18 Terrifying Myths & Urban Legends from Mexico

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Learn popular Mexican legends like La Llorona and the Chupacabra
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If you’re looking for a spooky way to pass the time during Halloween, Day of the Dead, or your average sleepover, there are a ton of haunting Mexican urban legends that will likely keep you up at night. Keep reading as we explore both popular and obscure urban legends, folktales, and ghost stories from all over Mexico and Central America.

Popular Urban Legends from Mexico

  • La Llorona: The ghost of a woman who drowned her children in a jealous rage. [1]
  • El Chupacabra: A blood-sucking creature thought to live in the Americas.
  • La Lechuza: A witch who takes the form of a large owl with a woman’s face.
  • El Charro Negro: A ghostly horseback rider who terrorizes travelers at night.
  • The Island of the Dolls: An island near Mexico City filled with haunted dolls.
1

La Llorona

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  1. There are a few different versions of the La Llorona (the Weeping Woman) tale, but in general, it goes like this: in the Mexican colonial era, a woman named Maria was abandoned by her husband, and in a fit of jealous rage, she drowned her children in a river. After realizing what she’d done, she died in anguish. Her tormented spirit is said to roam near bodies of water, mourning her children. Whoever hears her cries is said to suffer from misfortune or even death. [2] [3]
    • In some versions of the legend, La Llorona kidnaps living children. Parents often use this story to encourage their children to behave. Many consider her to be one of the scariest mythical creatures .
    • The earliest documentation of La Llorona dates back to 1550 in Mexico City, though some connect her to earlier Aztec creation stories. Other versions of the legend can be found throughout Central and South America.
    • La Llorona is still a popular legend today, being featured in several movies, including The Haunting of La Llorona (2019).
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2

Nahuals

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  1. According to legend, nahuals are shapeshifters who can transform into different animals, most notably a jaguar or a black dog. The nahuals are believed to be witches or sorcerers who use their abilities for evil purposes. [4]
    • The legend of the nahuals originated from Aztec mythology.
3

The Island of the Dolls

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  1. The Island of the Dolls (or Isla de Las Muñecas) is an island located in the canals of Xochimilco, Mexico City. A man named Don Julián Santana lived alone on the island and found a doll floating in the water. He hung it in a tree as a tribute to a girl who had died in the canal and went on to collect more. However, he then claimed that the dolls came to life and haunted him. [5]
    • The Island of the Dolls is now a popular tourist attraction for those interested in exploring haunted locations.
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4

El Charro Negro

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  1. According to legend, El Charro Negro is a spectral figure that rides a black horse through the Mexican countryside at night. He is said to appear on lonely roads, pursuing travelers and playing tricks on them. Those who encounter him are said to face a series of tragedies after the meeting. Other versions of the tale claim he appears to those who have made a pact with the devil to collect their souls. [6]
    • El Charro Negro has even been featured in movies, such as the 2018 animated movie, La Leyenda del Charro Negro .
5

La Planchada

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  1. According to legend, La Planchada is the spirit of a nurse who tragically died during the Cristero War. She appears in hospitals, dressed in a white nurse’s uniform, and is sometimes said to assist patients. Often, though, her presence is believed to be a premonition of death. [7]
    • In some versions of the story, the nurse fell in love with a doctor, and after being rejected, died of a broken heart. In other versions, the rejection made her cold and uncaring toward patients. Her spirit remains in the hospital, helping new patients to try to make up for her past mistakes.
    • In some stories, the nurse died in the hospital after contracting a disease. She remains at the hospital to aid those who are admitted to the room she died in.
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6

El Cucuy (Coco)

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  1. The legend of El Cucuy (also known as El Coco or El Cuco) originated in Spain and Portugal, but is now an important part of Mexican and Latin American folklore. El Cucuy is a boogeyman-like figure said to hide in closets or under beds, waiting to snatch up misbehaving children. Parents use the legend as a tool for discipline and to encourage their children to behave. [8]
7

El Chupacabra

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  1. El Chupacabra (translated to “goat sucker”) is a legendary cryptid believed to terrorize many Hispanic countries, including Mexico. The creature is sometimes described as resembling an ugly dog and sometimes as a reptilian creature with spines down its back. It is said to attack and suck the blood of livestock and other animals. [9]
    • El Chupacabra is a popular urban legend and has been depicted in several movies, TV shows, and documentaries, including The X Files .
    • The first reported Chupacabra sightings occurred in Puerto Rico in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
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8

La Mano Peluda

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  1. La Mano Peluda (or “the Hairy Hand”) is described as a large, furry hand with long fingernails that is said to drag away those who have done wrong. According to legend, the hand once belonged to a man who was wrongfully harmed and killed, after having his hand cut off. The hand now seeks revenge and retribution for the injustice. [10]
    • This legend is a cautionary tale for children and adults alike.
    • La Mano Peluda has also inspired modern media, including Mexican radio shows and podcasts that share paranormal stories.
9

La Muerte

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  1. La Muerte is a prominent figure in Mexican folklore, often associated with Santa Muerte, a folk saint representing death. La Muerte is frequently depicted as a skeletal female figure, sometimes holding a scythe and a globe. According to legend, you can ward off death by placing money, food, or other treats at the feet of a Santa Muerte statue. [11]
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10

