In this article you will learn about some of the most famous and representative legends of Ecuador, also known as Ecuadorian legends , most of which are ancient myths and stories from their ancestors that have been passed down from generation to generation, and to this day they are still remembered and described as they were in the past.
The myths and legends of Ecuador
Ecuador is seen as a relatively small territory compared to other countries, but it is also one of the most outstanding in terms of its culture, legends and folklore. Some of these Ecuadorian legends arose thanks to folkloric expressions, since several of them served as inspiration for the creation of this type of legend, which to this day continue to be valid due to their great recognition by Ecuadorians.
It should be noted that a considerable number of these Ecuadorian legends were created with the purpose of keeping children on the right path, based on the fact that if they committed acts of bad behavior, some kind of tragedy would happen to them depending on the story that they were told. I was counting
This country boasts a rich tapestry of ancient myths and legends passed down through generations, varying across different regions. Therefore, this article will compile some of the most famous and representative Ecuadorian myths and legends . While some of these stories originated from figures of ancient cultures, they are also considered myths.
Most interesting legends of Ecuador
Ecuadorian legends refer to a series of fables and popular stories, which have remained as they are despite the passing of the years since then, approximately since the Spanish managed to conquer these lands, the emergence of these stories began. .
These interesting stories from the country of Ecuador are part of fiction, but at the same time they are not far from their South American culture, since they carry with them various aspects and appearances of their own national culture that are very characteristic.
Some of the most prominent Ecuadorian legends, known for their history and preservation across generations, include the Legend of Cantuña, the Beautiful Aurora, the Goblin of San Gerardo, and the Walking Coffin, among others. Below, we present some of these tales, which have already achieved considerable popularity among Ecuadorians.
Legend of Cantuña
The legend of Cantuña stands out as the first of all Ecuadorian legends to have taken place in the Historic Center of Quito. It tells the story of a very cunning and elusive indigenous man, highly regarded among the inhabitants of his village, so some Franciscan friars decided to seek him out to assign him a task of utmost importance.
The task was to build a Catholic church in Ecuador, specifically in the capital of Quito, after hearing this, the enterprising and wise Indian accepted it without any inconvenience, and according to his own words he said that within six months exactly the church would be ready. Catholic church building.
Even so, he accepted only on one condition so that said construction plans could be carried out, which was that once the construction of the building was finished they would have to give him a considerable sum of money from the Franciscan religious, along that they had no choice but to accept the proposal.
Although the Franciscans concluded the deal with the indigenous man, they still did not believe him at all when he said that he would have the construction finished in a period of approximately six months, since it was a very short time for a building of such magnitude, even though Cantuña himself gave them his word in said proposal, as he also mentioned that he would have the support of some other workers.
This was a unique feat, impossible to accomplish in such a short period of time. The Indian Cantuña knew this perfectly well, but even so, he dedicated all his effort and commitment to the construction of this Catholic building, alongside a group of indigenous people he himself had gathered, instilling in them his faith and hope that they would complete the work on time.
Time passed, and by the fifth month of construction, the building wasn't progressing as planned. By then, achieving the Franciscans' objective was unattainable. Cantuña , seeing the situation, immediately felt anguish and despair, and almost immediately, because of the circumstances, the thought of a pact with the devil came to mind.
The pact stipulated that the devil would help him complete the building's construction within the planned timeframe, but in exchange for the Indian surrendering his soul. According to Cantuña , Lucifer appeared in his mind during those moments of despair, leaving him no choice but to accept the pact, as the devil tormented him by repeatedly saying the following:
«Cantuna. I am here to support him in his concern, I am going to help build the unfinished court before the new day appears. In return, you pay me with your soul.
When the deal was agreed, the devil immediately took an exorbitant amount of demons from the underworld to the place where they were building the building, so that he would work hard to finish it on time and thus obtain the Indian's soul as soon as possible. and, take it to the deepest thresholds of hell.
