“I grew up in a small town named Monjas, surrounded by mountains. In one of the mountains, there is an extinct volcano that has formed into a lagoon. It is called “La Laguna del Hoyo.” It is a beautiful view from the top of the mountain, but no one likes to go near the lagoon, especially at night because of La Siguanaba. Supposedly she is a demon who is very beautiful, wears white, and taunts men at night who are roaming around the lagoon. Usually they are drunk. The drunken men follow her deeper into the grooves of the mountain, keeps them there, and loses them in the nearby forest. These men are never found.”

Context and Analysis: The Informant first heard this legend when they were in their youth back in Guatemala. This was a way of preventing people from going near the lagoon, which is incredibly deep and people are susceptible to drowning. According to the informant, the lagoon is so deep it seems to be bottomless. They have even bounced off sonar from a ship and have had a hard time finding the bottom. The informant heard it from their mother, who told her never to play near the lagoon. That is why it is significant to the informant, who’s mother is far away back in Guatemala.

The legend of La Siguanaba has been published online and has been a point of discourse. It is thought to be is the Guatemalan version of Mexico’s La Llorona. Though the demon from Guatemala does not cry out for her children, the demon does lure her victims into a cave and frighten them to insanity.