was published in my book Myths and Legends of Huachichiles, edited by the Ministry of Culture of the State of Oaxaca in 2008.

The book, in Spanish, is available in bookshops in San Luis Potosi.

You can find more Mexican legends on this link:

Leyendas mexicanas en inglés

Mexican Folk Stories: The Rabbit and the Coyote

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THE RABBIT AND THE COYOTE

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Mexican folktale from Galeana, N. L.

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There was once an old woman who had a small farm with lettuce, radishes and beets, and there was a bunny that came every night to find something to eat. Tired of it, the old lady put traps, but the bold rabbit was never caught. One day the old lady thought:

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"Next time I will put as bait a glued scarecrow, to see if that scares the rabbit does not come anymore."

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The days passed and the rabbit kept coming to feast at the farm. When he saw the scarecrow, he began to mock it, but as this did not answer, the rabbit said, "Look, monkey, I will beat you up until you plead no more. And so he did, the rabbit started beating it up until he was stuck. That day the old lady was not around, so she did not realize that the rabbit had been caught. However, a hungry coyote was passing by and got him. But the bunny, very clever, said:

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“Please do not eat me, coyote. Look, you see that herd over there? Tell me which goat you like and I’ll bring to you immediately.

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Since this coyote was a bit silly, he believed the bunny. So it happened that when he helped the rabbit free, he ran away as fast as he could and only his ears moving were seen. The coyote waited for the goat, but only waited.

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A couple days later the coyote happened to find the rabbit again and said:

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“I got you again, bunny. The other day you cheated me and now I'm going to eat you”.

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"No, Coyotito, let me explain”, said the rabbit. “I caught the goat as I said I would, but when I went looking for you I did not find you, so I decided to make this chicharrones, from that goat. So here you see me preparing. Hm ... they’re just about ready. Would you like some?

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“All right, the coyote said, let’s eat”.

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With his hand the coyote began to stir the pot where there were supposed to be the chicharrones, but were not such –it was a buzzing hive of bees, producing a noise as if something were frying. In the meantime, the rabbit ran away again as fast as he could, while the foolish coyote realized that he’d been tricked again.

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The following night, the rabbit was eating a radish in the farm of the old lady when the coyote stalked from behind and caught him.

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“Look, tricky rabbit, I’m really starving and there is no choice but to eat you. After all you’ve mocked me twice”.

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When he was about to take a bite, the rabbit said:

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“No, Coyote, don’t be silly. Do you really think you’ll have enough with a little bunny like me? Look, do you see that bag over there? Well, that's a sheep that I caught for you, and if you eat it you'll have plenty for two or three days. What do you think?”

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The coyote got excited and ran to take the bag with the sheep inside, but when he took the first blow he just made a howl of pain. It was a cactus and had thorns! The rabbit had fooled him again.

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Time passed and again the coyote found his enemy, this time on the shore of a lake.

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“Look, wretched rabbit, now I'm going to eat, he said. You’ve tricked me three times and I will not leave without eating you this time”.

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“But Coyotito my friend, before you eat me you should know that I’ve been looking for you because I found a really big cheese, but it fell into the lake and I can’t reach it with my little hand for it’s very short”, explained the rabbit. I was thinking about a solution to get the cheese out of the lake and I think that between the two of us can do it. What do you think, either you hold me until we can retrieve the cheese from the water or I hold you”.

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They were discussing who clutched the hand of whom until he finally agreed. They agreed that the rabbit was going to hold the coyote because the coyote had longer arms and could reach the cheese easily. But what the coyote did not know is that the cheese was actually the full moon reflected in the water. Neither did he suspect the rabbit’s plans. When the coyote was already in the water, the rabbit let go and the poor coyote drowned.

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In many Mexican indigenous stories as well as ethnic groups in the North American desert, there is a series of stories where the protagonists are a rabbit and a coyote, and the winner can be either. Usually, that kind of story has a moral implication, which is a conventional feature on this literary genre.

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In the version we just read, narrated by Milton de la Peña, a student of Geology at Linares, who tells us that it is still popular in the mountainous region of Iturbide, the symbols are the same: a coyote, an animal trickster that usually gets what he wants, whose nature is in folklore dual, because apart from cheating is also a cultural hero, as it provides knowledge of the arts and he did not allowed fire to extinguish, thus protecting the human race. And a rabbit, also in the folklore of some people is a trickster and liar animal, but is equally benefactor, as he brought fire from across the sea for the benefit of mankind, thus demonstrating its dual nature, similar that of his opponent.

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This story was originally published in the book Myths, Tales And Legends of Nuevo Leon, by Editorial Font, 2005. Monterrey, Mexico.

