Author Archives: Allison Avila-Olivares

Ashes for Wind Protection

Nationality: Guatemalan
Age: 45
Occupation: Landscaper
Residence: Boston, Massachusetts
Performance Date: 4/1/2015
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: English

“Yeah, you know what? I think I actually do know some stories about weather and weather cycles. So actually, my mom used to do this because we had this tiny adobe house that would not withstand harsh weather. It needed to be protected. Lots of hurricanes would pass through the highlands. What my mother did was make a cross out of ashes in the backyard in the direction the wind was coming in?…The house would always be protected from the winds. Does that make sense?”

Context/Analysis: The informant told that this piece was significant to him because it was a way that his family would withstand the harshness of the winds against their impoverished life. They had nothing growing up, so protecting their adobe house incredibly important to them. He now lives in a very sturdy concrete house but the folk belief just reminds him of his up bringing and how he grew up with such poverty. This folk belief is a family heirloom: his mother told him and his grandmother had told his mother. Even though they no longer live in an adobe house, they still whole-heartedly believe in the power of prayer and the iconography of crosses.

How to Cure Trauma

Nationality: Guatemalan
Age: 45
Occupation: Landscaper
Residence: Boston, Massachusetts
Performance Date: 4/1/2015
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: English

“When a person is startled by something, whatever it is, it is a custom to give the person three spanks on their butt and a glass of water so they don’t have further psychological trauma.

During the Guatemalan earthquake of 1976, the entire country was in shock. I remember being 5 years old, my whole house being crushed to the ground. The dogs were still barking and children were screaming. After much time, I still had nightmares about the intense shaking and being locked in the house. My mother gave me three spanks on my bottom and a glass of water. I continued to have nightmares, so they took me to a medicine woman. I was crawling on my knees around the room in circles, holding a candle. The medicine woman made me chant prayers. She said that if I had strong faith, I’ll get better…I stopped having night terrors after that.

Context/Analysis: The informant first heard this back in Guatemala, before he had immigrated to America. Now that he is here, he has much more access to western medicine as opposed to herbal medicines and Curanderia. It is significant to them because it indicates how they managed to overcome the trauma of the Guatemalan Earthquake of 1976, which made global headlines. Ultimately, this tradition is part of his heritage. Though he does not practice it today, it is still something he remembers dearly.

The Black Egg

Nationality: Guatemalan
Age: 50
Occupation: Dining Service
Residence: Boston, Massachusetts
Performance Date: 4/1/2015
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: English

“One day my grandmother was feeling incredibly ill. She looked much older: she looked pale, had chills, and had dark circles around her eyes. My mother took her to a medicine woman who lived high up in the mountains. The medicine woman sat my grandmother in a chair and looked into her eyes. They were bloodshot. The medicine women left the room, and returned with an egg. The medicine woman brought the egg close to her mouth and whispered something into it, as if she were praying. Then she began to pass the egg over the body of my grandmother. When she cracked the egg open into a bowl, the yolk was black and rotten. Later we found out that she had developed a lung tumor.”

Context and analysis: The informant first heard of this folklore when they were much younger, but remembers the instance with her grandmother more vividly. It is significant and memorable to the informant because it was the moment she realized she was going to lose her grandmother. When she was in the presence of the ritual, she was asked to stay far away from her grandmother, to have a clear positive mind, and to not allow negative thoughts to intrude. Ultimately, the black egg ritual is performed to confirm ailments in a person who is suspected to be sick. The ritual begins with a common catholic prayer while holding rosary beads. It is important to note that even though these rituals are part of the Curanderia magic of Guatemala, a lot of this magic is intertwined with Christian-catholic beliefs and prayers.

The Legend of “La Siguanaba”

Nationality: Guatemalan
Age: 50
Occupation: Dining Service
Residence: Boston, Massachusetts
Performance Date: 4/1/2015
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: English

“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.

Solar Eclipse

Nationality: Guatemalan
Age: 50
Occupation: Dining Service
Residence: Boston, Massachusetts
Performance Date: 4/1/2015
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: English

“It is not good for a solar eclipse to occur during pregnancy. They say that the baby could come out with a birthmark on its face shaped like the solar eclipse…Um…Usually on the face. That is why they always told me to wear a red ribbon on my underwear when I was pregnant. The red ribbon is supposed to prevent the birthmark from developing. Luckily, no eclipses ever happened during my pregnancy.”

Context and Analysis: The informant grew up believing in Curanderia, a type of witchcraft used in Guatemala. The informant first heard this folk belief when she was pregnant with her first child back in Guatemala. She informed that she was also told many other beliefs to prevent ailments to the baby, including wearing gold or not wearing black. Superstitions for pregnant women are incredibly common in Guatemala. Like the informant had remarked, many Guatemalan women are recommended to always wear a red ribbon tied to their underwear because it will prevent the formation of a birthmark when there is a solar eclipse. Because there is a large population of indigenous people living in Guatemala, folklore with solar-themes is very common, suggesting that curanderia is highly influenced by mayan beliefs and traditions. While this is true, it is a very common belief among cultures that the color red wards off evils and ailments, indicating that the red ribbon of curanderia is a varitation of these common beliefs across cultures.