Legends

Latin America is full of traditions that are an essential part of each country’s culture, especially because they are part of the country’s oral tradition. They are still alive in our times and pass down what our ancestors’ way of thinking from generation to generation. Antigua has more history than you can possibly learn and the legends are just a small part of that history. Image our forefathers sitting in the breezeways or dining rooms of their homes telling children the stories they had heard when they were small too.

Don’t forget to ask the hotel staff about the legends they learned as children. They are all part of our tradition and we know many, many secrets that we would love to share with you.

La Tatuana

La Tatuana was a widow who lived poverty-stricken in Santiago de los Caballeros. Her neighbors thought she was a witch and would have nothing to do with her. One day she asked the woman at the bakery to let her buy bread on credit. The woman told her no, the same as always. La Tatuana told her “ I know your husband left you but I can make him come back to you.Take this piece of leather and at 8 o’clock tonight call out his name, smack the pillow with the leather three times and then put it underneath the pillow.” The woman at the store believed her and gave her a basket of vegetables .

That night, she did what La Tatuana had told her to do and her husband appeared at her side. While she had the leather in her possession, her husband remained faithful to her. Nevertheless, La Tatuana returned to the store four days later and asked for the piece of leather back. The storekeeper was afraid that her husband would leave her again, but La Tatuana needed it for something else so she gave it back to her. That same day, the storekeeper’s husband disappeared. The storekeeper was so angry that she went to the police and the church to accuse the poor widow of being a witch.

They threw the widow in jail, but the strangest thing happened. La Tatuana drew a boat on the wall, climbed in, said some magic words and disappeared from the city, leaving behind a strong smell of brimstone. Nobody has heard anything from this strange woman since then but everybody recalls her by her name: “La Tatuana.”

Visit Antigua and find out more about the widow and witch that nobody would speak to.

El Duende

El sombrerón (the man with the oversized hat), el Tzipitio or el Tzizimite is a typical hobgoblin in children’s stories.He is small, dresses in black, has a shiny belt, wears a huge black hat, and has on boots that squeak when he walks. He likes to ride horses so he can braid their hair. He likes girls with long hair and big eyes. He woos them with his silver guitar and puts dirt on their plate so they cannot eat or sleep.

Legend has it that you can still see him in the La Recolección and La Parroquia Vieja, neighborhoods when there is a full moon.

Catalina was a victim of his love. She was the lady storekeeper’s daughter, a beautiful girl with long hair and big black yes. When the troll saw her, he was amazed and started to woo her with the sound of his guitar. The girl couldn’t eat or sleep and found dirt on her plate. Her parents were so worried they called the bishop to bless the house.

Even so, El Sombrerón continued to play his guitar outside the house, so to make him go away, they cut off the girl’s hair. That caused the troll to stop loving her and the girl no longer heard the magic sound of his guitar.