by Violeta Mendez
La Llorona translates to “The Weeping Woman” and that is exactly who Maria was after what many would call a tragedy.
The Mexican folktale of La Llorona originated from South America then later passed on to Mexico. The story of La Llorona is usually used by Hispanic and Latino parents to teach children to listening to their elders or not staying out too late.
Although there are many different tellings of how La Llorona came to be, here’s at least one accurate telling of the legend. Please note that there is no credible source that this event actually happened.
In the 1600s, there was a woman named Maria, who was the most beautiful woman in her village and she charmed everyone.
One day she came across a rich ranchero cowboy and he swept her off her feet. They later got married and had two children.
Maria’s husband never gave her attention, but only ever gave their children attention. This made Maria jealous. Then came a day where her rich ranchero husband found a younger woman and he said goodbye to the children and left Maria a single parent.
Maria became upset and angry thinking her children were the reason her husband left her, so she took a walk with her two children and drowned them out of rage and jealousy by the nearest river.
After realizing what she had done, she mourned and threw herself into the river that she drowned her children in and died.
When Maria died, she went up to the gates of Heaven and God told her she was not allowed into Heaven unless she found her two children and brought them back. She was then sent back to Earth as her spirit self.
Devastated, Maria would cry and weep for years searching high and low for her children but never succeeded and would end up being on Earth for eternity.
Because of her constant crying and weeping in her village and of her infamous catchphrase, “¡Ay, mis hijos!”, translation “Oh, my children!” or “Oh, my sons!”, Maria got the name, La Llorona.
Since La Llorona can’t find her children, legend has it that she will grab any child in her way thinking it’s her own child so she can get back to Heaven. But if she realizes it’s not her children then she will drown them.
People say that when her cries seem nearby then she’s far away, but if her cries seem far away then she is very near. It’s said that if you hear her cries then she'll bring misfortune to others.
There’s no way to really hide from La Llorona, but to only be kind and good. Some people believe she is real, some don’t.
As said before, this is a folktale and its not to be believed as true because there is no credible source to this legend.