Category Archives: Myths

Sacred narratives

La Siguanaba

Nationality: American/Salvadoran
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: San Diego, CA
Language: English/Spanish

TEXT: “I have cousins in Sonsonate, El Salvador, and last summer, we stayed at my aunt’s place on the edge of town. One night, our power went out, and we sat outside to cool off, since the fans and air conditioning needed power to function. My cousin pointed toward this dark trail in the backyard, and he said, “That’s where La Siguanaba lives.” I asked him what a “Siguanaba” was, and he explained that it was a woman who looks majestic from behind, but has a horse’s face when you see her up close. He said she tricks men who are out late, especially if they’re drunk or cheating. I looked at him and laughed, but when I woke up the next morning, I looked over at the path and saw footsteps on the same trail, but everyone was still in the house. I told my cousin about it later in the day, and he said, “She only shows herself when she wants to.”

CONTEXT: This story refers to the Salvadoran legend of La Siguanaba, a folkloric myth of Central America, particularly in rural spaces such as Sonsonate. In the classic readings of the tale, La Siguanaba is a beautiful woman from behind, who seduces unfaithful or reckless men, then turning to show a terrible face, and is often described as having a horse’s head. The legend is most frequently used as a moral cautionary tale, with the intent of being shared between generations as a lesson in morals or tradition. In this adaptation, the narrator shares an experience from when he was visiting family in El Salvador. E explained how the myth was told to him in a casual conversation during a blackout, an event where myths, especially scary stories, can leave a longer lasting impact.

ANALYSIS: This memorate is an example of how folklore is kept alive through personal stories and family conversations. E mentions that the legend was shared during a power outage, which makes the legend feel more natural and believable. The cousin doesn’t try to prove that the legend is real, but instead just explains the story the way it was told to him. The footprints add a mystery element to the legend, making the listener wonder if the legend could be true. Even though no one saw her, the cousin’s final comment talking about how she only shows herself when she wants to, helps keep the story going, providing a continuation of the tale.

The Myth of Dangun

Nationality: South Korean
Age: 27
Occupation: PHD Student, Electrical Engineering
Residence: Los Angeles, California
Language: English

Informant: “This is a myth about how our nation was created. Our nation was first called Chosun. There was a god (Hwanin) and his son (Hwanung). Hwanung loved the people, humans, so he wanted to live with people in the city instead of the sky world with the gods. So, he brings some sky people to the earth and rules over the people. He then saw there was a bear and tiger who were friends and wanted to be human. So, he gave them garlic and herbs and told them: If you eat these things for 100 days and live in a cave without seeing the sun, then I will let you become human. The tiger gives up, but the bear does not. So, the bear becomes a human woman. However, there is no one to marry her, and she really wants to marry someone. She prays to god: Please let me marry someone. The son of the god hears that voice and takes her as his wife, and they marry.”

Me: So how did this result in the creation of Korea?

Informant: “Ah, not Korea, but the dynasty. We think they are the first dynasty in this myth. The bear turned to a woman, and the son of god were the leaders of this first dynasty, which led to our nation.”

Context: The informant is from South Korea and heard this myth from his parents. He had to look some things up to refresh his memory, but says that it is a very well-known myth in Korea. He says that he, “of course”, does not believe that any of that really happened, but still finds it to be an interesting and important part of his nation’s story.

Analysis: I think that this story is meant to make the people of Korea feel some kind of importance and significance towards the origins of their nation. The story seems to paint the origins of Korea, or at least this specific dynasty, as being divine. A long time ago, I imagine the story served to prop up that dynasty, like propaganda of sorts. However, as time moved on and the dynasty dissipated, the story became integrated with the birth of subsequent nations, giving the citizens a hopeful story that their nation could trace its lineage back to the son of god. As for the bear turning into a woman, I think there may be some symbolism of these gods coming down and civilizing people. As if to say that Korea, as a nation, turned animals into people, metaphorically.

