Folklore & Urban Legends: La Llorona

Illustrated by JeffersonMuncy

Why would a mother drown her own children?

Throughout history water has always been seen as a symbol of life. Villages establish themselves along riverbanks so they’ll have access to fresh water. The river with its constant motion represents the flow of time, constantly moving forward for eternity. But just as trout can swim upstream, there are some things that move against time.

There was no one in the village with more pride than Maria. After all, she was the most beautiful woman the locals had ever seen. On many occasions men asked for her hand in marriage, but she turned all of them down. Maria would only marry the most handsome man in the world; no one else was good enough for her.

One summer afternoon a stranger rode into town.

Some debate whether love at first sight is real, but for Maria it was obvious, this is the man she would marry. He was handsome, wealthy, fluent in guitar, and sang beautifully. They instantly fell in love, and got married just two weeks later. At first their marriage was perfect, they had two children and lived a happy life.

After months of family life, Marias husband became restless. So he began traveling again, gone for weeks at a time. Maria struggled to care for the children in his absence. When he did return, all his attention was given to his children, but he paid no mind to Maria.

One evening Maria and the children went for a walk near the river. As they walked she saw a carriage approaching and recognized her husband sitting in the back. A smile came to her face, until she noticed the younger woman clinging to his arm.

The carriage came to a slow stop. The cracking of twigs under its wheels echoed the breaking of Marias heart. Her husband spoke briefly with the children, and Maria stared at the younger woman, furious. Her unfaithful husband returned to the carriage and continued down the road, completely ignoring Maria.

Maria became blinded by jealousy and rage. Another woman had replaced her, and her children claimed any remaining affection her husband had.

Everything went black. She imagined drowning the younger woman in the river, smiling at how the body would twitch and bubbles ceased to surface.

But when she came too, her shaking hands were wrapped around her children’s heads. The bodies lay still with their faces under the water.

After realizing what she had done, Maria screamed in Agony. Guilt rushed over her like a surge of water from the mountain rain.

She drowned herself.

Those living in the village say they heard Marias screams, even in the years after her death. Locals have seen a woman dressed in white, walking along the banks of the river.

Those who have heard the cries began calling the spirit La Llorona. Hearing her crying is a bad omen; misfortune follows whoever hears her wails at night.

 We all fear growing old. Being forgotten. Marias pride caused a madness that resulted in the death of her children. The guilt of what she’d done has made her spirit cling to the river, where she continues looking for her drowned children.

 Rivers and streams represent the constant movement of time. However time can be strange, it enters a whirlpool, reliving moments of pain and sadness. Spirits tend to relive a specific moment of their lives, unaware of their death. Trapped in our world, and trapped in time.

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FOLKLORE & URBAN LEGENDS: THE MOTHMAN

Point Pleasant is a small town in West Virginia with fewer than five thousand residents. Many of the resident families have lived there for generations, resulting in a close community where everyone knows each other.

Native American tribes believed the area carried bad omens. When members of a tribe would venture into the surrounding forest, they reported seeing a large bird-man flying overhead. These sightings would continue with European settlers through the 1940’s.

As modern society progresses, we expect these strange stories to fade away. Nevertheless, from 1966 to 1967 the sightings intensified, resulting in one of the most recognized urban legends.

The first of these sightings took place in late November 1966.

Four teenagers were driving through the back roads of Point Pleasant. While driving past an old ammunitions plant, they witnessed what appeared to be a tall man standing on the roadside. He had no discernable head, large wings folded on his back. As they drove past, the man began to open his wings and chase car.

It matched their speed as they reached 90mph, before disappearing.

A few days later, two bikers were riding through the same area, when they saw strange red lights on the roof of an abandoned power plant building. They decided to investigate, but as they got closer, they realized the red lights were actually a pair of glowing red eyes. The creature watched them briefly before spreading its large wings and flew away.

In the following weeks, there were dozens of sightings. All of the eyewitness accounts described a 6ft tall creature, with large wings and glowing red eyes.

Things only got stranger. After the creature surfaced, UFO sightings began as well.

In urban legends, there are stories of a creature lurking through the forest, or flying through the night sky. What make the Mothman legend so unique are the other strange sightings surrounding its appearance. In the following year, there were upwards to 100 Mothman sightings, and countless sightings of UFO’s.

 In December 1967, the strange occurrences surrounding the town peaked. Mothman sightings suddenly increased, and reports of “men in black” with strange behavior began to gain attention. They began showing up on the doorsteps of eyewitnesses, threatening them not to discuss recent events.

On December 15, 1967, the 40-year-old Silver Bridge of Point Pleasant collapsed. Causing the deaths of roughly 50 people.  Everyone was affected. Because of the size of the small town, almost everyone had known someone who died.

After the tragedy, Mothman sightings diminished significantly.

It wasn’t until years after the collapse, when reports surfaced stating the Mothman had been seen on the bridge that night. There are some who speculate the creature is a bad omen, a symbol of an impending tragedy. While others think the creature was trying to warn the residents.

Recently, the legend has made headlines again. There’s been a significant increase in Mothman sightings throughout the Chicago area. More than twenty-one sightings have been reported since April 2017.

The Mothman is back.

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You can follow my process creating the illustrations on Instagram: @JeffersonMuncy

Looking for more strange stories? Check out the legend of the Wendigo !

*Major inspiration for this post is the 2017 documentary The Mothman of Point Pleasant; Directed by Seth Breedlove.  

FOLKLORE & URBAN LEGENDS: LA LECHUZA

The Owl Witch by Jefferson Muncy

One night in San Antonio Texas, three women were driving back home from the marketplace. As they merged onto highway 191, they saw a large owl swoop in towards the side of the car. They tried to keep their distance, but it chased them upwards to 70mph.

At this point the car suddenly died, but they managed to pull over to the side of the road before it stopped completely. The owl was nowhere to be seen.

After a few tries, they got the car started again. Once the headlights came on, they illuminated a large, human-sized owl sitting on a telephone pole. It watched them intensely. Frightened, they quickly drove away.

After arriving home, the driver told her husband about the incident. Describing the owl as being approximately 7ft tall, with a wingspan of 15ft.

“It must have been a Lechuza,” he said.

La Mujer Lechuza, or “The Owl Witch,” is popular in Hispanic folklore.  The stories tell of a witch who can transform into a large bird after dark, commonly taking the form of an owl. Though they have been known to transform into ravens as well.

Seeing one of these creatures is a bad omen, bringing misfortune to whomever it encounters.

For decades, sightings of these human-sized owls have been reported throughout Mexico, and southern Texas.

Some say the Lechuza gained these powers by selling her soul to the devil. Using these abilities to steal children and use them in satanic rituals. Others speculate it’s the spirit of an innocent woman who was wrongly executed; now seeking revenge on humanity. Specifically going after people who have sinned.

Once the witch has selected a victim, it will perch on a tree outside of their home. It will mimic the sound of a crying baby to lure them outside, where it swoops down and carries them away, never to be seen again.

In other cases, it will scratch on the doors and windows in another attempt to lure the victim outside. Many families have reported hearing strange sounds at night, only to find deep scratches on their windows and doors in the morning.

Throughout the stories of La Lechuza, there have been many times when someone has managed to wound, or kill the creature.

One story involves a man from a small village, who managed to shoot the creature in the heart, but after searching all over he never found the body. The following day, members of the village had discovered one of its elders had died the previous night. The cause of death was a gunshot wound to the heart.

Throughout folklore, large flying creatures appear often. Stories like the Mothman of Point Pleasant, and the “Birdman” described in Native American myth. Both have similar characteristics, and eyewitness reports are in the thousands. These kinds of creatures are eerily common.

Do you believe the Owl Witch exists? Or is there something else taking flight after dark?

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You can follow my process creating the illustrations on Instagram: @JeffersonMuncy

Looking for more strange stories? Check out the legend of the Umibozu !

FOLKLORE & URBAN LEGENDS: MANANANGGAL

The Philippines are home to some of the most beautiful islands on the planet. Consisting of over 7000 small islands with dense forests.

Though beautiful, locals believe these forests are home to sinister creatures called Aswang. Reports include a variety of different characteristics, similar to those of vampires, werewolves, witches, and ghouls.

The legend of the Aswang is a large part of Philippine culture. Surveys suggest over 80% of locals believe in some form of the creature. This may result from the integration of Christian values into Philippine life. These promote close family values. When there are 3 or more generations living in a single household, stories are naturally going to be passed down.

 Nevertheless, while these values keep families together, their development in the Philippines may have resulted in the emergence of a new kind of Aswang.

The new creature is known as the Manananggal, or “the one who separates itself”.

They are always portrayed as women; some accounts have described them as seductive and beautiful, although others describe them as repulsive.

After the sunset, the Manananggal sprouts large wings on its back. It then separates itself at the waist, leaving the lower half of the body standing in the forest as it flies off in search of victims.

It perches on top of a hut, and slide its extremely long tongue through the straw roof, and into the room where the victim is sleeping. While it sucks the blood of adults as they sleep, its favorite meal is the blood of an unborn fetus. This explained any miscarriages in the community.

There are a few ways to defeat a Manananggal. Its weaknesses are similar to vampires.

