Folklore - Nica Myths, Stories and Tales
We really must research this further someday. There are so many stories passed down which may be lost some day.
Here are some of the most popular.
The Mocuana
When the Spanish conquerors at the command of Gabriel de Rojas arrived at the Chontalena settlement of Cihuacoatl, the cacique—chief of the tribe—wanted to be a good host. So he gave Rojas a small piece of gold from his immense collection of riches from the mountains of Matagalpa and the East. The cacique also gave Rojas several golden pieces in the form of the fruit of the tamarind tree. The conqueror was intrigued by the gold and left the community politely while he schemed of ways to return and steal the riches for himself. The cacique was no fool, however, and knew the Spanish would soon return for the gold and other riches. Hence, he hid them in a secret location known only to him and his daughter.
Later, the Spanish returned to Cihuacoatl and fought many battles with the Chontal people there, suffering greatly to the well-armed warriors of the area yet never learning where the treasure had been hidden. Meanwhile, the cacique’s daughter fell deeply in love with one of the Spanish soldiers. The two ran off together and the girl showed the soldier where the treasure was hidden. He betrayed her immediately and before carrying away the riches of her father, he locked her up in a cave so she would not escape to tell the tale of his ruse. However, the girl managed to escape but she lost her mind due to the ravages of the betrayal, the immensity of her naivety, and the punishment she knew awaited her if she ever found her way back to the village.
Many modern Nicaraguans living in the countryside claim to have seen the Mocuana. She appears at night to men traveling alone. She never lets them see her face because she would die of shame for what had happened to her. Instead, she lets them get a glimpse of her smooth, lovely back, shoulders and her long and beuatiful hair. Some say the Mocuana is vengeful and tries to get young men to accompany her to where the treasure is so she can kill them and avenge her own betrayal. Contrary, others claim she is just a poor lonely girl who has gone crazy for love, a love she knows she can never recapture.
In the east side of the highway at La Trinidad, Esteli, there is a tall hill called La Mocuana, in her honor. Some people believe that is the hill where the cacique had once hidden the treasure.
La Carretanagua
If you suddenly hear a carreta—a wooden cart pulled by horses—in the middle of the night, you better not sneak a peek through a window, no matter how small the orifice is. It may be the Carretanagua.
La Carretanagua is noisy, as if the way is not paved as the wheels hit rocks and the whole content of this dark carreta is shaken at every second. In the lonely quiet streets, the clatter is louder and scary. Those brave enough to look through a window say that is an old carreta, bigger than the standard carretas which is covered by a white sheet. It is driven by the Skeleton of Death in white robes with its traditional scythe on the left shoulder. This carretanagua is pulled by two skinny steers; you can see their ribs, one is black and the other light. It never turns around corners. If it must turn in any corner, it disappears and reappears in the other street.
The reasons for the Carretanagua’s travels are unknown. Some people believe that it announces the coming death of a person. The basis for this belief is that someone in town that was healthy suddenly appears “bad” and dies the next day of the appearance of the Carretanagua. So, people say that the Carretanagua took him or her. Moreover, others affirm that the carretanagua is not pulled by steers, but it walks alone by its own power. Its path is feared by every Nicaraguan. Would you dare to see it?
El Cadejo
This myth exists throughout Nicaragua. The white cadejo is a big, white dog that accompanies drunk men and people that walk late at night to their homes. Hence, people say that it is a good spirit because the white cadejo accompanies the person to his or her home and then leaves. With the first rays of the sunset the cadejo walks to the horizon and disappears until the next night to help someone else. However, there is also a bad spirit represented by a black dog with a white necklace that tries to kill night walkers. The black dog attacks but does not bites; if the person survives, people say that el cadejo lo jugo and left him or her as an idiot. Whenever the white and black dog face each other, they start fighting until the white cadejo defeats the black. Therefore, the white cadejo represents goodness, while the black cadejo represents evil; just like good always wins over evil.
