“Érase una vez una joven mujer la cual trabajaba en un restaurante en Caracas. Un día, la madre de la muchacha, una anciana, acudió al restaurante a pedir un plato de comida. Su propia hija le negó el plato y posteriormente la expulsó del local.

Una vez fuera, dolida, la anciana mujer se encontró con un hombre que le regaló una moneda con una cruz de San Andrés. El hombre le dio instrucciones de que volviera al restaurante y comiera con ese dinero, pero que cuando su hija le diera la vuelta le dijera que se quedara al cambio para comprar malojo.

La anciana hizo lo que el hombre le dijo, algo que provocó que la hija que la había expulsada se transformara parcialmente en mula, relinchando y coceando hasta que huyó del lugar. Desde entonces la mujer mula se tapa con un manto blanco y se aparece en las iglesias, rezando”.

Translation;

“Once upon a time, there was a young woman who worked in a restaurant in Caracas. One day, the girl’s mother, an elderly woman, came to the restaurant to ask for a plate of food. Her own daughter refused her the plate and subsequently expelled her from the establishment.

Once outside, hurt, the elderly woman met a man who gave her a coin with a St. Andrew’s cross on it. The man instructed her to return to the restaurant and eat with the money, but when her daughter gave her the change, she was to tell him to keep the change to buy malojo.

The elderly woman did as the man told her, causing the daughter who had expelled her to partially transform into a mule, neighing and kicking until she fled the scene. Since then, the Mule Woman covers herself with a white cloak and appears in churches, praying.”

Analysis: A Venezuelan legend that tells us about the price and punishment of ingratitude, as well as the return of the wrongs done to others. It is difficult to pinpoint the origins of this story, but it became popular in Caracas, where most of the high-end restaurants are. This is the capital of Venezuela, which made the story grow at a faster rate because of the high number of people who live in Caracas who shared the story with their relatives/friends. This legend also reflects the Venezuelan national religion, which is Catholicism. It is represented by how the end of the story plays out, with the mule woman appearing in churches. In Venezuelan culture, heavily influenced by Catholicism, the best thing to do if you have sinned is to go to the church, which is what the women do. 

“La Laguna de Urao, ubicada en el estado Mérida, esconde un antiguo misterio. Se dice que hace siglos, antes de la llegada de los españoles, vivía en la zona una tribu de indígenas Mucuchíes, quienes veneraban a los espíritus de la naturaleza y obtenían su sustento de la laguna.

Un día, los indígenas notaron que el agua de la laguna comenzaba a reducirse misteriosamente. Alarmados, consultaron al chamán de la tribu, quien les dijo que debían hacer una ofrenda para calmar la furia del espíritu de la laguna. Como sacrificio, decidieron entregar a una joven doncella de la comunidad, quien fue arrojada a las aguas para apaciguar a la deidad.

Desde entonces, se dice que el alma de la doncella habita en la laguna, protegiéndola de los extraños y asegurándose de que su nivel de agua nunca baje completamente. Hay quienes afirman haber visto una figura femenina flotando sobre la superficie o escuchado su lamento en las noches de luna llena.”

Translation;

“Urao Lagoon, located in the state of Mérida, hides an ancient mystery. It is said that centuries ago, before the arrival of the Spanish, a tribe of Mucuchí indigenous people lived in the area. They worshipped the spirits of nature and drew their sustenance from the lagoon.

One day, the indigenous people noticed that the lagoon’s water was mysteriously beginning to diminish. Alarmed, they consulted the tribe’s shaman, who told them they should make an offering to calm the fury of the lagoon’s spirit. As a sacrifice, he decided to offer a young maiden from the community, who was thrown into the waters to appease the deity.

Since then, it is said that the maiden’s soul inhabits the lagoon, protecting it from strangers and ensuring that its water level never completely recedes. Some claim to have seen a female figure floating on the surface or heard her lament on nights with a full moon.”

Analysis: This legend blends indigenous beliefs with mystical elements, conveying respect for nature and fear of the hidden powers within. Urao Lagoon remains a place of great spiritual and cultural significance for the region’s inhabitants.