10 Colombian legends full of folklore and popular culture

Colombian legends with decades of history they mix the mystical with the historical, love with heartbreak, magic with tradition, the heroic and the supernatural. These are narratives rich in symbolic and historical content that, in addition to entertaining us, can help us learn about individual experiences, historical events and cultural worldviews.

In the following article we will see 10 of the most popular legends of Colombia, in which A part of the popular culture and mythology of the South American country is shown.

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The 10 most popular Colombian legends

Legends are narratives that are transmitted orally or in writing generation after generation. Likewise, they are a way of understanding popular ideas and everyday life: they tell stories about the past, explain phenomena natural or supernatural, they speak of individual events, love relationships, religious, educational, political, heroic events, etc.

Each legend is specific to the specific region where it is told, so it is transmitted and transformed according to its cultural codes. Returning to the above, we review 10 of popular legends of Colombia.

1. The mother of water

They say that in Colombian rivers and springs it appears the ghost of a beautiful woman, known as the Mother of Water, or the Mother of River. They say that his hair is golden, his skin is white and his eyes are large and green. By day, and in the sight of the sun, her power is spiritual and healing.

At night, her face reflects fantasy. She attracts and seduces young people who, upon eye contact, fall into a state of hypnosis and madness. Some more fall into the depths of the spring and are never seen again. To get out of the spell, the young people who survive must pray accompanied by the adults. It is also said that the Mother of Water she walks through the crystalline lakes riding dolphins, fish and crocodiles.

2. The patasola

Similar to the stories of other legendary women in Latin America, such as La llorona or La sayona, "La patasola" is the banshee of a woman who lost her children due to love conflicts. She is known as “la patasola” because she walks on one foot. Her hair is long and matted, and she has large eyes and mouth.

They say that she was a woman who was married to a peasant with whom she had three children. One day, when he returned from work, the peasant found the woman at home with her employer, and in a fit of fury he cut off the latter's head with a machete. The woman tried to escape from her, but the peasant managed to cut off one of her legs. As a consequence of this injury the woman died soon. The peasant set fire to the house and took her children far away. Since then, the banshee of the patasola returns to look for them.

According to the specific region where it is counted, the patasola appears with huge fangs, so that it can being a kind of vampire who, beyond having been a spiteful woman, is a being that protects the nature.

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3. The footlight

According to this legend, there is a large fiery ball composed of three torches, which take the form of red tentacles and she persecutes suspicious or ill-willed men, such as drunkards, infidels, abusers, those who leave their family, etc. They say that also chases late-night travelers and may show up to reprimand misbehavior of children and grandchildren.

The source of the footlight is an old woman who was excessively permissive with her grandchildren. When he died, Saint Peter rebuked her for having educated them in this way and, as punishment, gives him the form of three candle flares, as well as the task of returning to put order when necessary. One represented the body of the old woman, and the other two that of her grandchildren.

4. The shod mule

The inhabitants of Bogotá say that from midnight you can hear the galloping of a mule. Shod because she goes alone and saddled through the city. It is said that a man named Don Álvaro enjoyed riding his mule constantly changing course. He always ended up in a gambling house, where he ate and drank late into the night. One day, while Don Álvaro was playing, his servant accompanied the mule to drink water from the river. The animal escaped to the gambling house where its owner was.

Surprised, Don Álvaro asked him to pick him up every night, and so it happened. When Don Álvaro died, the mule spent the rest of its nights roaming the city in search of its owner. They say that her beauty returns to this day, with which those who hear her call her "the shod mule."

5. The witches of Burgama

In the town of Burgama, today called San Juan Crisóstomos de la Loma, they tell the legend of María Antonia Mandona, María Pérez, María de Mora, María del Carmen and Leonelda Hernández, who were accused of witchcraft and subjected to an inquisitorial process in the 17th century. They were known as The Witches of Burgama and lived on a hill near the town, where they dedicated themselves to curing the sick and in love.

However, they were accused of having pacts with the devil, as well as wanting to turn the town into a great lagoon to make the parish priest an alligator, and the inhabitants a group of toads. They were finally taken to prison and sentenced to the stake. But one of them, Leonelda, managed to escape with the help of the indigenous people. Together, they not only released the accused, but also killed the soldiers and the captain who had ordered her conviction. From this moment, the place was known as the Cerro de la Horca.

6. The Mohán

Legend has it that in the Colombian mountains and cliffs there is a great man with abundant hair, a beard, large eyes and long nails. Depending on the specific region where it is counted, the man can have different characteristics and origins. For example, it is said that he is a sorcerer who, anticipating the arrival of the Spaniards in the 15th century, took refuge in the caves, where he played the guitar especially on a full moon.

In fact, many of the area's natural disasters are attributed to him, so some people pay tribute to him as a sign of peace. In addition, the Mohán constantly returned to the city, it is said that he persecuted young people and peasants, so he is terrifying for some people.

7. The alligator man

Legend has it that a fisherman named Saúl Montenegro had an obsession for looking at women who bathed naked on the Caribbean coast, specifically in the Magdalena River. He did not want to be discovered and reprimanded, so he decided to visit a local sorcerer, who prepared a potion that would turn him into an alligator. He so he could hide under the river and continue spying on the women. The witch himself gave him an extra potion, which she would allow him to return to the human state when the fisherman wanted. But obviously someone else would have to spray this last one while he was in alligator form.

He asked the favor of one of his friends, who, surprised by the transformation, poured the potion only on the fisherman's head. Thus, he was turned into a being half man half alligator, and immediately aroused the terror of the women who visited the river. They did not return any more, and in desolation, the fisherman spent the rest of his days wandering along the river until he reached its mouth. Until now, fishermen who visit the area count waiting to meet the alligator man.

8. The dock

Also known as the Tusk, she is a woman with long hair and large eyes with huge teeth. They say it comes from a woman called La Maga, who was dedicated to guessing the future, liberating women and punishing men. When he died, the neighbors said they heard her inside their house swearing revenge on unfaithful, drunk and vicious men.

Some people claim that her spirit appears on the banks of the trails, especially when evening falls. At first she sees herself as a seductive and attractive woman, which is why many men quickly approach her. However, she is terrified when she shows them her large teeth (similar to that of a horse) and sometimes she even grinds them down as a form of punishment.

9. The big hat

This legend, which has its own versions in Mexico and Central America, says that the sombrerón is a tall and burly man, with an almost diabolical face, who persecutes and punishes young men with inadequate. For example, those who abuse alcohol or drugs, those who steal or mistreat, and so on.

In colombia It is about a man dressed in black who wears a large black hat. His hair is long, straight and the same color and, in life, he was seen wandering the banks of the street. After death, many people claim to continue to be in lonely places, or walking the streets when there is a full moon. In some regions they also call him The Black Rider. He surprises and chases the young night owls at high speed, always shouting "If I catch up with you, I'll put it on you."

10. The goblin

This legend has different versions depending on the place where it is told. Usually it is about an angel who was expelled from the dream with the punishment of walking through the fields of the earth. It has the ability to persuade young and old to cause nightmares, sleepwalking, provoke anger, misplace their things, and lead them to wander aimlessly. Especially when it comes to peasants and young lovers.

Other versions tell that the elf who is dedicated to kidnapping boys and girls with blond hair, to take them to the forest and turn them into wild beings.