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Mitos y Leyendas de America/ Myths and Legends of America
Stories of the Americas, filled with myths and legends from such peoples as the Aztecs, the Mayans, and indigenous tribes, offer insight into the people and culture that lived many years ago.
194 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
Melba Escobar
18 books137 followersMelba Escobar has a column at the Colombian newspapers El Espectador and El País. Her novel House of Beauty was chosen as one of the best books of 2016 by the Colombian National Novel Prize. She lives in Bogotá.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 22, 2023
3.5 Una lectura muy interesante, instructiva, y me atrevería a decir que necesaria porque es sorprendente y un poco vergonzoso, al menos en lo que a mí respecta, lo poco que conozco acerca de los mitos más antiguos de mi región. He aprendido mucho y ha despertado mi curiosidad.
August 27, 2016
Read this review on The Black Lion Journal!
Making The Best Out Of A #Creepy #Story | La Vieja Diabla
by Christina Lydia
“La Vieja Diabla” is one of my favorite stories to read whenever I want to feel scared (which is rare, in some cases). The fact that I really like this story may somewhat weigh in on my review. This story is Quechuan in nature, originating from the Incas in South America. According to Escobar (the story-gatherer and author of this collection) Quechuan is one of the languages spoken by the Incas. It still has life today in communities across Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile. As such, this story is a small piece of history in itself in that it records (duly noted that it’s written in Spanish) a moment of Incan history.
The story is about two siblings who become lost in the forest after looking for firewood. They encounter an old woman who, at first, appears to be a kind and gentle lady. She offers them food and a place to stay. The siblings gladly accept, believing that it is safer to be with her than to be lost and alone. When the siblings turn to go to sleep, the old woman tells the young boy to sleep in a corner. She then tells the other sibling, a strong and healthy girl, to share the bed with her.
The next day, the boy doesn’t see his sister anywhere. He asks the old woman where she is and she tells him that his sister went to get water at the well. The old woman then tells the boy to fetch some water with an old pumpkin. As the boy gets water, a frog speaks to him and tells him that the pumpkin he is using to get water is not a pumpkin at all, but the skull of his sister. The frog warns the boy to run away. And so, the boy listens and runs away to avoid an ugly death.
Creepy? I think so.
In the story, the brother encounters one of the most strange and frightening experiences a young person can imagine: the loss of another sibling. This story is good at delving into moral and emotional issues. The moral lesson told is one of caution. In an American culture, perhaps having an old cannibal woman eat your sister can be a harsh lesson to teach children not to trust strangers; however, truly understanding this story calls for readers to not judge other cultures based on their personal morals. In other words, try not to place your moral opinion into a text or story; rather, enjoy or appreciate the story as it is written, within a different culture. Stepping away from that digression, “La Vieja Diabla” is an interesting tale of horror that can easily be appreciated by fans of that genre. I definitely recommend purchasing this book of legends simply because one can learn much about different cultures from across the Americas.
¡PSST! ©2016 The Black Lion Journal
Making The Best Out Of A #Creepy #Story | La Vieja Diabla
by Christina Lydia
“La Vieja Diabla” is one of my favorite stories to read whenever I want to feel scared (which is rare, in some cases). The fact that I really like this story may somewhat weigh in on my review. This story is Quechuan in nature, originating from the Incas in South America. According to Escobar (the story-gatherer and author of this collection) Quechuan is one of the languages spoken by the Incas. It still has life today in communities across Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile. As such, this story is a small piece of history in itself in that it records (duly noted that it’s written in Spanish) a moment of Incan history.
The story is about two siblings who become lost in the forest after looking for firewood. They encounter an old woman who, at first, appears to be a kind and gentle lady. She offers them food and a place to stay. The siblings gladly accept, believing that it is safer to be with her than to be lost and alone. When the siblings turn to go to sleep, the old woman tells the young boy to sleep in a corner. She then tells the other sibling, a strong and healthy girl, to share the bed with her.
The next day, the boy doesn’t see his sister anywhere. He asks the old woman where she is and she tells him that his sister went to get water at the well. The old woman then tells the boy to fetch some water with an old pumpkin. As the boy gets water, a frog speaks to him and tells him that the pumpkin he is using to get water is not a pumpkin at all, but the skull of his sister. The frog warns the boy to run away. And so, the boy listens and runs away to avoid an ugly death.
Creepy? I think so.
In the story, the brother encounters one of the most strange and frightening experiences a young person can imagine: the loss of another sibling. This story is good at delving into moral and emotional issues. The moral lesson told is one of caution. In an American culture, perhaps having an old cannibal woman eat your sister can be a harsh lesson to teach children not to trust strangers; however, truly understanding this story calls for readers to not judge other cultures based on their personal morals. In other words, try not to place your moral opinion into a text or story; rather, enjoy or appreciate the story as it is written, within a different culture. Stepping away from that digression, “La Vieja Diabla” is an interesting tale of horror that can easily be appreciated by fans of that genre. I definitely recommend purchasing this book of legends simply because one can learn much about different cultures from across the Americas.
¡PSST! ©2016 The Black Lion Journal
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews