Myths and legends from the State of Hidalgo: The Turkey

THE TURKEY

Folk story from Alfajayucan, State of Hidalgo

Don Evaristo’s apparently endless repertoire of stories from all over Mexico never ceases to surprise us! In a single evening he can choose any topic, such as animals, saints, or witches, or whatever, and then go on to tell us stories about that topic, from numerous different states, for hours!

The other night, for example, Don Evaristo started telling us some terrifying stories about sorcery, witches and wizards. For some reason, my pocket cassette recorder, which usually records everything, didn’t record a single thing that night! Maybe it was afraid too! However, I do recall one particular story, from a place called Alfajayucan, in the State of Hidalgo. And this is more or less the way that Don Evaristo told it: https://adameleyendas.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/myths-and-legends-from-the-state-of-hidalgo-the-turkey/

“Now, we all know that there are many animals of the night, which some people believe really to be witches or sorcerers, who know how to take on the shape of an animal. This practice is called ‘nagualism’, and it is a fairly common motif in Mexican mythology.”

“Yes. There are similar beliefs among some of our American Indian tribes, too.” I said.

“Of course there are!” Don Evaristo replied. “Don’t forget that most elements of mythology are universal. That’s why stories with similar content are told all over the world in different cultures. Anyway, the typical animals occurring in ‘nagualism’ are coyotes, crows, and owls.” He continued.” In Mexican mythology, there’s also the turkey – the ‘guajolote’, as we call it here. In many parts of the country, you can hear tales of ‘guajolotes’ who are really men or women who practice the art of ‘nagualism’.” Tale written by Homero Adame.

“Can you give us an example, please?” Emily asked.

“Well… there’s one place in the State of Hidalgo, Alfajayucan, where many people say they have seen a huge, strange light in the dark. For example, they may be just walking across a field at night, when suddenly this enormous light shines out from nowhere. And, according to some beliefs, those lights are used to disorient the person, who immediately feels lost, even if he knows the path perfectly well. As a result of his confusion, he gets really lost and can often walk all night without finding his way home. However, there is a magical way to break the spell.

The person has to embrace a tree and stay there with his eyes closed for as long as he can. The light turns into a ‘guajolote’ and starts to hit its victim really hard with its wings. Shortly after this, the ‘bird’ will go away and the person will finally find his way home.” Legend written by Homero Adame.

“What happens if that person opens his eyes and sees the turkey?” I asked.

“Well, according to some legends, if he sees the ‘guajolote’, he will also see the real face of the sorcerer or witch, but the sad thing is, he will not live long enough to tell anyone about it!”

“Is that true?” Emily asked.

“That I cannot say.” Don Evaristo replied. “But legends are legends, and many people say they know of people who were found dead, embracing a tree, their bodies bruised by some inexplicable blows – the blows of the ‘guajolote’s’ wings, perhaps?” Folk story found at https://adameleyendas.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/myths-and-legends-from-the-state-of-hidalgo-the-turkey/

• Written by Homero Adame and translated by Pat Grounds. Originally published in Activate! 2, by Carol Lethaby, Homero Adame and Pat Grounds. Ediciones Castillo, S.A. de C.V. Monterrey, Mexico. 2003. P. 134.

If you wish to read more Mexican legends, just follow this link, surf and enjoy!

Myths and legends from Tlaxcala: The nagual

THE NAGUAL AND OTHER NASTY SPIRITS

(Folk story from Nativitas, Tlaxcala)

Every place in the world has many folk stories and often several versions of a single story. One good example is this very interesting story I heard in Nativitas, Tlaxcala, where people talk about the Weeping woman and a headless horseman up in the Calvario hill. According to them, this horseman without head passes on his horse near the ravines. However, there’s another story people tell and it is about the nagual, a spirit that has many different interpretations all over central Mexico. In Nativitas, they say that such nagual appears at about two in the morning. That nagual is not the devil, because the devil is printed somewhere on a rock in the hill. Legend has it that San Miguelito found the devil inside a church and then pursued him. When he caught him, he lashed him without mercy, and the poor devil ran away pretty scared. He was going so fast that he crashed against the rock; and since then you can see its evil figure imprinted on those walls by the hill. But that’s another story…

The nagual in Nativitas, according to some people, is a spirit, some kind of a witch or sorcerer from the past that decided to live in a cave in the Calvario hill. It is certainly a very dark place, especially after dusk, and many people believe that if you dare walk near that cave in the middle of the night, you will never return. Legend has it that many people have disappeared from the face of the earth right on that hill, and the general belief is that they have gone into the domains of the nagual. Written by Homero Adame and found in his blog at: https://adameleyendas.wordpress.com/2010/10/20/myths-and-legends-from-tlaxcala-the-nagual/

• If you wish to read more Mexican Folktales, just follow this link, surf and enjoy!