Recently, two children have been abducted from a small town in Texas. The young boy, Roberto Gonzales (10) and his little sister Maria (6), were last spotted near the Brazos River at approximately two in the morning. Neighbors report hearing eerie cries coming from their last know location. The duo are now the most recent addition to the missing children’s list compiled for this specific region. Locals are convinced the guilty party is the infamous La Llorona. Police report no leads.
The legend of La Llorona is as horrifying, as it is sad. According to the folktale, a crying woman tortured by the loss of her own children, scavenges the banks of bodies of water such as lakes and rivers, and abducts children to substitute the loss of her own. …show more content…
It is often used to warn people—specifically children-- of the dangers of sneaking out at night, wandering, and being out of bed. Along with that, it teaches the hazard of water. The legend is used as a cautionary/warning tale for the public. It has been around for hundreds of years and passed down by generation to generation. The impact it has had on people is quite significant. It causes them to create this association of this spirit to all bodies of water, to fear the night, and to be obedient and careful. In addition, it is connected to the history of the Spanish and ancient civilizations in the region. For example, In the variation where LaLlorona is the spirit of La Manchile, it is a real story of how Cortez had used her abilities and exploited her to help take over the Aztec Empire. In fact, he even credited La Manchile with the fall of Tenochtitlan. It’s truly amazing how one story has embedded itself within in a culture and how it relates back to the historic …show more content…
Both of the stories include a female whose presence causes other people to disappear. They both possess this touch of risk and danger. Along with that, they both impact children’s behavior. La Llorenaa teaches kids to listen to their parents and not disobey. While the story of the mountain goddess teaches kids to be appreciative of what they have in life and be grateful. They both support and build good character and teach children good qualities. Another common factor between the two are the many variations. Both stories possess many forms that explain or describe the event. Hearing so many different ways of telling the same story might help improve kid’s imagination. Not only do the legends both teach good characteristics and increase imagination, but they also represent their culture. In regard to La Llorena, it specifically applies to the Southwest United States region. Perhaps kids there used to go swimming in the rivers all the time without permission or perhaps there have been people in the history of that area who had committed similar events. The story of the mountain goddess specifically applies to the people working as miners in Russia. To these people, stories like these were ways of honoring the goddess and brining prosperity. In addition, both stories are very important to the people. For me, the miners who used pray to these tales, and other children, the story