La Llorona
It is the story of a young Indian girl led astray by her love of a foreigner. It happened during colonial times. She was helping her mother to wash the clothes of her nine brothers and was carrying water to her house. Her mother was a wise woman that constantly reminded her daughter that the blood of the slaves must never mix with the oppressors, that is, white men. However, the girl fell in love with a Spaniard that she met at the river when getting water for her family.
She became pregnant just as the Spaniard was returning back to Spain. She fell asleep because of her disappointment and when she woke up there was a baby by her side. She remembered her mother’s words that the blood of oppressors and slaves must not mix and she threw the baby into the river.
Suddenly, she hears the cries of Mother! Mother! and realizes it is her baby. She tried to recover her baby but the flow of the river was strong and she was unsuccessful. She became crazy with grief, eventually dying and her spirit continues to this day to mourn her baby’s death. You can still hear the mournful cries of the llorona (the crier).
Here are some of the most popular.
The Mocuana
When the Spanish conquerors at the command of Gabriel de Rojas arrived at the Chontalena settlement of Cihuacoatl, the cacique—chief of the tribe—wanted to be a good host. So he gave Rojas a small piece of gold from his immense collection of riches from the mountains of Matagalpa and the East. The cacique also gave Rojas several golden pieces in the form of the fruit of the tamarind tree. The conqueror was intrigued by the gold and left the community politely while he schemed of ways to return and steal the riches for himself. The cacique was no fool, however, and knew the Spanish would soon return for the gold and other riches. Hence, he hid them in a secret location known only to him and his daughter.
Later, the Spanish returned to Cihuacoatl and fought many battles with the Chontal people there, suffering greatly to the well-armed warriors of the area yet never learning where the treasure had been hidden. Meanwhile, the cacique’s daughter fell deeply in love with one of the Spanish soldiers. The two ran off together and the girl showed the soldier where the treasure was hidden. He betrayed her immediately and before carrying away the riches of her father, he locked her up in a cave so she would not escape to tell the tale of his ruse. However, the girl managed to escape but she lost her mind due to the ravages of the betrayal, the immensity of her naivety, and the punishment she knew awaited her if she ever found her way back to the village.
Many modern Nicaraguans living in the countryside claim to have seen the Mocuana. She appears at night to men traveling alone. She never lets them see her face because she would die of shame for what had happened to her. Instead, she lets them get a glimpse of her smooth, lovely back, shoulders and her long and beuatiful hair. Some say the Mocuana is vengeful and tries to get young men to accompany her to where the treasure is so she can kill them and avenge her own betrayal. Contrary, others claim she is just a poor lonely girl who has gone crazy for love, a love she knows she can never recapture.
In the east side of the highway at La Trinidad, Esteli, there is a tall hill called La Mocuana, in her honor. Some people believe that is the hill where the cacique had once hidden the treasure.
La Carretanagua
If you suddenly hear a carreta—a wooden cart pulled by horses—in the middle of the night, you better not sneak a peek through a window, no matter how small the orifice is. It may be the Carretanagua.
La Carretanagua is noisy, as if the way is not paved as the wheels hit rocks and the whole content of this dark carreta is shaken at every second. In the lonely quiet streets, the clatter is louder and scary. Those brave enough to look through a window say that is an old carreta, bigger than the standard carretas which is covered by a white sheet. It is driven by the Skeleton of Death in white robes with its traditional scythe on the left shoulder. This carretanagua is pulled by two skinny steers; you can see their ribs, one is black and the other light. It never turns around corners. If it must turn in any corner, it disappears and reappears in the other street.
The reasons for the Carretanagua’s travels are unknown. Some people believe that it announces the coming death of a person. The basis for this belief is that someone in town that was healthy suddenly appears “bad” and dies the next day of the appearance of the Carretanagua. So, people say that the Carretanagua took him or her. Moreover, others affirm that the carretanagua is not pulled by steers, but it walks alone by its own power. Its path is feared by every Nicaraguan. Would you dare to see it?