The Origins of Holi

Nationality: Indian
Age: 27
Occupation: Electrical Engineer
Residence: Los Angeles, California
Language: English

Informant: “This is the story behind Holi. It’s a festival we celebrate in India, but this is the story of why we do it. A long time ago there was an evil king called Hiranyakashipu. He was a tyrant with a very devout son. His son was quite upset with his father’s rule, so he more or less disagreed with him and set out to do better. The king didn’t like that, so he tried to kill him. He tried a few ways to kill him, but what’s important for this story is he tried to use his sister (holica) and her fire proof garments. She took the king’s son and sat in a burning fire, but his devotion saved him and burned the woman. Because of the son’s devotion, Vishnu sent someone to kill the king. That’s the story as I remember. There’s more to it that I don’t have a great memory of, but that’s how I would explain Holi.”

Me: “What do you think the story means aside from explaining Holi?”

Informant: “It’s just a story about devotion and victory of good over evil.”

Context: The informant is from India and says he has heard the story from a lot of people but mostly remembers how his parents tell it. The myth serves to explain why Hindu people celebrate Holi, which is the festival of colors, love, equality, and spring. Additionally, according to my research and the informant, the festival celebrates the victory of good over evil and is a direct commemoration of Vishnu’s victory over the king, Hiranyakashipu.

Analysis: This myth clearly serves to explain the festival Holi and also reveals some relatively basic values about the culture behind it. The story upholds devotion as a very desirable trait and goes so far as to paint it as something that can protect you from everything. At first, I figured there must be more to the story than “just a story about victory of good over evil”, but my research seems to confirm that my roommate was accurate in his description. However, I did find that some of the myth that was left out makes this story of devotion more compelling. Hiranyakashipu’s son was put through immense suffering and remained devout through it all. After reading more, this myth reminds me a bit of the story of Job in the bible. It seems to be making the case that devotion must be maintained at all costs and that god will make all right in the end.

Mt. Misery Road

Age – 17
Language – English
Nationality – American
Occupation – Student
Primary Language – English
Residence – New York

Text: “There is this road down the street where we live called Mt. Misery Road. I’m not sure what the exact story was but apparently there was a group of students killed there a long time ago and they’re supposed to haunt the road at night. It’s said on Halloween if you put your car in neutral they move your car, so we did it on Halloween and the car actually did move which scared me a lot.”

Context: The informant talks about a local road called Mt. Misery Road, which has its own legend near where she grew up. She doesn’t know all the details but mentions that a group of students were killed there, and their ghosts are said to haunt the road at night. They tested it out and when it worked she freaked out.

Analysis: This an example of how legends grow around a certain place. People tend to make up stories about roads or other spots in their area, based on real events. The idea of a haunted place is something that gives people a shared experience, and the Halloween setting just makes it spookier. The informant’s personal experience makes it feel more real, especially since the car actually moved. It’s also interesting how the name of the street symbolizes danger.

Grade Killer

Age – 17
Language – English
Nationality – American
Occupation – Student
Primary Language – English
Residence – New York

Text: “I have always been scared of the dark since I was younger and I was told this story once as a kid from someone in my class. The story was that there was a man that went around and killed kids who weren’t actively getting the best grades at school. This story sounds dumb, but one night I woke up dreary in the middle of the night and thought I saw something in the window or a moving figure outside my window and then my lights started flickering and I freaked out and ran into my parents room. I couldn’t sleep alone in my room for a week after that.”

Context:
The informant tells a story from childhood where a man supposedly killed kids who didn’t do well in school. The informant said this stemmed from kids trying to scare people in school and her fear of academic failure. This story scared her a lot, especially since she was already afraid of the dark.

Analysis:
This story plays into common childhood fears like the fear of failure and punishment. The man who kills kids for bad grades is a way of turning something as schoolwork into a nightmare. The informant’s personal experience, where she was already scared of the dark and then had something strange happen, justified her fear in the moment. The flickering lights and the feeling of someone watching really make this myth feel true in her life.