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You can read more Mexican folk stories and legends on this link:

Myths, legends and traditions of Mexico

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Mexican myths and legends from Oaxaca: A pirate treasure in Puerto Escondido

THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME OF THE PORT AND A GREAT TREASURE

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Legend of Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca

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How shall I say it... here it seems that there are two versions of the name of the port, both versions are matters of history. Here's the first: it happens that many years ago, when the Spanish already had a lot of trade with their ships along the coast from Manzanillo and Acapulco to Peru, the pirates who attacked the Spanish galleons had to flee and hide somewhere when the Spanish Armada chased them. It was common that the pirated always had a bit of advantage, so they used to get and hide here because it was a very hidden. And so it was the name of the area then and is the name of the port still today. The funny thing is that in the old days people said it was a ghost pirate ship, but the truth is that the pirates always came here to hide. Legend translated by Homero Adame.

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And here it goes the other version, which as you will see is related to the pirates as well. According to this version, once an English pirate ship managed to catch a Spanish galleon coming of China and they got a great treasure. The Spanish navy gave chase and caught the pirates somewhere near the isthmus, but the ship no longer carried the treasure the pirates had stolen from the galleon. They took the pirate captain and his people and tortured them till death so they’d say where they had hidden the treasure. One of them, when was just about to die, said: “It’s in the hidden harbor; it’s in the hidden harbor” (“Está en el Puerto Escondido”). That pirate died and the Spanish did not know which hidden port of harbor he had been talking about.

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And that’s the story. And we also know that no one has ever found the treasure – and people have tried, oh yes they have searched enough everywhere. We think that if the story is true, the pirates must have either buried or hidden the treasure in a cave, but which cave, where? Legend found in Homero Adame's blog.

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The legend, narrated by Francisco Ortega, a boatman who lives in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, was included in my book Myths and legends from all over Mexico, published by Editorial Trillas, in 2010.

The book --in Spanish-- is available in all branches of Editorial Trillas in the country.

It can also be purchased through the Online Store.

For easier access, this is the direct link to the book: Myths And Legends From All Over Mexico.

You can read more Mexican folk stories and legends on this link: Myths, legends and traditions of Mexico

Mexican Myths and Legends: The Pakan and the Lintsi

Huastecan (Tének) myth from Tanlajás, San Luis Potosi

Mexican myths and legends: John the Bear

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JOHN THE BEAR

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(Mexican folk story from the Eastern Sierra Madre)

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One day, when we were at Don Evaristo’s ranch, we all rode up to the hills on horseback to look for some missing cattle. We spent a whole night in the woods. It was the perfect place to listen to stories, sitting under a starlit sky, eating wild rabbit, roasted slowly over our campfire...

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Suddenly, we heard a strange noise. Emily and I immediately reacted and jumped to our feet, but Don Evaristo and the cowboys didn’t seem to pay any attention to the sounds. “I guess it’s a bear,” one of the cowboys commented, quite calmly.

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“Yes, it’s a bear,” Don Evaristo replied, “and it’s a pretty big one.”

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Emily and I felt really nervous. We have heard hundreds of terrifying stories about dangerous bears and innocent tourists. But Don Evaristo calmed us down, saying the bear would never come near the fire. Sure enough, almost immediately we heard the bear going off into the forest, probably more afraid than we were! Our host was thoughtful for a moment. Then his eyes shone as he remembered a new tale to tell.

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“Ah, thank you for reminding me, Brother Bear,” he laughed. “It is time to tell the tale of John the Bear, or Juan Oso. It’s one of the most common tales from the Mexican mountains, and it seems that it came to these lands with the Spanish conquest, for the same story is also told in Spain and other parts of Europe. Homero Adame's legends.

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“Not long ago, there was a rumor that a very big bear was wandering around near a small country town by the foothills somewhere in the State of Nuevo Leon. Very few people saw it. Those who did thought it was very strange, because it was not a time of famine, the rains had been good, and there was plenty of food for all the wild animals up in the mountains. ‘What is the bear doing around here?’ they wondered. Of course, they were a little scared at first. But as the days went by, and the bear showed no form of aggression, they gradually lost interest in it, and went about their business as usual.

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“One afternoon, however, a rumor that a young girl was missing immediately created a state of alert. ‘Who has kidnapped the girl?’ ‘Where have they taken her?’ ‘Has anyone asked for any money?’ Nobody could give an answer. Finally, the girl’s little brothers, crying desperately, managed to explain: ‘A big bear came and took our sister off to the mountains!’ They cried. Someone saw her going down to the river to do the washing. The boys saw the bear. Later on, when the men searched along the river bank, sure enough, they found the double footprints of a bear and a girl, and a solitary basket full of dirty clothes, still waiting for someone to wash them... The children were telling the truth, it seemed.

