Category Archives: Rituals, festivals, holidays

‘El Cipitio’

Age: 48


Date of performance: 4/5/25


Language: Spanish


Nationality: Latino/a


Occupation: Caregiver


Primary Language: Spanish


Residence: United States

Text:

  • El Cipitio is a legendary character from Salvadoran folklore portrayed as a 8-10 year old boy with a large conical hat and a pot-belly.

Context:

  • ‘El Cipitio’s’ name is derived from the Salvadoran word for child, “cipote” translating‘El Cipitio’ to ‘The boy’. Cursed by the god Teotl, Cipitio was condemned to live eternity as a small boy with backwards feet. He is known to be a trickster, wandering into farmers fields, throwing pebbles at beautiful ladies, hiding in bushes to scare people, and eating ashes leftover in rural kitchens.

Growing up in the rural parts of El Salvador, my informant has heard various stories about the Cipitio. Considering their family always cooked in lumber fueled stoves, when ashes laid scattered the day after cooking, the fault would always lay to ‘El Cipitio.’ Or whenever foot prints would lead to no suspecting figure, it would be perceived as a trick from ‘El Cipitio’ and his backwards feet.

My informant interpreted these stories from ‘El Cipitio’ to explain some of the oddities of life, or some of the things children would do but would never explicitly take fault for.

Analysis:

I interpret ‘El Cipitio’ as a legendary character who is just meant to be an entertaining factor in life. Made to make light of some oddities and serve as a easy cop out for things we just aren’t able to explain. I find that he is made to represent childish wonder and all that makes up being a kid growing up. In term, I believe that he is meant to represent the literal sense of a child, a boy to be exact as he is described to do some of the ‘stereotypical’ actions of a boy at his age.

‘La Llorona’

Age: 48


Date of performance: 4/5/25


Language: Spanish


Nationality: Latino/a


Occupation: Caregiver


Primary Language: Spanish


Residence: United States

Text:

“La Llorona” is the name of a sad ghost who roams along riverbanks looking for wandering children at night.

Context:

“She is said to have lost her children in a tragic accident along a riverbank to drowning. Mournful for her children, she took her own life and drowned herself. As a result of this, she wasn’t allowed to cross into the afterlife and remains on earth as a vengeful spirit looking to reunite with her children. She cries out loud, wandering around searching for her children, often mistaking living humans for her deceased children and taking them to riverbank to drown them to reunite in the afterlife.”

Growing up in a small village in El Salvador my informant often listened to this story from some of the older people in their community such as their grandparents, specifically Grandma. They’ve never first hand experienced hearing the wails of a lady in the night, but have continued to hear some of the older generations tell their own personal stories encountering such when they were younger.

My informant interprets the myth of “La Llorona” as a folk story told to children to deter them from wandering out in the village at night through the use of fear. It worked for them as these stories they were told growing up all felt like scary stories and not lessons so they were always scared to go against them and question their validity.


Analysis:

I agree with my informants interpretation of this myth. Commonly, most Hispanic folk stories are meant to teach the younger generation to be careful in the vast fields that surround our home. These pose dangerous environments with wild animals out in the wild in the midst, especially at night. I find that it makes sense for the elders to warn children in a more ‘grounded’ format that’d stick to a children’s mind through fear. Considering the location and environment my informant grew up in, the myth is further amplified by the common misinterpretation of the screams or wails of a big cat to that of a woman’s. A factor, that could’ve served as the foundation of the myth itself.

The Jinn

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: University Student
Residence: Los Angeles, California

Age: 18
Date of Performance: 4/01/2025
Language: English
Nationality: American
Occupation: University Student
Primary Language: English
Residence: Los Angeles, California

Text:
“Jinns—there are evil ones, good ones, Muslim ones—they’re basically spirits. They can possess you. There are certain things you’re not supposed to do, like stare in the mirror too long, stay in the bathroom too long, or listen to music in there, especially if you’re naked. That attracts Jinns. If a Jinn falls in love with you, they can possess you, stop you from getting married, and even have children with you.”

Context:
The informant is Muslim and grew up with strong cultural and religious beliefs around the Jinn. These stories were often told in the household to reinforce behavioral norms and maintain spiritual awareness. The mention of Jinns falling in love adds a layer of romantic and paranormal tension to the legend.

Analysis:
The Jinn is a foundational concept in Islamic theology and Middle Eastern folklore, often acting as both a spiritual metaphor and a literal belief system. This legend highlights behaviors that might be seen as immodest or spiritually vulnerable, reinforcing modesty and spiritual caution. The romantic element—Jinns falling in love and disrupting relationships—adds a psychological dimension, providing an otherworldly explanation for earthly struggles in love or marriage.

El Cucuy

Nationality: American
Age: 19
Occupation: University Student
Residence: Los Angeles, California

Age: 18
Date of Performance: 3/30/2025
Language: English
Nationality: American
Occupation: University Student
Primary Language: English
Residence: Los Angeles, California

Legend Text:
“Today, I’m going to tell you about El Cucuy—also known as the Boogeyman. It’s a Spanish legend about a tall, shadowy figure who scares misbehaving children. In Spanish culture, they say El Cucuy watches you from outside your window, or even hides in your room under the bed. If you weren’t behaving, you had to run and hide in your room or he’d get you.”

Context:
The informant heard this story from older family members during gatherings, particularly when the kids were restless and waiting for food. It served both as a form of entertainment and discipline, using fear to encourage good behavior.

Analysis:
El Cucuy is a classic example of child-disciplining legends across cultures, akin to the American “Boogeyman.” In Latino households, it is commonly used to instill fear-based obedience. The figure of El Cucuy embodies abstract fear and serves as a warning against moral or behavioral failure. This version shares traits with global “dark watcher” figures like Slenderman, showing how traditional folklore adapts to modern imagery. The use of “under the bed” or “outside the window” roots the fear in a child’s intimate spaces.

Blue the Glue Ghost

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: University Student

Informant Information:

Age: 18
Date of Performance: 3/25/2025
Language: English
Nationality: American
Occupation: University Student
Primary Language: English
Residence: Hayward, California

Text:

“Once upon a time, there was a ghost named Blue who would steal people’s shoes. Every time he did, he left a trail of glue behind. The police followed these sticky clues from house to house and apartment to apartment until, after three weeks of shoe thefts, they finally found Blue. When they caught him, he was released back into the spirit world. And that was the end of Blue.”

Context:

The informant recalled that her mother used to tell her this tale before bed. It served as a form of childhood entertainment and likely helped ease the transition into sleep with its mysterious yet harmless narrative. She believes her mother created the story herself, indicating a form of generational oral creativity.

Analysis:

“Blue the Glue Ghost” functions as a bedtime folktale with mild suspense and whimsical absurdity. It demonstrates the creativity of parental storytelling and the way minor mischief (stealing shoes) is framed through a playful ghost figure. The use of rhyme and alliteration (Blue/glue/clue) adds charm and memorability, making it ideal for oral transmission. Though it lacks the typical “moral” of traditional tales, it emphasizes curiosity and resolution, which keeps children engaged.