Author Archives: Karie Villanueva

La Ciguanaba

Nationality: Salvadorian
Age: 50
Occupation: Registered Nurse/Clinical Administrator
Residence: Pasadena, CA
Performance Date: 4/11/12
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: English

“There was a woman who was born with the name Sihuehuet, which means beautiful woman, but it changes into Ciguanaba, which means hideous woman. Apparently, she was beaten to death by her husband or boyfriend. She initially appears to be this beautiful woman who gains the attention of every man. She is particular to men who appear to be unfaithful or abusive to their girlfriends and wives. So when she confronts one, she seduces them, takes advantage of them sexually and then turns into this horrible-looking devil. She contorts her body in every direction and scares the men that they too twist their bodies due to the extreme fear that comes with seeing la Ciguanaba. It is also believed that she gave birth to a boy before she died, named El Cipitio. And apparently, this son grew up and preys on virgin girls. People in El Salvador have confessed to seeing her, but whether this is true or not is still unknown.”

My informant heard of the “La Ciguanaba” legend as a little girl in El Salvador. She claims that the story originated in El Salvador; however, other sources indicate a different origin. The story is typically told to teenage girls and boys of Hispanic descent, especially if they come from Central America (e.g. El Salvador, Guatemala, and Costa Rica). It is usually a time where females and males are believed to begin relationships and also develop a sense of ethics. I recall her telling me this story during my teenage years, and asked her to recite the piece again. She found this piece interesting and found some importance in retelling this story, because it creates a sense of fear that simultaneously places an importance on morality. She uses the example that by believing in this legend, men will become more wary about how they act in relationships and in the domestic environment. She believes that as a result of this legend, women should symbolize virtue and purity that is sought for by all people. And if this goal (or woman) is tampered with, then people are moving further from achieving proper moral behavior and leading sinful lives.

I think the “La Ciguanaba” legend can be interpreted in multiple ways. The legend is versatile in this sense. It can act as a way for people to understand the notion of karma. It is usually told to children when they are suspected of doing anything rebellious in order to instill fear. Its reinforcing children to avoid conducting mischievous behavior, because their actions may decide their fate in the future. Alternatively, it can be viewed as a way to tell children to make rational decisions, because, again, their actions may dictate what happens as a result of the decisions they make. For example, Hispanic mothers often tell their daughters this story, because they want them to be wary about the decisions the make, such as the partners they choose.

To note, there are multiple variations to the Salvadorian “La Ciguanaba.” I have a friend who is from Guatemala, and I had her recite the Guatemalan version, spelled “La Siguanaba,” and refers to a female who is initially very beautiful. As she is confronted with men, she turns into a horse-like figure and causes males to be disoriented after she has intercourse with them. The men can no longer recall who they are or identify with what is occurring in the world, and they ultimately kill themselves as a result. I also heard of the Costa Rican version, “Cegua,” which is similar to the Guatemalan legend, but uses a different setting.

Don’t Vacuum Past 6 p.m.!

Nationality: Salvadorian
Age: 50
Occupation: Registered Nurse/Clinical Administrator
Residence: Pasadena, CA
Performance Date: 4/12/12
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: English

“You don’t vacuum or broom after 6 p.m., because this will give you bad luck, and results in less income coming into the home.”

My informant was told this superstition as a little girl. It was supposed that females would be the ones conducting all the domestic work in the household, so this superstition was told mainly to females. She remembers sweeping her floor one evening in her home and her mother slapping the broom from her hand. Her mother is a huge believer in superstitions and avoids breaking them at all costs. She said that the family will become poor if they cleaned after six. As a result, all cleaning activities were done before sunset, and any unfinished cleaning was carried out the following morning. She continues the tradition and shares it with her family and friends, because she believes it to be a creative way to instill values about hard work.

I believed this superstition to be particularly interesting, because I thought it was ridiculous growing up. However, it could be used as a kind of way to help people avoid developing bad habits. It is analogous to procrastination, where one often does things the last minute. It could also be used in an economic way to help people understand proper work ethics, where working in a time-oriented fashion can be a more effective means to produce the most profit.

Werewolves and Vampires: Myth or Disease?

Nationality: Caucasian/Jewish
Age: 25
Occupation: Mentor
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 4/8/12
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish and Danish

“The blood sucking disease (porphyria), is somewhat of an explanation for the origin of vampire and werewolf myths, based on similarities between the disease and the folklore.”