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“An angry crowd of people noisily followed the footprints well into the mountains, but they found nothing. Not a trace! The trails became hard to follow, and after a couple of river crossings, they finally lost track of the footprints completely. Homero Adame's legends.

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“Time passed, and after about three years, the sad event became just a vague memory for most of the village. Just imagine everyone’s surprise when one afternoon, a pretty, young woman appeared in town with a baby in her arms. Of course, it was the same girl, a little older and perhaps wiser, too. The neighbors hurried round to hear her story. She said the great bear captured her and took her to his cave, far off in the mountains. He took very good care of her and fed her well. Although he was very kind to her, she was always afraid of him. What she really hated, was being his prisoner, a helpless captive in the dark, smoky cave. Early in the mornings, the bear used to go out hunting, but whenever he left, he always closed the cave entrance with a very large, heavy rock. There was no escape.

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“A few months later, the bear and the girl had a healthy baby boy. The girl loved the baby more each day. But then, so did the bear. One fine day, when the bear went off to hunt, for some reason he forgot to block the entrance to the cave. Maybe he trusted his young ‘wife’ at last. Nevertheless, she seized the opportunity at once and escaped back to her town, taking her darling little baby with her, of course.

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“It seemed like a real happy ending. The big bear was never seen in the area again, though some hunters said they often heard a bear crying alone in the mountains at night. The baby grew tall and strong, though a little more hairy than the other village boys. No one knows why, but one day, many years later, when he was a man, Juan Oso disappeared. People say he decided to go back to his real home, high up in the mountains. But nobody can tell if he ever found his loving father — the great bear — still crying for his wife and son in his dark and smoky cave... Folk tale 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. 67-68.

The drawing was done by Jennifer Hennen

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If you wish to read more Mexican folk stories follow any of these links:

Mexican legends in English

and

Myths and legends from Mexico

Celebrating the Dead in other parts of the world

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CELEBRATING THE DEAD IN MEXICO

and in other parts of the world

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We arrived at don Evaristo’s ranch on October 27th. We wanted to get back home for Halloween, because some friends of ours were planning a typically American Halloween party for 31st October. When we arrived at the ranch, doña Almanda was quite busy working on what she called “El altar de muertos.”

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“What’s that for?” we asked her.

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“Ah, it’s our way of celebrating our dead relations,” she said. “We make an ‘altar’ for them every year.”

In the United States, we all celebrate Halloween, because of our Anglo-Saxon background, but most Americans don’t really know about its ancient, pre-Christian origins, in both Europe and the Americas.

That evening, after another great dinner, we sat in the living room by the fire while doña Almanda made hot, sweet cinnamon tea. It was then that don Evaristo started to tell us about the Día de Muertos in different parts of Mexico. He even showed us photos from every state he mentioned.

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“And are there any folk tales or legends specially related to the Day of the Dead?” asked Emily.

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“Well, there must be some, but I’ve never heard any.” Don Evaristo answered. “In this case, I think the traditions themselves are just as interesting as any tales. For example,” he continued, “ancient cultures like India and China also have ceremonies like ours in essence, though the rituals may be different. Indeed, many cultures have a fixed date to honor the dead. The main reason for these ceremonies is really to keep the ghosts of the dead from troubling the living, and, of course, to show affection for the departed.

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“In India, among the Hindu, the Ñr~ddhas, or ‘rituals for the ancestors’ last for ten days. On each day, people give the spirits food to give them strength to free themselves from each of the ten hells they must pass through, on their way to eternity. On the first day of the new autumn moon, the head of each Hindu family performs ceremonies for the dead of the last three generations. Additional ceremonies are performed on the day of dead.

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“As I said, this special day exists in many countries. There are general ceremonies for the souls of all the dead, such as All Souls’ Eve in Christian countries, or the Feast of the Hungry Ghost, in China. And also there are more specific ceremonies, dedicated exclusively to immediate ancestors, heroes, etc. In this category, you have Memorial Day, in the United States, for example, in which those who died in battle, or who died at sea, or even who died in great disasters are honored.”

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Don Evaristo’s explanation gave us some idea of how important this day is all over the world, and how certain beliefs may be universal. For the first time, I really understood the true meaning of our Memorial Day. We didn’t go back home for the Halloween party with our friends. We decided to stay on with don Evaristo and doña Almanda and learn more about the folklore of the Day of the Dead in a Mexican cemetery instead.

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It was awesome! Such color, such beauty, such joy, such life! And all in honor of the dead! This is something every foreigner to Mexico should experience!

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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. 54-55.