subject: Ghost Legends In Mexico [print this page] Mexico has an incredibly rich culture that is as ancient as it is varied. Before the Europeans arrived there were the Maya and Aztec peoples, as well as dozens of other smaller indigenous groups. Many of the beliefs and traditions of those earliest civilizations endured centuries of colonial rule - including ghostly legends! Whether your own opinion on ghosts lays in the area of belief or not, the following ghost stories still make for a great read!
La Llorona
In Latin American cultures, those heavily influenced by the Spanish, there is the popular legend of La Llorona meaning The Crying Woman. Apparently there was once a lovely woman with several equally lovely children. The woman was deeply in love with a man who apparently didn't return the affection because she had children. La Llorona drowned all her children so that she could be with her love. Yet when she approached her love interest child-free, he rejected her. Feeling forlorn and now mourning her children, the woman committed suicide. The Crying Woman is said to wander at night, wailing as she searches for her children. Some even believe she will kidnap wandering or disobedient children.
The Vanishing Hitchhiker
There are variations of this ghost legend all over the world, but the one we have here is exclusive to Mexico. Apparently a beautiful woman traveled the countryside on her own, often catching rides with taxicabs. During one particular cab ride the women becomes friendly with a fellow passenger, the two exchange and agree to meet a few months later for a meal. When the passenger arrives to meet the hitchhiking woman, he is told by her family that she has been dead for a full year.
La Planchada
La Planchada is Spanish for The Ironed Lady, yet this story isn't about a woman who was crushed or encased in iron. The myth of the The Ironed Lady is obscure in its origins, but it is believed to have started with a nurse that killed patients that she believed were in especially poor shape. A handsome young doctor at the hospital rejected La Planchada, who was in love with him, once he found out about her dark method of responding to terminal patients. Feeling guilty, humiliated and rejected, La Planchada committed suicide. She is represented as a 1930's nurse that always wore a uniform that was immaculately ironed; hence her name, The Ironed Lady. Witnesses claim La Planchada wanders the emergency ward in a soft glow, quietly healing patients along the way.
Fact or fiction, scary or harmless, ghost legends can be the perfect reading material for lounging poolside. Download a few pulp fiction books for your Mexico trip, and perhaps a few ghost legend books too!
