The legend of La Llorona has been passed down throughout countless generations. The tale usually goes like this: a woman shrouded in white murdered her children and is now cursed to haunt rivers and pueblos, crying for them. But, what are La Llorona’s origins? What if she wasn’t a murderer, but instead a victim? Or a goddess in Aztec mythology? Let’s discuss the intricate history of the weeping woman and the possible meaning behind her legend. She may just surprise you.
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P.S. Did you know we always have bloopers after the outro music? Look at that, we provided an answer to a question you didn't even know you had. Alexis says, "You're welcome."
P.P.S. Mary Berry is alive and well--being a straight "G."
Resources
Beck, Elias. “Aztec Omens.” History Crunch, 15 Aug. 2018, https://www.historycrunch.com/aztec-omens.html#/.
Fuller, Amy. “The Wailing Woman.” History Today, 31 Oct. 2017, https://www.historytoday.com/miscellanies/wailing-woman.
Grande, Reyna. “Abused, Addicted, Biracial and Queer: Jaquira Diaz Is Anything but ‘Ordinary’.” The New York Times, 29 Oct. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/10/29/books/review/ordinary-girls-jaquira-diaz.html.
“Lamia: Greek Mythology.” Britannica, 26 Sept. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lamia-Greek-mythology.
“La Llorona.” Don Quijote, Accessed 29 Oct. 2023, https://www.donquijote.org/mexican-culture/history/la-llorona/.
“The Legend of La Llorona.” Origin Mexico, 1 Nov. 2022, https://originmexico.com/blogs/news/the-legend-of-la-llorona.
Valerio, Fatima. “The origin of La Llorona, La Malinche, and La Virgin de Guadalupe.” Nuestra Verdad, 14 Oct. 2020, https://www.nuestraverdad.com/post/the-origin-of-la-llorona-la-malinche-and-la-virgin-de-guadalupe.
“What the Textbooks Have To Say About the Conquest of Mexico: Some Suggestions for Questions to Ask of the Evidence.” American Historical Association, Accessed 30 Oct. 2023, https://www.historians.org/teaching-and-learning/teaching-resources-for-historians/teaching-and-learning-in-the-digital-age/the-history-of-the-americas/the-conquest-of-mexico/for-students/what-the-textbooks-have-to-say-about-the-conquest-of-mexico
Winick, Stephen. “La Llorona: An Introduction to the Weeping Woman.” Library of Congress Blogs, 13 Oct. 2021, https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2021/10/la-llorona-an-introduction-to-the-weeping-woman/
Winick, Stephen. “Picante Pero Sabroso: Songs of La Llorona.” Library of Congress Blogs, 22 Oct. 2021, https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2021/10/picante-pero-sabroso-songs-of-la-llorona/.