El Sombrerón

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  1. El Sombrerón is a popular legend from Guatemala and Mexico. He appears as a short man wearing a large black hat and noisy boots. El Sombrerón likes to court young women, and when he finds one he likes, he follows her, braids her hair, and serenades her with his guitar, enchanting her so that she cannot eat or sleep. [12]
    • In modern interpretations, El Sombrerón is viewed as a symbolic figure representing unhealthy obsession, controlling behavior, and the dangers of manipulative relationships.
11

Los Aluxes

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  1. According to Mayan mythology, aluxes are small, elf-like creatures who live in the forests and caves of the Yucatán Peninsula. These spirits are known for playing tricks on humans, but they can also protect travelers and crops if they’re respected. [13]
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12

La Pascualita

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  1. La Pascualita is a mannequin that has stood in a bridal shop in Chihuahua, Mexico, for over 80 years. Rumor has it that the mannequin is actually the embalmed body of the shop owner’s daughter, who tragically died on her wedding day. Those who visit the shop often report feeling an eerie presence and claim that La Pascualita’s eyes follow them. [14]
13

La Lechuza

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  1. According to legend, La Lechuza is a witch often depicted as a large bird with the face of a woman. She preys on those who have wronged her, using her supernatural abilities to get revenge, and her cries are said to be a warning of impending doom. [15]
    • To protect yourself from La Lechuza, it is said you can tie seven knots in a rope and hang it by your front door.
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14

El Cadejo

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  1. El Cadejo is a mythical dog that can appear as either black or white. According to legend, the black cadejo is evil and brings bad luck and death. The white cadejo is good and offers protection and guidance. Both spirits are said to appear at night to travelers. [16]
15

Posada del Sol

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  1. The Posada del Sol is an abandoned hotel in the heart of Mexico City, and it’s considered one of the most haunted places in the city. According to legend, the hotel’s architect, Fernando Saldaña Galván, was in severe debt as the hotel was being built in 1945. As a result, he hanged himself in the hotel yard, supposedly cursing the building before he died. Other versions of the tale claim he went insane and murdered his family, or that building the hotel was a facade for performing satanic rites. [17]
    • Additionally, the hotel supposedly contains a dark room that holds an altar dedicated to a missing girl who was found dead in the basement. Many believe she still haunts the ruins, and some leave candy on her altar to escape her wrath.
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16

The Vanishing Hitchhiker

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  1. Stories of ghostly hitchhikers can be found all over the world, including Mexico. In this version, a cab driver in Mexico picks up a woman who asks for help because someone is trying to harm her. He takes her to her house, and she invites him to spend time with her the next day. When he returns, however, an elderly woman answers the door. She explains that her daughter was killed by drug addicts 10 years before and that the cab driver is not the first person to drop off her ghost. [18]
17

The Vampire’s Tree

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  1. According to legend, in the 18th century, a man named Jorge moved to Guadalajara, Mexico. Soon after he arrived, the townsfolk began noticing their animals were dying and had been drained of blood. One night, they went out to investigate and found Jorge biting the neck of an animal. They chased him to his home and drove a stake through his heart, but he swore he would someday return and get his revenge. [19]
    • He was buried in El Panteón de Belen, where a strange tree began growing over his tomb. The townsfolk believed the tree would eventually grow too much and tear in half, and that would be the day Jorge returned.
    • Legend says that if you cut one of the tree’s leaves, it will bleed.
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18

La Tisigua

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  1. La Tisigua (also known as the Cegua, La Sihuehuet, and La Siguanaba) is a shapeshifting spirit from Mexican and Central American folklore. According to legend, she first appears as a beautiful woman and gets men to follow her. She then reveals her face to be either a skull or the face of a horse. Her victims either die of fear or are driven mad by the sight. [20]
    • According to some versions of the story, La Tisigua is the wife of El Sombrerón.

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      References

      1. ↑ Maria Souza. Comparative Mythologist. Expert Interview
      2. ↑ Maria Souza. Comparative Mythologist. Expert Interview
      3. ↑ https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2021/10/la-llorona-an-introduction-to-the-weeping-woman/
      4. ↑ https://monster.fandom.com/wiki/Nahual
      5. ↑ https://www.discovery.com/exploration/the-island-of-the-dolls-has-a-murky-and-terrifying-history
      6. ↑ https://dosmundos.com/2023/10/20/hispanic-hauntings-the-legend-of-el-charro-negro/
      7. ↑ https://folklore.usc.edu/la-planchada/
      8. ↑ https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-20799889
      9. ↑ https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/mythic-creatures/land/modern-myths
      1. ↑ https://www.espookytales.com/blog/the-legend-of-la-mano-peluda/
      2. ↑ https://daily.jstor.org/who-is-santa-muerte/
      3. ↑ https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/El_Sombreron
      4. ↑ https://naatikmexico.org/blog/maya-aluxes-mysterious-elven-guardians-of-the-yucatn-jungle
      5. ↑ https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/la-pascualita
      6. ↑ https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/la-lechuza-legend-cautionary-tale-story-revenge/
      7. ↑ https://historicways.com/el-cadejo-a-mysterious-creature/
      8. ↑ https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/la-posada-del-sol
      9. ↑ https://digital.library.in.gov/Record/WV3_folklore-2882
      10. ↑ https://nuestrostories.com/2024/09/el-arbol-del-vampiro-the-haunting-legend-of-belen-cemetery/
      11. ↑ https://www.espookytales.com/blog/the-legend-of-la-Siguanaba/

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