I was half asleep when I heard an eerie sound pierce the stillness of the early morning, not long after twelve. It was a hideous wailing, gurgling sound which repeated the same sentence, over and over.
“My sons! My sons!”
I had only heard tales of her, but never before had I seen such a phenomenon, and the terror of the stories paled in comparison to the reality unfolding before me. Across the lake, her hysterical form paced back and forth, yet her voice rang with such unnerving clarity I could have sworn she was right next to me.
I decided to lay my head back down on the pillow, attempting to shut out her haunting cries as best I could. I had heard of one too many encounters, seen one too many unexplained deaths, and the fear that such things brought lingered in the back of my mind as stubborn as poison, clinging to my throat and suffocating me as I lay there in that bed wondering if I might live to see morning.
Not long afterwards, as the voice gradually subsided, I sensed the anxiety begin to drain from me.
Perhaps a peek wouldn’t hurt. Just to reassure myself she isn’t there.
“Yes.” I nodded. “Just a peek.”
Briefly, I stole another glance out the window, and just as briefly regretted it.
She had not gone.
She was right there, staring at me through the window. Except her face bore no features, like God had forgotten to finish creating her, and I felt my mouth open in a scream, though nothing came out.
“My sons.” She rasped. “Where are my sons?”
The window smashed.
La Llorona is the terrifying ghost at the heart of Mexican folklore.
APPEARANCE AND ATTRIBUTES
Also known as the ‘Weeping’ or ‘Wailing Woman’, La Llorona is the tormented spirit of a woman called Maria, driven to madness by her husband’s infidelity which ultimately led her to murder her own children.
A tall, unnervingly slender woman, La Llorona’s long, black hair clings to her form, soaked with lake water. She is most commonly depicted wearing a white dress, with a veil drawn down over her featureless face. When La Llorona appears before a victim, however, the blankness dissolves to reveal two abnormally large eyes, fixated on the victim before she makes her kill.
La Llorona is often seen wandering near open bodies of water, her mournful wails echoing over the empty surfaces. Despite her tragic story, however, La Llorona is a vengeful spirit who kills with neither hesitation nor mercy, exacting revenge on any poor soul who happens to cross her path.
Children are particularly vulnerable, as she often mistakes them for her own offspring, longing for them to reunite with her in the lonely place where she met her end. Alternatively, she may target young men wandering alone near lakes, harbouring a festering resentment for the betrayal inflicted on her by her unfaithful husband.
The cry of La Llorona is a sound creepy enough to make the blood run cold, and is a sure omen of death or misfortune. Interestingly, the closer her cry sounds, the greater the opportunity for potential escape, a terrifying tactic used to not only confuse but terrify her victim. This eerie modus operandi bears resemblance to the sounds of a Skinwalker.
THE STORY OF MARIA AND HER SONS
Maria was beautiful in her youth, sought after by the men of her town and envied by their women. Her radiance glowed even more so with undeniable joy and affection when her heart began to warm for a young man.
They were married, and their happiness endured for many years until Maria bore two beautiful sons. While an initial blessing, time had worn Maria’s youthful charm and with it her husband’s attraction towards her. No longer as captivated as he had been when they first wed, his gaze sought out other women, wandering to those younger and more alluring than his own wife.
One day, Maria returned home to find another woman in her husband’s bed. Consumed with a blinding rage, she took her sons from their beds, desperate to inflict revenge on her husband for such unfaithfulness. Unable to see the tears streaming down her children’s faces, she led them to the nearby lake, with her husband close behind her.
Ignoring the pleas, Maria forgot the love she had for her children and forced their heads below the surface. Her ears were deaf to the screams of her husband, to the struggle of the boys below her iron grip, for the resentment born from that night had possessed her. When finally their movements ceased and their lifeless forms floated across the water, the husband’s anguished cry pierced her trance.
Looking down at her dead sons, a sickening wave of horror and remorse washed over Maria with the realisation of what she had done. Unable to bear the crushing weight of such a monstrous act, Maria submerged her own head beneath the murky depths, cursing herself for her evilness, and in doing so condemning herself to a never ending lifetime of misery in search of the sons she had lost.
A TALE OF WARNING
La Llorona is a cautionary tale for many, a tool used to instil respect and obedience in children. Those who misbehave are especially cautioned, warned that La Llorona will take them for her own should they continue to defy their own parents.
But for others, La Llorona is something far more real than a scary story, her very presence embedded in society due to the countless unexplained phenomena and ghostly sightings surrounding her legend.
REFERENCES
La Llorona – Weeping Woman of the Southwest – Legends of America
La Llorona: The Weeping Woman – Haunted Austin Ghost Tour (austinghosts.com)
The Legend of La Llorona – Storytelling for Everyone – Storytelling for Everyone
La Llorona: The Story of the Mexican Myth – Owlcation
La Llorona | Legend, Description, History, & Facts | Britannica
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