Category Archives: Legends

Narratives about belief.

Popocatépetl’s Smoke

Nationality: American/Mexican
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: West Covina, CA
Language: English/Spanish

TEXT: “When I was little, my Abuelita would point out the volcanoes in the city where she grew up, Puebla City, Mexico. She would tell me the story of two volcanoes, Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, the warrior and his sleeping princess.” She told me how the legend went, as they were once in love, but Iztaccíhuatl died before they could be together. In an attempt to honor her, Popocatépetl carried her to the mountains, and the gods turned them into volcanoes so they would be together forever. My abuelita believed that when Popocatépetl started smoking, it was him showing his love for the other mountain. The last time I was in Puebla, about 2 years ago, I looked up and the volcano was smoking.”

CONTEXT: This story is rooted in the traditional Mexican legend of Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, which is widely known in central Mexico, especially in and around Puebla. The legend has been passed down for generations and reflects indigenous beliefs about love, death, and the natural world. In the story, two volcanoes are said to be the transformed bodies of a warrior and a princess, symbolizing eternal love and loss. The narrator shares a personal memory of their abuelita recounting this tale during visits to Puebla City, tying folklore to family, place, and lived experience.

ANALYSIS: The narrative blends cultural tradition with personal memory, making the retelling more intimate and emotionally resonant. The grandmother serves as a cultural transmitter, passing on not just the legend but her interpretation—that the volcano’s smoke is an expression of love. This belief turns a natural phenomenon into a meaningful sign, demonstrating how folklore often helps people connect emotion and environment. The narrator’s final observation—seeing the volcano smoking years later—reaffirms the legend’s emotional power, suggesting that even in the face of loss, love can still be seen, felt, and remembered through nature.

El Padre Sin Cabeza

Nationality: American/Salvadoran
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: San Diego, CA
Language: English/Spanish

TEXT: “My mom was raised in Suchitoto, a municipality in El Salvador, and when we visited her side of the family, she pointed out a church, Iglesia Santa Lucia, and said, ‘That’s where they say El Padre Sin Cabeza walks at night.’ She told me the story of a priest who was punished for a sin long ago, and now he roams the town at night, headless, searching for peace. She said people hear church bells ring late at night, even when no one is making them ring. My cousins and I were always too scared to go near the church, even my older cousins didn’t want to explore the streets at night, since we were all scared of the legend. It seems like in our religious family, it wasn’t about seeing him but about what happens when you break your word or lose your way.”

CONTEXT: This memorate was shared by the informant, E, during a conversation about legends from his home country. E shared this story that his mother told him, rooted in the Salvadoran legend of El Padre Sin Cabeza, which is a very well-known legend that is passed down across generations, especially in smaller towns. Though the story did not involve a direct encounter with the legend, the legend shows how oral traditions and folklore are preserved and shared in different ways within families, especially in religious or culturally prevalent settings.

ANALYSIS: This is an example of how legends are passed down through family and tied to real places. While the intention of the story is kept the same, the interpretation changes as new people hear it and as it gets passed down through generations. In El Salvador, the tale of El Padre Sin Cabeza is well known, especially in smaller towns, but instead of telling it as a scary story, E’s mom shared it as part of their visits to her hometown, which gave the story a more meaningful interpretation. Even without seeing anything strange, the story shaped how E and his cousins behaved, avoiding the church and the streets and night, showing how legends can influence, not just through belief, but through family and memory.

Paul Bunyan

Nationality: American
Age: 55
Residence: Vacaville, CA
Language: English

Informant Analysis: I grew up in Iowa, but I remember always hearing stories about Paul Bunyan when I was a kid. We used to go up to Leech Lake in Minnesota for vacations, which is right next to Paul Bunyan State Forest, so his name was everywhere. I heard that there were 10,000 lakes in Minnesota, and the story went that Paul Bunyan and his big blue ox, Babe, made them all just by stomping around. There’s this huge statue of him in Bemidji, and I remember seeing it for the first time and thinking, “Oh wow, this must be real.” For a while, I actually believed it—that some giant lumberjack had made the lakes just walking through the woods.