It hates the holy cross, garlic, salt, and sunlight. If someone can find its lower half, and stuff salt and garlic into it. The top half will be unable to reattach itself and die the following morning.

These stories didn’t develop until the islands were converted to Christianity. When the Spaniards came into the country, they began to demonize the local way of life. They began telling the public, the local Shamans and healers were practicing the dark arts.

Some speculate during this time of conversion, the Spaniards created the legend of the Manananggal, as an attempt to draw the local people out of the forests and into the cities. Making them easier to control.

Why the Manananggal showed up during this time period is up for debate. Though there are still eyewitness accounts to this day. Stories are told to small children so they will not wander off after dark.

These stories have become part of the identity in the Philippines. Representation of the Manananggal is now used in parades and political protests.

So is the Manananggal a real creature, or just a form of public control?

Message me on Facebook or Instagram to let me know of any other Myths or Urban Legends you want to see!

You can follow my process creating the illustrations on Instagram: @JeffersonMuncy

The final Images are also available as prints in my online store: JeffersonMuncyArt

Check out the legend of the Pope Lick Monster

For more information on the Aswang, check out the documentary The Aswang Phenomenon, directed by Jordan Clark.

FOLKLORE & URBAN LEGENDS: WENDIGO

Cannibalism has always been taboo; the act of eating another person feels like a betrayal of human nature. Those who engage in the act are viewed as monstrous, someone who has lost their humanity.

A dark spirit inhabits in the woods of northern Minnesota, and southern Canada. This area is known as the North Woods, covering 26 million acres in total.

 The legend of the Wendigo goes back hundreds of years, and is said to originate with the Algonquian Tribe of North America. Nevertheless, other tribes have reported a similar spirit in the forest.

The creature is approximately 15ft tall, with hands resembling large claws. It’s incredibly malnourished in appearance, with muscles and bones easily visible through its tightly stretched skin. Roaming through the forest, it brings the smell of death.

Traditional stories about the Wendigo take place during winter.  An especially difficult time of year in the far north, due to a lack of plentiful hunting and farming. Many tribes went hungry, and dying of starvation was common.

When someone’s on the brink of death, all other concerns fall away. Starvation causes depression, anxiety, and aggression. This weakness from starvation is what the Wendigo preys on.

It possesses a human host, causing immense hunger and uncontrollable urges to eat human flesh. As the person feeds, they begin to transform into the creature. The more it eats, the larger its stomach grows, leaving the creature in a constant state of hunger.

Other interpretations say after a person engages in cannibalism, they will invite Wendigo spirit into them. Only then, will they transform into the creature described in Native American folklore.

Looking at the story with a modern day perspective, we can guess these stories were to prepare the tribe for the hardships of winter. Condoning cannibalism, even if there is no other hope for food. It also serves to caution children about greed, and gluttony. To take only what they need.

Nevertheless, every myth has some truth to it.

The legend is debated in the scientific community. A condition known as Wendigo Psychosis remains a mystery to researchers. Symptoms include having a sudden craving to eat human flesh; with intense anxiety about becoming a cannibal, leaving them terrified about their own cravings.

 There have been multiple incidents where families were found dead after being isolated in the woods during winter. In these reports, one of the family members suffered from Wendigo Psychosis. Resulting in them killing the rest of the family, and beginning to eat the bodies.

Does the combination of starvation and isolation lead to a condition where people begin craving human flesh? This may explain the legends passed down for hundreds of years.

 The North Woods keep many secrets. Since Wendigo Psychosis occurs in isolated areas, it’s impossible to document every case. There may be others out there who suffer from this condition. Walking through the forests looking for food, bringing with them the smell of death. 

Let me know of any Myths or Urban Legends you want to see!

You can follow my process creating the illustrations on Instagram: @JeffersonMuncy

The final Images will soon be available as prints in my online store: JeffersonMuncyArt

FOLKLORE & URBAN LEGENDS: UMIBOZU

Japan has always had a strong connection with the sea. With the size of its fishing market, many of its resources come from the surrounding water.  When something plays such a big role in society, stories naturally develop.

In Japanese culture, most folklore and urban legends involve spirits known as the Yokai. These spirits take the form of various creatures, or other natural phenomenon. Though usually developed in smaller regions, taking on characteristics of these areas.

One of the most feared Yokai is seen throughout the sea surrounding the country.  Many sailors warn about the legend of the Umibōzu.

The spirits name translates to “sea monk”, because its silhouette resembles a Buddhist monk. Described as a bald, humanoid figure, with no other feature besides a black surface and glowing white eyes. Some legends say they are the spirits of drowned monks, but others describe the creature as a completely unknown force.

