Did you say Venezuela? Isn't she from Mexico? She's international, baby!
INTRO
It turns out, that almost every latino country has their own legend of La Llorona. Maybe because they have adapted the legend to their own folklore, or maybe because there was a female ghost with similar characteristics as the "original" Llorona and they also gave it that name. But from where is the "original"? Is hard to say, since every country will defend their own legend as being the original first Llorona. And since there is no way to actually mesaure the period when La Llorona came to be in each country, is impossible to guess.
However, many agree that the one from Mexico is the original one, or at least the most known in the rest of the world. It seems the movie that is in the making is going to be inspired in the mexican version.
note: In Mexico, several towns claim that La Llorona originally came from their respective towns, but it seems the place where she was "born" is called Xochimilco in Ciudad de México.
Regardless, in this post I'm telling the story about the venezuelan Llorona, wich follows the same characteristics about a crying woman calling for her lost children, with some changes obviously. So let's get to it.
note: Before I begin, let me give you an idea of how some land of Los Llanos looks like, since is where this legend takes place.
THE LEGEND
There are two versions of how she came to be. The least popular one says that there used to be a wicked woman who once went to church and confessed to a priest that everytime she got pregnant she killed the baby as soon as they where born, and she didn't regret any of it, and that currently she was pregnant again and that she intended to kill the baby once it was born.
The priest told her to feed the baby once (breast-feed) before attempting to kill it. Once the woman gave birth, she feed the baby and then killed it. But the act of breastfeeding awoke her maternal instinc, making her regret instantly. The woman went crazy and ran to the night calling all the babies she killed, she disappeared and became the horror known as La Llorona.
This one is the least accepted, perhaps because it has to many inconsistencies. Of course, when it comes to certain folklore and legends, specially regarding ghosts or something paranormal, inconsistency is everywhere. In this case, as wicked as this origin may sound, it seems people just don't "feel it". It could be that adding the figure of the priest, it was given a religious twist, as it was the priest that stopped this woman and made her regret and get her punishment. So, adapting their superstition to religion, might be a reason why people from Los Llanos, don't take this origin into account.
The one most accepted, and the one usually told when telling La Llorona's origin and legend, goes like this:
A long time ago in Los Llanos, there was a young woman who fell in love with a soldier. Over time, the young woman got pregnant and gave birth to a baby (some say it was a boy, others don't specify). Eventually, the soldier went away, abandoning her and their baby.
One day, feeling full of sadeness, rage, frustration, the young woman was about to lost control of herself. The baby's constant crying made her finally snap, and in a fit of rage, the young woman killed her baby.
As soon as she did it, she came to her senses and realized what she had done. The young woman started screaming and crying, making her neighbors come to see what was going on, and when they arrived, they found the attrocious crime.
More and more people gathered, and they all started accusing the woman, yelling at her, cursing her. The young woman, full of regret, and scared of all the people who kept cursing her, ran away. She ran and ran during a very dark night, to the very profound lands of Los Llanos, where she was never seen again. Nobody knew what happened to her, since she, or her body, were never found.
Soon after, during some dark nights, the locals started hearing the crying of a woman, who kept yelling for her child (in some despictions, she is calling for her son). The most daring people went to see who it was, and thats when they saw it...
It was a woman, dressed in white (in some despictions she has a hood, in other she doesn't), barefoot, young looking and always looking down, very white, almost pale, with very dark and long hair. She wandered around while crying, and calling for her child. Her ghostly demeanor made it clear that they where seeing an Espanto (a ghost, a horror, a terror), and they knew it was the ghost of the young woman who murdered her baby, now turned into an Espanto destined to wander the land of Los Llanos, they called it La Llorona.
BEHAVIOR
La Llorona appears during very dark nights. It is said she's also very active during Holy Week. She can just wonder around crying and calling for her child, sometimes yelling desperately, with a cry that sends chills to anyone who hears her. If she is heard or even seen, people should just stay away from her path. Some say that if you spot her, and she is far away enough, it is better to get on your knees and pray instead of runing away.
She is specially dangerous when she is chasing someone, as it seems you can't outrun her. If she manages to get too close to someone, people should start yelling bad words at her (I'll explain about this in a little while). However it is unknown if this will help someone who is being chased by her.