My Analysis: The informant’s memory of Paul Bunyan shows how folklore can shape a sense of place and identity, especially in childhood. Growing up hearing the legend and visiting places like Leech Lake and Bemidji, she associated real landscapes with this larger-than-life figure. The fact that she believed it as a child shows how folklore isn’t just a story, it becomes a way of understanding the world, especially when it’s reinforced by tangible things like statues and place names. The tale of Paul Bunyan creating Minnesota’s lakes is very whimsical, but it offers a cultural explanation for the landscape and reflects the importance of logging and wilderness in the identity of that region.

The Schnitzel Man – Legend

Nationality: American
Age: 28
Occupation: Author
Residence: Long Beach
Language: English

Text/Context: “In elementary school, there was a rumor making its way around about the Schnitzel Man. I first heard it from my friend Emily who heard it from another kid, and he was described as a tooth-fairy like figure who would bring Schnitzel to all the good little boys and girls. It started to catch on, and soon enough everyone knew about the Schnitzel Man. Some people believed it, including me and Emily, and we became so obsessed with the idea that we told everyone we knew, including our parents. Then one day, I woke up to get ready for school, and I feel something under my pillow. I pull it out, and lo and behold, it’s a plastic toy hot dog. I freak out and run to go tell my mom “The Schnitzel Man! He visited me in the night and left me a Schnitzel because I’m a good girl!” And so of course, immediately, the first thing I do when I find Emily at school is tell her, “I got a Schnitzel under my pillow, did you get one?” She said no, and I was like “I guess you’re not a good little girl then.” It became a source of irritation for her, because the Schnitzel Man never visited her, I was the only one blessed by the Schnitzel Man. I told everyone else in the friend group and anyone who didn’t believe before really started to believe then. In reality it was just my mother who wanted to play into all the fun we were having and wanted to pretend the Schnitzel Man was actually real.”

Analysis: I think we often forget how gullible we were as children, and this hilarious story is a prime example of that. If you told anyone over the age of 14 about the “Schnitzel Man,” they’d laugh in your face. But elementary schoolers will believe anything. This is reflected in the folklore that originates from this age group, as it is often much more far-fetched and absurd than the typical folklore you’ll hear. Kids see the world in what I would describe as a whimsical light, a product of their lack of experience. I sometimes yearn for that naivety, wishing I could once again believe in something like a Schnitzel Man or whatever other crazy things I used to believe in. It’s just so much fun. And although my informant is now too old to fall for such a story and knows the truth, it clearly made her happy to reminisce about it. It goes to show how folklore is not just a means used to preserve and pass down tradition, but as simply something to enjoy.

The Big Red Bat – Legend

Nationality: American
Age: 28
Occupation: Author
Residence: Long Beach
Language: English

Text/Context: “In 5th grade, everyone in Long Beach unified school district went to Camp High Hill, up in the LA mountains. There were a lot of traditional camp stories and all that, but the scariest was the story of the Big Red Bat. We didn’t know exactly what it was, but sometimes the counselors would mention it, saying something about the ‘Big Red Bat that was up in the trees,’ and never elaborate. There was an air of theatrics about it, clearly egging on our panic about the Big Red Bat and the forest itself, but we were 5th graders so we all believed it. One night, the night of a group night walk, we were sitting in the amphitheater before setting out. The head counselor told everyone that while he knows people are worried about the Big Red Bat, he was actually friends with him so there was nothing to worry about, but no one believed him. After a lot of unease, we finally started walking. When we got to where it supposedly was, he told us, “Alright guys, I’ll hold it at bay, but if you wanna take a peek, now’s your chance” We looked up, and nestled in the trees, was a big red baseball bat.”

Analysis: This is quite the funny story, but I think it shows the power a piece of folklore like a bit scary creature hiding out in the woods has. It was clearly used as a means to discourage kids from venturing out when they weren’t supposed to, but the execution is what I find particularly interesting. The Big Red Bat wasn’t a complete fabrication, it was a play on words that doubled as a deterrent for troublemakers. It makes me wonder if its origin is accidental, like if someone swung the bat but let go at the height of their swing and got it stuck up there for good. Regardless, it definitely worked out because it became both a funny story and a useful warning.