10 Colombian legends full of folklore and popular culture.

A selection of short legends from Colombia, old stories that are transmitted orally.

Colombian legends with decades of history mix the mystical with the mix the mystical and the historical, love and heartbreak, magic and tradition, the heroic and the supernatural. They are narratives rich in symbolic and historical content that, in addition to entertaining us, can help us learn about individual experiences, historical events and cultural worldviews.

In the following article we will look at 10 of the most popular legends of Colombia, in which a part of the popular culture is shown. a part of the popular culture and mythology of the South American country..

The 10 most popular Colombian legends

Legends are narratives that are transmitted orally or in writing generation after generation. Likewise, they are a way of understanding popular ideas and everyday life: they tell stories about the past, explain natural or supernatural phenomena, talk about individual events, love relationships, religious, educational, political, heroic events, and so on.

Each legend is specific to the region where it is told, so it is transmitted and transformed according to the cultural codes of that region. Taking up the above, we review 10 of Colombia's popular legends.

1. The mother of water

It is said that in the Colombian rivers and springs, the ghost of a beautiful woman appears. the ghost of a beautiful woman, who is known as the Mother of Water, or the Mother of the River.. They say that her hair is golden, her skin is white and her eyes are green and large. By day, and in the sight of the sun, her power is spiritual and healing.

At night, her face reflects fantasy. It attracts and seduces young people who, upon eye contact, fall into a state of hypnosis and madness. Some more fall into the depths of the spring and are never seen again. To get out of the spell, the surviving youths must pray accompanied by adults. It is also said that the Mother of Water rides through the crystal clear lakes on dolphins, fish and crocodiles..

2. The patasola

Similar to the stories of other legendary women in Latin America, such as La llorona or La sayona, "La patasola" is the grieving soul of a woman who lost her children due to love conflicts. She is known as "la patasola" because she walks with only one foot. Her hair is long and tangled, and she has big eyes and a big mouth.

It is said that she was a woman who was married to a farmer with whom she had three children. One day, on his way home from work, the farmer finds the woman at home with his boss, and in a fit of rage he cuts off the latter's head with a machete. The woman tried to escape, but the farmer managed to cut off one of her legs. As a result of this wound, the woman died soon after. The farmer set fire to the house and took his children far away. Since then, the grieving soul of the patasola returns to look for them..

According to the specific region where it is told, the patasola appears with huge fangs, so it may be a kind of vampire that, beyond having been a woman scorned, is a being that protects nature.

3. The candileja

According to this legend, there is a large fiery ball composed of three torches, which take the form of red tentacles and chases suspicious or ill-willed men, such as drunks, infidels, abusers, those who abandon their families, and so on. It is said that it also It is said that it also chases after late-night travelers and that it can appear to reprimand bad behaviors of children and grandchildren..

The origin of the candileja is an old woman who was excessively permissive with her grandchildren. When she died, St. Peter reprimanded her for having educated them in this way and, as punishment, gives her the form of three candle flames, as well as the mandate to return to bring order when necessary. One represented the body of the old woman, and the other two represented her grandchildren.

4. The mule with horseshoes

The inhabitants of Bogota say that after midnight you can hear the gallop of a mule.. Herrada because it goes alone and saddled through the city. It is said that a man named Don Alvaro, enjoyed riding his mule constantly changing course. He always ended up at a gambling house, where he ate and drank until late at night. One day, while Don Alvaro was playing, his servant accompanied the mule to drink water from the river. The animal escaped to the gambling house where its owner was.

Surprised, Don Álvaro asked him to pick it up every night, and so it happened. When Don Alvaro died, the mule spent the rest of its nights wandering around the city looking for its owner. It is said that his fasta returns to this day, which is why those who hear it call it "la mula herrada" (the horseshoe mule).

5. The witches of Burgama

In the town of Burgama, today called San Juan Crisóstomos de la Loma, they tell the legend of María Antonia Mandona, María Pérez, María de Mora, María del Carmen and Leonelda Hernández, who were accused of witchcraft and subjected to an inquisitorial process in the 17th century. They were known as the witches of Burgama and lived on a hill near the town, where they were dedicated to curing the they were dedicated to curing the sick and those in love..

However, they were accused of having pacts with the devil, as well as of wanting to turn the town into a large lagoon to turn the parish priest into an alligator and the inhabitants into a group of toads. They were finally taken to prison and condemned to the stake. But one of them, Leonelda, managed to escape with the help of the indigenous villagers. Together, they not only freed the accused, but also killed the soldiers and the captain who had ordered her condemnation. From that moment on, the place became known as the Cerro de la Horca.

6. The Mohán

Legend has it that in the Colombian mountains and crags there is a large man with abundant hair, beard, big eyes and long nails. Depending on the specific region where the story is told, the man may have different may have different characteristics and origins. For example, he is said to be a sorcerer who, anticipating the arrival of the Spaniards in the 15th century, took refuge in the caves, where he played the guitar, especially during the full moon.

In fact, many of the natural disasters in the area are attributed to him, which is why some people pay tribute to him as a sign of peace. In addition, the Mohán constantly returned to the city, it is said that he chased young people and peasants, which is terrifying for some people.

7. The Alligator Man

Legend has it that a fisherman named Saúl Montenegro had an obsession for watching women bathing naked on the Caribbean coast, specifically in the Magdalena River. He did not want to be discovered and reprimanded, so he decided to visit a local witch doctor, who prepared a potion that would turn him into an alligator. This way he could hide under the river and continue spying on the women. The same witchdoctor gave him an extra potion, which would would allow him to return to the human state whenever the fisherman wanted.. But obviously someone else would have to sprinkle the latter while he was in the form of an alligator.

He called in the favor to one of his friends, who, surprised by the transformation, poured the potion only on the fisherman's head. Thus, he was transformed into a half-man half-alligator, and immediately aroused the terror of the women who visited the river. They returned no more, and in desolation, the fisherman spent the rest of his days wandering the river until he reached its mouth. To this day, fishermen who visit the area tell of waiting to meet the alligator man.

8. La muelona

Also known as the Colmillona, this is a woman with long hair and big eyes with huge teeth. It is said to come from a woman called La Maga, who was dedicated to telling fortunes, freeing women and punishing men. When she died, neighbors said they heard her inside her house, swearing revenge on unfaithful men. swearing revenge on unfaithful, drunken and vicious men..

Some people claim that her spirit appears on the banks of the paths, especially when evening falls. At first she looks like a seductive and attractive woman, so many men are quick to approach her. However, they are terrified when she shows them her large teeth (similar to those of a horse) and sometimes she even crushes them as a form of punishment.

9. The hat

This legend, which has its own versions in Mexico and Central America, says that the sombrerón is a tall and corpulent gentleman, with an almost diabolical face, who persecutes and punishes young people with inappropriate habits. For example, those who abuse alcohol or drugs, those who steal or mistreat, and so on.

In Colombia it is a man dressed in black and wearing a large black hat.. His hair is long, straight and of the same color and, in life, he was seen wandering along the edges of the street. After his death, many people claim that he continues to be found in solitary places, or wandering the streets when there is a full moon. In some regions he is also called El Jinete Negro (The Black Rider). He surprises and chases young night owls at high speed, always shouting "If I catch you, I'll put it on you".

10. The Goblin

This legend has different versions according to the place where it is told. It is usually an angel who was expelled from sleep with the punishment of walking the fields of the earth. It has the ability to persuade young people and adults and cause them to have nightmares, sleepwalk, provoke them to anger, misplace their things, and lead them to wander aimlessly. Especially when it comes to peasants and young girls in love.

Other versions tell that the goblin is dedicated to kidnapping boys and girls with blond hair, to take them to the forest and turn them into wild beings.