Mysterious Trees
If there is anything in nature that lends itself to making legends of them, it is the trees. Since time immemorial, in every town and in several languages, some legends of famous trees have been spoken about. Much has been said about carnivorous trees that eat animals and people; also about trees that become human and that their branches become large arms that shed blood; similarly, it has become popular to talk about trees that change places in large lonely places to make people get lost and stay with them forever.
There are trees in Venezuela that keep stories and strange mysteries. Many of these legends are based on some memorable events, but others are produced by the great imagination of the people. The stories can range from the fact that there are hidden treasures in the roots, that evil spirits live in their branches, and even that with their aroma they numb people who end up committing suicide in their branches. Let's look at some of those stories.
The ceiba of Carvajal
This is one of the oldest legends I've ever heard. According to accounts, in the sixteenth century there were very cruel conquerors and one of them was Juan Carvajal, founder of Tocuyo, a town in the state of Lara. Legend has it that those who opposed him, Carvajal ordered them to hang in a leafy ceiba, north of the town. It is also said that for each death, the tree became more leafy and beautiful. Eventually, the authorities learned of Carvajal's evils and sentenced him to death. The irony was that the sentence was to kill him in the same ceiba where he killed people. Those who lived through that event said that the ceiba that day became even more embellished and exuberant. Although I have had the opportunity to travel to Lara, I have never visited El Tocuyo. They say there is still that ceiba that supposedly maintains Carvajal's spirit and that there are moments when it dawns so leafy and giant that it is scary.
The enchanted tree of Paraguachí
One of the legends that has many versions, is precisely that of the enchanted tree of Paraguachí. Paraguachí is a village on the island of Margarita, where there is supposedly a tree that contains the spirit of a woman. They say that the shape of the troc has the harmonious figure of a woman and that the people who pass by the tree hear laughter and songs. One of the stories says that in colonial times, a girl, daughter of a wealthy land owner, went to spend some time in Paraguachí and there fell in love with one of the hacienda workers. The father of the girl, upon learning of this love, ruled that this relationship was impossible because the lad was his son. The rumor reached the ears of the young man who immediately took his life hanging on the tree. The girl, supposedly upon hearing of the young man's death, ran to the tree and asked God never to take her away from her love and never to suffer again. Legend has it that the girl died instantly and that little by little that great tree began to take the form of a woman. They say that the tree is the reincarnation of the girl in love.
The Currucai Ablaze
In another Venezuelan state, Monagas, there's another famous legend. At Hacienda El Merey there is a "currucai" that is lit on some nights. This is a tall, leafy tree, which at certain times lights up and goes out, without burning its branches. According to the people of the hacienda, this is due to another impossible love story. Legend has it that a girl was in love with a boy who was the son of a sorceress. When she found out that the son would marry the girl, she cast a spell and made her sick.
The girl's parents, seeing that she was about to die as a result of witchcraft, looked for a more powerful sorcerer to return the spell. It is said that the sorcerer turned the witch into a tree and that the girl improved completely. Apparently the tree catches fire only when a couple of lovers pass by who really love each other, since the witch still feels anger and rage.
At some point, while I was doing my master's studies, I was lucky enough to go to Monagas and visit this hacienda. The tree is imposing and strange, but it never caught fire before my eyes, of course, I only went with a few friends, not with a lover. ;)
I remember when I was a little girl, once, I looked out the window and saw a big monster rise and hide. I remember I started crying and my parents came to the room to see what was going on. I told them it was what I had seen through the window and they opened it to discover that it was a tree that bent and rose with the wind.
My parents told me not to fear, that the image was just a tree and its shadow. I told them that there were trees that became monsters, that could have arms and legs. I remember that day my parents scolded my grandmother for telling me those stories at night.
No wonder the tree is in many of the legends of the Venezuelan imaginary, considering it's even in the history of creation. Just like these legends I told you, there are surely many in the rest of the world.
I hope you enjoyed reading this post. Remember to vote for 
BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCE
Dictionary of ghosts, mysteries and legends of Venezuela (2001). Mercedes Franco. El Nacional: Caracas.
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