La Llorona-A Study

By Aaron Perez

Posted 3/5/2025-Updated 3/6/2025

Image Copyright: Austin Ghosts

    If you have ever lived in the southwest or Mexico, then this well-known legend may be familiar to you. A spirit similar to Bloody Marie or the Irish Banshee, La Llorona has been a subject of dares and campfire stories for centuries, even having versions in all of the Americas. La Llorona is a very well known figure in folklore and there are many versions of the tale, but most follow the same premise. Here is the premise of the legend, which goes as followed:

Back in the old days there used to be a beautiful young woman named Maria. She was well known in the town but lived in poor conditions, which was common at the time. Soon a handsome rich man entered the town and Maria immediately fell in love with him. Versions vary here as in one version she married the man and had two children with him, but time passed, and he cheated on her with another woman. Another version is that Maria was a widow trying to find new love, but the man rejected her over already having kids. In both versions, Maria drowns her children out of anger over being rejected, but what happens afterwards varies from legend to legend. In one instance Maria immediately regrets her actions and dies desperately trying to find her children. Other versions have her killed by an angry mob, living a full life only to be denied entry to the afterlife, or committing suicide by slitting her throat in the riverbanks. Ever since that incident, the ghost would no longer be known as Maria but as La Llorona, or the hollering woman, wailing woman, weeping woman, and crying woman. The ghost of Maria would haunt the rivers and waterways and would always wail over the death of her children, often crying “Ay mis hijos” or “Dónde están mis hijos” (Where are my children). The form she had manifested also varies from versions of the legend, with her often being depicted as a woman wearing a white gown, having no face, a skeletal face, or the head of a horse. Even the events that happen to a person varies from person to person, with the spirit snatching unsuspecting children, straight up murdering people who encounter her, or asking them if they have seen her children before disappearing in thin air. 

    Many versions exist of La Llorona, some which depict a woman without a face, a skull, or in others, the head of a horse. She also roams river banks, streets, or anywhere near water and is said to drown her victims. In some versions, she even kills unfaithful men, like the one who caused her to commit such vile acts. La Llorona is also a national icon in Mexico, with her figure dating back to pre-Columbian Aztec goddess Cihuacoatl, who was said to be heard crying over the fate of her children in the banks of the Texcoco lake. She is celebrated all across the nation on Day of the Dead due to her status as a spirit and has even been the inspiration for movies . There are also many versions of the legend that each location might have their unique Llorona spirit. El Paso, Texas has at least three or four known versions of this ghost, some with the head of a horse while others float without legs. Ciudad Juarez shares the version that has the horse head, and this spirit is shown to be violent in nature. 

    Other well known locations that have this legend are San Antonio, within Woman Hollering Creek and in Mexico City, where the legend is most prevalent. Each location varies if the specter actually attempts to murder those she spots, most versions only snatch children while other suck the souls of her victims. Some of the victims are unfaithful men, which she is said to hunt down as retaliation for what happened to her in life. Others who have the misfortune of spotting her are said to be marked for death or cursed, similar to the banshee legend of Ireland. In some legends, he will also relentessly pursue anyone who taps a rock with a stone late at night while telling her that they have her kids. Be warned, if you attempt to summon her this way, just remember that she may take your soul as eternal company.

Sources:

    Hudnall, Ken, and Connie Wang. Spirits of the Border: The History and Mystery of El Paso Del Norte. Omega Press, 2003.

    “La Llorona: The Weeping Woman.” Austin Ghosts, 10 February 2021, https://austinghosts.com/la-llorona-the-weeping-woman/. Accessed 5 March 2025.

    Treat, Wesley, et al. Weird Texas: Your Travel Guide to Texas's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets. Sterling Publishing Company, Incorporated, 2009.