The creature has only been seen from the shoulders up, nobody has ever seen what it looks like bellow the water. But there have been stories about large black tentacles erupting from the ocean when the Umibōzu is present.

The spirit is known to capsize ships, flood boats, or just split them in half.  Most encounters end in death, so reports from witnesses are rare.

Stories of the Umibōzu make most sailors and fisherman anxious even if the water looks calm. While the Umibōzu usually attacks ships during heavy storms it has been know to sink ships even on calm days. When it rises from the ocean, a storm will begin brewing around its presence, the waves we begin to crash violently, sinking most ships.

There is only one possible way to escape the Umibōzu.

On occasion, when the spirit rises from the ocean, it will gesture for a barrel. If given one, it will begin to scoop water from the ocean and poor it onto the ship, slowly sinking it. However if you give it a barrel with a fake bottom, it will become frustrated as it can’t fill the boat, and retreat to the sea.

Like all folklore, to the people who experience the Yokai, they are very real. We may be able to explain some of these stories with modern science, such as rouge waves. Though these stories were ways for people in the past to make sense of the unknown.

These stories can also help people cope with tragedy. People blame the Umibōzu for the Toya Maru accident; a large commercial ferry was capsized during a storm, killing 275 people. This was part of a larger typhoon in 1954, which clammed the lives of over 3000 people.

These kinds of stories extend well outside of Japan. The Funayūre of China is eerily similar in description. Depicted as a large humanoid spirit rising from the water to sink the ships of sailors.

The ocean is still a mystery; we explored just a fraction of what’s out there. So the ocean has always contained an element of the unknown, and what makes the Umibōzu so terrifying is it will always represent the unknown element of the sea.

Let me know of any Myths or Urban Legends you want to see!

You can follow my process creating the illustrations on Instagram: @JeffersonMuncy

The final Images will soon be available as prints in my online store: JeffersonMuncyArt

Folklore & Urban Legends: The Pope Lick Monster

The strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown. We try to find answers, as explaining something allows us a feeling in control. Sometimes tragedy can be so random and horrendous; our only explanation is something completely unnatural.

There have been stories of a goat-like creature haunting the forests of Kentucky, and its surrounding states. Though most take place in this area, stories of the creature extend to Maryland and Texas.

The creature is described as having the legs of a goat, torso of a man, and an elongated face with large horns on its head.

This kind of creature is common in folklore; such as the god Pan from Greek mythology, and the Christmas demon Krampus. These stories stretch back for hundreds of years.

In Old Bowie, Maryland; the legend of the Goatman started gaining attention in 1971 when a farmer found his dog decapitated on the side of the road after it went missing the day before. It was a horrible scene; the farmer didn’t know what to make of it.

In the nights prior to the incident people had reported seeing a “goat-human hybrid” moving through the forests of Fletchertown Road, where the dog was found.

These stories were often told in the surrounding areas of Kentucky. So in 1937 when a young boy jumped off the Trestle Bridge overlooking Pope Lick Creek; the locals demanded an explanation. Theories surrounding the Goatman creature were quick to name him as the cause.

At this point the legend of the Goatman permanently cemented itself in Kentucky lore, under the name of the “Pope Lick Monster”.

Some tell stories about a satanic farmer, who sacrificed his goats in order to be granted demonic powers. Others speculate a science experiment gone wrong. There was once a scientist who combined the DNA of his assistant with the DNA of a goat, resulting in a monstrous creature.

It is said the creature has the ability to hypnotize humans, luring them onto the bridge, to be hit by an oncoming train. Others say just the sight of the creature drives can drive you mad, driving people to jump off the bridge.

The legend of the monster became popular among locals and tourists, eventually the bridge became widely known at “Goatman’s Bridge”.

What’s fascinating about the Pope Lick Monster is there have never been any official sightings, and no filed police reports. But the legend itself has claimed the lives of dozens of thrill-seekers venturing onto the bridge to experience seeing the Pope Lick Monster.

Nevertheless some people don’t realize the bridge is still in use.

These mistakes lead to explorers getting crushed by a passing train, or loosing their balance and falling off the bridge.

Sometimes our fear of the unknown will lead us to create drastic stories in order to explain away certain events. What the legend of the Pope Lick Monster should tell us is sometimes stories can be more dangerous than reality.

Message me on Facebook or Instagram to let me know of any other Myths or Urban Legends you want to see!

You can follow my process on Instagram: @JeffersonMuncy

The final Images will also be available as prints in my online JeffersonMuncyArt

P.S. Seriously, if you are in the area near the Trestle Bridge in Louisville, KY -DO NOT CLIMB IT. The tracks are still operational; if you do want to visit the site, appreciate it from a safe distance.