Text:
“La Llorana” (Translation: The Weeping Woman)
La Llorana is a vengeful spirit who is usually seen around rivers, crying for her drowned children. She is driven by despair and apparently drowned her own children.

Context:
The informant is Sabatorian, they state that La Llorana is a Mexican folklore that has grown into a more general Hispanic folklore; people say she causes misfortune. The informant does not know a lot about it because their parents did not tell them as a kid because they think kids will be scared of it, but the source is from family members and parents. Their family does not believe in ghosts but instead spirits; the informant believes spiritual elements do not have a lot of effect on the real world since it is energy based.

Analysis:
Cultural significance of this tale is a cautionary tale to keep children out of trouble and unintentionally teach them about the danger of drowning. The tale serves as a commentary on deviant maternal behavior. La Llorona is often portrayed as a mother who failed in her socially prescribed role—suggesting consequences for women who transgress norms related to motherhood and fidelity. I interpret her as a symbol of postcolonial trauma—especially linked to the conquest of the Americas.