El Cadejo
This myth exists throughout Nicaragua. The white cadejo is a big, white dog that accompanies drunk men and people that walk late at night to their homes. Hence, people say that it is a good spirit because the white cadejo accompanies the person to his or her home and then leaves. With the first rays of the sunset the cadejo walks to the horizon and disappears until the next night to help someone else. However, there is also a bad spirit represented by a black dog with a white necklace that tries to kill night walkers. The black dog attacks but does not bites; if the person survives, people say that el cadejo lo jugo and left him or her as an idiot. Whenever the white and black dog face each other, they start fighting until the white cadejo defeats the black. Therefore, the white cadejo represents goodness, while the black cadejo represents evil; just like good always wins over evil.
La Llorona
It is the story of a young Indian girl led astray by her love of a foreigner. It happened during colonial times. She was helping her mother to wash the clothes of her nine brothers and was carrying water to her house. Her mother was a wise woman that constantly reminded her daughter that the blood of the slaves must never mix with the oppressors, that is, white men. However, the girl fell in love with a Spaniard that she met at the river when getting water for her family.
She became pregnant just as the Spaniard was returning back to Spain. She fell asleep because of her disappointment and when she woke up there was a baby by her side. She remembered her mother’s words that the blood of oppressors and slaves must not mix and she threw the baby into the river.
Suddenly, she hears the cries of Mother! Mother! and realizes it is her baby. She tried to recover her baby but the flow of the river was strong and she was unsuccessful. She became crazy with grief, eventually dying and her spirit continues to this day to mourn her baby’s death. You can still hear the mournful cries of the llorona (the crier).
Click here to see a video reenactment of La Llorona
La Cegua
These are evil women that appear at night dressed in horse hair and with a lot of makeup on their faces. They look for their lover or for the man that played with their feelings. Ceguas appear in the throughout the country; there are ugly and beautiful ones. Their origin lies in women full of hate that at the moment of their death choose to continue seeking revenge. Among themselves, ceguas are very friendly; they even help each other to conquer their preys.
Generally, they appear dressed up to drunk men and try to seduce them. Moreover, they laugh loudly; sometimes, they dress in black attire. Their apparitions are manicly melancholy because they scream, laugh or cry wildly. Their goal is to avenge their own deceptions playing with other men and leaving them as crazed idiots. For this reason, when a man acts like an idiot or appears absent-minded, it is said the cegua played with him (lo jugó la cegua).
La Mona
This tale about the inexplicable fact that some people are transformed into gigantic hairy monkeys with tails in the middle of the night. These beings steal, climb trees, cut down fruit and throw them at homes of their neighbors. Nobody knows how these people turn into monkeys.
Most of them are found the next day with the things they have stolen. If women turn into monkeys, they look for men to play with them but leave the men without all of their faculties. If discovered, monkey people are exorcized or treated by the local priest and they return to normal.
La Cegua
These are evil women that appear at night dressed in horse hair and with a lot of makeup on their faces. They look for their lover or for the man that played with their feelings. Ceguas appear in the throughout the country; there are ugly and beautiful ones. Their origin lies in women full of hate that at the moment of their death choose to continue seeking revenge. Among themselves, ceguas are very friendly; they even help each other to conquer their preys.
Generally, they appear dressed up to drunk men and try to seduce them. Moreover, they laugh loudly; sometimes, they dress in black attire. Their apparitions are manicly melancholy because they scream, laugh or cry wildly. Their goal is to avenge their own deceptions playing with other men and leaving them as crazed idiots. For this reason, when a man acts like an idiot or appears absent-minded, it is said the cegua played with him (lo jugó la cegua).
La Mona
This tale about the inexplicable fact that some people are transformed into gigantic hairy monkeys with tails in the middle of the night. These beings steal, climb trees, cut down fruit and throw them at homes of their neighbors. Nobody knows how these people turn into monkeys.
Most of them are found the next day with the things they have stolen. If women turn into monkeys, they look for men to play with them but leave the men without all of their faculties. If discovered, monkey people are exorcized or treated by the local priest and they return to normal.