At first it was though she only chased men who abandoned their wives. But it was eventually discovered that she chased both men and women who betrayed their loved ones.
It is also said that she would take away children that are left alone, neglected by their irresponsible parents. But also would chase and take away children who where too mischievous.
note: Is a cultural thing in Venezuela to shoo away ghosts and other paranormal beings by cursing and saying bad words, even more so than praying.
ENCOUNTERS
There are many stories regarding encounters with La Llorona. One of the earliest ones in wich she was suspected of attacking someone, says that one man, who had a reputation of being a parrandero (someone who likes to party too much; a person who prefers to party, drink, etc., over his/her responsabilites) one night was seen sneaking out of his house to leave his wife and children.
While the neighbors who saw him were warning his wife about him, the crying of La Llorona was heard, making everyone take shelter on their house, and leaving the wife having to wait for the next day to go look and confront her irresponsable husband.
The most daring men stayed outside their houses, like challenging the Espanto. They saw her all right, but this time, even though she was wandering like always, her demeanor seemed more terrifying, like she was more dangerous than ever. That night, the most daring men decided to put their bravery to rest, and inmediately entered home.
Next day, the body of the man who tried to scape from his wife and children, was found dead, his clothes teared apart, and with an exagerated expresion of fear on his face. He was found where La Llorona was seen dangerously wandering.
Other story says that one day, a young woman went to visit her sister with her children. She was planning on staying the night, as she lived far away. When the night came, the young woman told her sister that she suspected her husband was unfaithful and was cheating on her. She wanted her sister to look after the children while she went to look if she was right and caught him in the act. Her sister agreed and the young woman went alone to confront the suspected husband. This was a lie.
Earlier that day, a handsome young man told her that he was going to be alone at his home, and that he was going to wait for her if she wanted to come. The young woman lied to her sister so she could go meet this young man during the night.
That night, the crying of La Llorona was heard. Some ganaderos (people who work taking care of the cattle) saw the young woman carelessly walking without any worries, despite the fact that La Llorona was wandering around. They tried to warn her, but she didn't pay any attention. Perhaps because at the time, it was believed that La Llorona only haunted men. Also the ganaderos wondered why that young woman was walking in an opossite direction from her home (town people, many know each other).
Suddendly, the ganaderos saw La Llorona entering the town. Taken by surprise, the ganaderos got to their knees and started praying. La Llorona was not that close to them, but she was close enough for them to fear for their lives. However La Llorona didn't pay any attention to them, instead continued walking, with her crying and calling her child, but this time walking in the middle of the town.
It was not heard by many, but some claimed that they heard another scream that night, a woman's voice calling for help. It was for a very short time, but it got them confused, as the only thing La Llorona called was for her child.
Next day, the lifeless body of the young woman was found. Her clothes were torn apart, several parts of her body were completely bent, and the most horrible one was her head, completely turned back, and with a terrible expression of fear. Even though she was still inside the town, it was clear that La Llorona entered to haunt her.
At this time, it was learned that La Llorona could wander into towns, wich made many mothers try to make their children sleep earlier in nights when La Llorona could appear. Also, now it was known that she also attacked women, wich made people realized that La Llorona would haunt and attack anyone who has (or tried) to decieve or betray their loved ones.
FINAL NOTES
Today, if you ask a venezuelan to tell you about the Espantos they know from their home country Venezuela, they would only tell you a very few (as many just have been forgotten), and one of the very few they would mention will be La Llorona without a doubt.
She is regarded as a very dangerous Espanto, who would just wander around making a possibility for someone to casually encounter her. Someone unlucky enough to cross her, should stay away from her and pray, but if she is to attack, one should curse her with bad words.
She can also haunt an specific person, those who betray or abandon their families.
In modern days it is say that she still appears, mostly in certain towns of Apure State. Since people from Los Llanos are highly supertitious, they don't question her existence even today.
Specially some ganaderos that work late at night in the profound lans of Los Llanos, claim to have seen her. Even those who are less supertitious, don't dare test their luck and prefer to stay away from the apparition. In some cases, when she comes to close, they star swearing and shouting bad words to shoo her away.
Even when she goes away, they still can hear her, as does everyone who is unlucky enough to be awake when she appears, the constant crying of the eternally cursed woman, asking "where is my child?"