I interviewed my mother’s assistant who is originally from Guatemala in order to find out more about her culture. I have known her my entire life, yet I don’t know exactly what kind of background she comes from and what values her people have. I talked to her about a few things, including the legend of the Aluxob.

Collector: “Do you know of any legends that are important in your home town?”

Informant: “There is one that is talked about a lot with respect to farming because agriculture is very important where I come from. This is the legend of the Aluxob which are small mayan beings that have special powers and can even change form in order to scare and play tricks on humans. There is a story that talks about their ability help crops grow. These beings are apparently summoned when a farmer builds a house on his property and for years the Aluxob help with his vegetation, but after a certain amount of time they must be locked inside the house that was build or they will go and start tricking people.”

This was a very unique and interesting story because it related to something that actually effects their every day lives which is vegetation and agriculture. While this is just one story about these creatures, after doing some research they possess more roles. Although slightly different, these roles tend to reflect the same character. The Aluxob tend to be very temper-mental people that are happy when they get what they want but are devastated and throw a tantrum when they are not satisfied. Some stories say that the Aluxob as farmers or by passers for an offering. If these people refuse to give them an offering they cause destruction and even spread disease. On the other hand, if they are granted the offering they can bring good luck and protection to those that helped them. Depending on how they are treated, their emotions can change significantly.