Obviously, the ingenious indigenous man Cantuña would not stand idly by in the face of such a prearranged proposal, so while he watched the devil's subjects completing the majestic Catholic temple, he dedicated himself to planning a scheme to prevent his soul from being taken to the underworld.
While the construction continued successfully, the native remembered something very important that he had told the demon before making the deal, which was that he would only accept the deal if he completed it in the shortest possible time and that it must be 100% built. , so no stone, block or tile should be missing from the building.
At that precise moment he had the wonderful idea of taking one of the stones of the construction, specifically from the walls that protected the temple, and on it he proposed to write a message in case one of the demon's subjects found it.
"Whoever puts this stone in its place, is strongly assuming that God is much more powerful and strong than he."
A couple of days passed and the temple was almost finished, but at that moment the devil found the stone where the Indian's message was written. He proceeded to read it and, after doing so, realized the trap Cantuña had set for him. So, he immediately ordered his commoners to return with him to hell, due to the shame and anger he felt at seeing how a mortal had deceived him.
If you are currently feeling pressured, distressed, and desperate, and sense that evil is approaching you as it did Cantuña, you can turn to the Breastplate of Saint Patrick , a powerful prayer capable of warding off all evil and any other type of demonic presence, while at the same time protecting and freeing you from all those bad vibes and negative influences that only seek to harm you.
Continuing with the story, the temple was finished just in time and Cantuña 's soul was saved from falling into the hands of the devil. The Franciscan friars were speechless when they saw the temple completely finished in the short time that had been agreed upon, so in the end they had to fulfill the established payment.
The covered lady
The Veiled Lady is one of the oldest Ecuadorian legends and is often confused with the tale of La Llorona, so before we begin, it's important to know that these are completely different stories. However, what they do have in common is that both feature terrifying women who generally appear to men.
This stands out among the Ecuadorian legends, for being part of its tradition. It begins with a girl with a very slim figure and with her face covered with a cloak so that her face cannot be seen well, as for her clothing, she is elegant and very slender, in addition to the fact that she always carries an umbrella with her. .
According to the villagers, when this spirit is close to a man, out of nowhere it begins to give off a particular scent that is irresistible for the male sex, this in order for him to feel a strong attraction towards her and follow her everywhere. wherever I go.
This story tells that the smell that the covered lady gives off is so seductive and pleasant that men are totally spellbound, so much so that they do not think logically when they go after her, the only thing that comes to mind is to reach that particular aroma and find out what or who is responsible for giving off that smell.
At the moment that the covered lady already has her prey, she immediately directs him to very lonely places or places, where the presence of people is totally null, this so that the man has absolutely no one to help him.
When she feels that it is the perfect place and time, she will proceed to stand right in front of the man who was following her because of the particular aroma that emanated, next act she will proceed to remove that cloak that completely covers her face, thus revealing her horrendous and terrifying expensive.
They say that when the man sees the covered lady face to face, he will have no way of escaping, since his heart is paralyzed by fear and stops beating, so if he does not manage to react and get out of there as quickly as possible, just You will be one more victim of this spirit.
Of the other Ecuadorian legends, it is said that this one was based on real events and that it was described by testimonies of the few survivors who were lucky enough to come out alive after encountering the spirit of the covered lady, but unfortunately some of these The victims became insane and had to be confined to mental health centers, since seeing the face of that lady caused them a lifelong trauma.
Almeida's father
This legend is about a priest, who did not fulfill his duty so well, since one of the hobbies that he most enjoyed doing and very frequently, was taking several drinks of brandy at night, so for this he had to escape from the temple where he was, almost every night.
This priest, also known as Father Almeida , had a very particular way of escaping from the church. He would go to the very top of the tower and, with great cunning, without being seen, lower himself down to the street. But to do this, he first had to climb onto the statue of Jesus Christ himself , since he couldn't reach the only exit, which was right there, on his own.
But one night not everything would turn out as expected, since in one of his escapes to satisfy his pleasure and anxiety of liquor, he placed himself on one of the arms of Our Lord, and he only had to jump to get out of that place and be able to satisfy his alcoholic desires, but at that precise moment he heard a voice claiming him.