“The theory has since faced criticism, especially for the stigma it has placed on its sufferers. A book  called American Vampires: Fans, Victims, Practitioners deals with this issue. The theory also operates on a flawed premise, mainly in regard to a perceived harmful effect sunlight had on vampires, a property that came after the vampire belief. The book talked about there being eight different types of porphyria. Four of these can sometimes cause sensitivity to light: Erythropoietic Protoporphyria, Congenital Erythropoietic Porphyria, Porphyria Cutanea and Variegate Porphyria.”

The informant was a Neuroscience major at UC Berkeley and one night we were talking about our experiences in certain science classes. The topic of conversation was “the craziest thing you hear in science class,” and he mentioned a disease he learned in his Biochemistry course in relation to folklore. He couldn’t remember all the details, but he was able to describe the relation of porphyria to werewolves and vampires. Briefly, porphyria is a genetic disease that causes inability to produce red blood cells, which is a major component of blood. Therefore, it seems logical to link vampires and werewolves to the disease, because vampires and werewolves lust for blood and largely depend on it. He seemed to like this explanation of these mythological creatures, because he noted that he was very interested in mythological and unexplainable phenomenon.

Further, my informant found this piece particularly interesting, because it provides a basis for the cultural creation of vampires and werewolves rooted in science. He chose to perform this explanation of the vampire/werewolf phenomenon, because it is often undervalued in conversations and marginalized due to the fantastic desires of most humans. In addition, this myth provides him with a window of curiosity through which he looks at a lot of myths, like “mermaids, satyrs, dragons, golems, giants and other creatures” that are said to be made-believe but may have scientific merit in their origins.

I found this piece compelling, because the informant claimed that vampires and werewolves had “scientific merit” and should therefore not be discredited. I, too, am a science major, and found this is a very interesting premise, because we normally attribute mythological characters, like werewolves and vampires, with having some kind of supernatural ability that cannot be explained by science. In January 1964, L. Illis’ 1963 paper, “On Porphyria and the Etiology of Werwolves”, was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine. Later, Nancy Garden argued for a connection between porphyria and the vampire belief in her 1973 book, Vampires. In 1985, biochemist David Dolphin’s paper for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, “Porphyria, Vampires, and Werewolves: The Etiology of European Metamorphosis Legends”, gained widespread media coverage, thus popularizing the connection. With that said, this is one of few instances where there is an explanation for mythological phenomena (e.g. werewolves and vampires) by using scientific methodologies (e.g. human disease). This could have arisen from increasing advances in scientific research. Also, it seems analogous to the idea about folk medicine and western medicine, where the majority of our understanding of the curative effect of drugs and therapies derive from folklore. On the other hand, it can be reasonably argued that the porphyria disease may not have stimulated the creation of werewolf and vampire myths for two reasons. One, porphyria is a rare and recently discovered disease and could not have been prominent or known at the time these myths were created. Finally, science was a slow and evolving field that may not have been widely accepted during the time of these myth creations. Therefore, more investigation would be needed to validate scientific origins of myths.

Dinner at Pinoy Home

Nationality: Filipino
Age: 56
Occupation: Accountant
Residence: Glendora, CA
Performance Date: 4/23/12
Primary Language: Tagalog
Language: English, Ilocano

(In Tagalong) “Kain lang kayo ng kain, walanghiya kayo, pakiramdam nyo bahay nyo to!”

(First Translation) “Eat all you can, don’t be shy, and you’ll feel at home!”

(Second Translation) “Eat, eat, eat you old son of a gun, you think this your house!”

This is probably one of the most common sayings that is given during a feast at a Filipino home. The informant was born in the northern part of the Philippines on a small province known as Ilocos Norte. He remembers that near the end of each month, he would wake up early in the morning to gather all the vegetables, meats, poultry, and rice to cook for the feast that would take a complete week to prepare. People, including family and strangers, would come to his home, because his family was notable for providing the largest feasts and the best entertainment. And one of the first few greetings they would tell their guests was this phrase. He found this greeting particularly interesting and comical, because it is somewhat an offensive statement when translated correctly, but it is meant to be a statement of hospitality. His family brought this tradition to the United States, which is frequently used whenever they have parties and/or big feasts.

My informant provided the saying in tagalog, as well as two English translations. The First Translation is the intended meaning, and the Second Translation is the actual interpretation.

