Main Piece:
The following is transcribed from a conversation between the performer (KM) and I (ZM).
ZM: Any legends? Is there like a New Mexican legend that you…?
KM: Oh! Yes. Indeed. So, there’s this legend. I can’t pronounce it for the life of me.
ZM: Could you spell it?
KM: Yes. So, it’s “la,” like la and then space, “ll.” Actually…it’s on my phone. (laughs) lemme… Okay, so it’s “la,” space, “llorona,” like La Lallorona or something like that. They roll their r’s or something that I can’t do. So, basically there’s this um, legend that this woman, um, took her kids (chuckles) This is scary. So, uh she took her kids like from her house and like drowned them in the river. Yeah. So, and that like… her kids and were like screaming the whole night and like… OH NO NO no. I think it’s… Her kids were screaming so much that she like took them to the river and drowned them. So, the legend is when you… like um… The winds in New Mexico, in the spring, are like really bad, like they’re like fifty miles an hour. Like crazy. And so the legend is, when you hear the like really fast wind. Like the scream from the wind, it’s the scream of her kids. And um, stay away from rivers. So, like the whole thing is like if you’re near an arroyo, which is what we call a ditch…
ZM: (obviously lost)
KM: You know those ditches that like…
ZM: On the side of roads?
KM: Not really. They’re kind of like… um… They’re like where rain water goes, but they’re like pretty deep.
ZM: But they’re not on the side of roads?
KM: Sometimes they are, but not necessarily.
ZM: Are you talking about like natural ones?
KM: Yeah. Like natural ones.
ZM: I’m sorry. Florida doesn’t have much… variation in… (laughs)
KM: So, I have one behind my house and it’s basically like… it’s lower in elevation so all the water goes there and then it goes under the road. So, I guess it’s kind of near the road. And it like drains to like a river.
ZM: whaaaa. hunh
KM: So, it’s kind of like a stream, but it’s only when rain…
ZM: I feel like this is a language barrier. It’s like a land barrier. Like, I’m not exposed to these land forms.
KM: But anyway, so when you go to like an arroyo and you hear the wind scream. It’s like La Lallorona is coming for you and you have to like go in your house or she’s gonna kill you.
ZM: Is that just kids or is that everyone?
KM: It’s mostly just kids. Like, parents tell their kids these stories so they won’t be near the arroyo at night.
Context: This is from a conversation with KM about her New Mexican culture.
Background: KM is a sophomore studying at the University of Southern California. KM was born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Analysis: I thought it was interesting that this version still contained the classic “Stay away from rivers” message, but also more specifically to stay away from arroyos at night. This is a geographic marker because arroyos are only found in arid and semi-arid climates.