My review of this piece is to interpret it as both a saying and as a joke. As the informant had indicated, the greeting’s intended meaning is different from its literal meaning. And from my own experience with hearing and using the saying myself, I can agree that many use it as a sign of kindness. I also found this to be very interesting after learning the two translations, because it teaches a lesson that we shouldn’t take things for their face value. For example, this saying can be seen as a joke rather than an insult as suggested by the literal interpretation. Those who can interpret the phrase correctly usually respond by laughing. It is not to be taken as if outsiders are perceived as taking advantage of other’s generosity. Further, one’s interpretation can depend on how someone says it through their tone and physical gestures. Together, these considerations can lead us to believe that statements should not be understood by looking at translations in their literal sense. And there are additional aspects that need to be considered in order to fully understand the meaning of spoken words and phrases.

Origins of the Messiah: Incarnation of Osiris (Messiah Myth)

Nationality: Caucasian/Jewish
Age: 25
Occupation: Mentor
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 04/8/12
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish and Danish

(Background description) Horus was the falcon-headed god of Egyptian legend. Pharoah was the earthly incarnation of the Horus.

His story begins with his parents Osiris and Isis.

Osiris, Isis, and their brother Seth were all gods. And Osiris was god of vegetation, Isis the goddess of fertility and Seth the god of the desert. Osiris was a “living god”, like Horus he was embodied as the pharaoh. When he became pharaoh, he took Isis to be his queen. Seth became jealous and murdered Osiris. I believe he cut Osiris’ body into pieces and scattered them throughout Egypt. When Isis heard, she took the form of a bird and searched until she found all the parts of his body. After um reassembling Osiris’ body, she beat her wings and breathed life back into him. Thereafter, Osiris was god of the afterlife.

To avenge his father, Horus fought Seth. After battling for 80 years, Horus was judged victorious by the gods, but he had lost his eye in the battle. The eye was found and returned to him. As a gesture of respect, he presented the eye to his father, Osiris. The Eye of Horus or “udjat” represents the combination of a human eye, with the cheek markings of a falcon. It was considered a powerful symbol for imparting protection and life.

It was performed during a dinner outing at an authentic Mexican restaurant after I had taken the MCAT (Medical School Admissions Test). The informant and I were talking about our college experiences, and he mentioned that one of his roommates was deeply pious and knew everything about being Jewish including their folklore. He recited  it in English, but indicated that it could have been spoken in another language that he could not remember. He seemed to like this interpretation of the Messiah myth, because of the many variations, he believed that it was one of the few that seem very unconventional.

For the informant, this version of the Osiris myth represents one of the older explanations for a messiah while being more explicitly rooted in astronomical data. He performs it simply for comparing explanations for a savior between religions. It serves some importance to him, because of the implications it has on the weight individuals with faith put in their saviors while ignoring the similar practices of ancient cultures.

Limitations include that the informant could not remember all the details about this variation of the Messiah myth, and could not provide it in the language that it was originally spoken. He also did not remember the original language.

There seems to be multiple variations of this myth which could differ depending on the culture and/or religion. No one really knows where the Osiris myth originated. Although, it may fall back to the very remote past (~1st C. BC) based on astronomical findings. The story of Osiris appears to have been spread according to a mythological description of the life of Osiris, describing his death and rebirth. Personally, it is somewhat unusual to have a godly event, such as the death and rebirth of Osiris, to take place in world that seems more like a fantasy and fictional. This could partly be due to the belief that Osiris is intended to be a fictional figure given that this story was derived from astronomical interpretation (e.g. star constellations). After reading other variations, I was able to find geologic data from Egypt that provides an entirely different interpretation. I came across a variation which referenced an Egyptian variation of the Messiah myth. In this variation, Osiris had undergone a second death after his wife Isis gathered the remnants of his body, which was contingent on geographic data. The latter can be found in “Osiris”, Man, Myth & Magic, S.G.F Brandon, Vol.5 pp. 2088, BPC Publishing. This could be indicative of a non-fictional human being with divine powers. Despite the variations in explaining what occurred in the Osiris myth, I noticed that together these variations sought to instill a high moral code upon society, a sense of good and evil, and an inclination towards love and admiration. The geologic interpretation did follow a similar philosophy as the astronomical one, in which there existed a spiritual element that is resurrected from the body, which allows one to exist in a higher spiritual realm.