"Father Almeida, when will the day come when you finish doing this?"
Those were the exact words Father Almeida heard just before retiring to the cantina as he did every night, but since he thought those words came from his imagination and not noticing anyone else was there, he had the audacity to reply as follows:
"Until I'm interested in another drink."
After this, he continued on his way as if nothing had happened and as soon as he arrived at the canteen he began to drink like never before, to the point of reaching a state of intoxication, due to the exaggerated amount of alcohol he had consumed in such a short time. time, so he was not aware of what he was doing.
Due to the state in which the priest was, he went almost all the way bumping into every person he was close to, but at that time a huge number of people were passing through the same road where he was because they were carrying a coffin , so it can be said that they were in the middle of a funeral.
Accidentally the coffin falls in the center of the street and due to the impact the lid had broken, exposing the face of the deceased. The priest, despite how he was, was killed by the curiosity of going to see what exactly had happened.
His eyes froze when he saw the corpse they were about to bury that same day; it was Almeida himself. At this revelation, he suddenly became completely sober and sane, and immediately ran towards the temple.
When he arrived, he knelt before Jesus Christ and swore he would never again drink a single drop of alcohol. True to his word, from that moment on, he never again left the temple, no matter how strong his desires were to drink. It is one of the Ecuadorian legends that stands out for offering a message to all those who find themselves in a similar situation.
If you are currently going through a similar situation, struggling with a vice you wish to quit but cannot overcome despite your best efforts because you are not yet emotionally ready, you can read this article on Quantum Healing . This will help you alleviate the emotional and spiritual ailments that torment you and prevent you from moving forward.
the beautiful dawn
The beautiful Aurora is one of the many Ecuadorian legends that take place in the city of Quito. The story tells of a young woman of spectacular beauty, whom they called the beautiful Aurora.
She was fortunate to be born and raised by a high-class family, and therefore with prestigious parents throughout Ecuadorian society, in other words, money was the least she lacked. Since the beginning of her family chain, all of her plans had always turned out as expected, so they had the luxury of living in complete peace of mind.
The beautiful Aurora was very popular with the young men, who all longed to win her heart, but most of the time they failed. This was because young Aurora didn't want a serious marriage at the moment, much less with someone who wasn't of her same social standing.
One Sunday afternoon, she decided to go for a while to watch the bullfights that were about to begin in Independence Square , but not before the bullfighting festivities, which took place passively and without any problems on the part of the spectators and attendees.
Everything went normally until suddenly a huge bull with shiny black fur arrived at the ring, while a hot steam came out of his nose, with eyes that emanated its fury as if they were balls of fire and his huge mouth roaring to the max.
The strong and enigmatic bull casually ran towards Aurora in a stampede, and just before physically harming her, it stared at the poor girl with a fixed and penetrating gaze, causing her to faint immediately after seeing this.
The parents picked up their unconscious daughter and quickly took her home so she could rest after what had happened. Hours later, Aurora woke up feeling much better, but her relief didn't last long, as she heard a loud crash from very close to where she was lying; one of the walls was completely destroyed.
When she turned around, it was none other than the bull that had given her such a fright in Independence Square; it had followed her all the way home. Faced with this situation, she tried her best to scream or run away, but her mind and body were completely paralyzed by fear, so she couldn't move a muscle.
The beast didn't hesitate for a second before attacking her with unprecedented force and violence, and the girl died in mere seconds. By the time her parents arrived, it was too late; there was no trace of the animal, only their daughter's body lying on the ground. To this day, it remains one of Ecuador's unsolved legends, as no one knows why the animal attacked Aurora or how it disappeared afterward.
The Cathedral Rooster
This is another Ecuadorian legend that also originated in the city of Quito, Ecuador. It all begins with a young gentleman who possessed a considerable fortune in those times, and was therefore well known among the population as Don Ramón Ayala y Sandoval.
His hobbies included enjoying life to the fullest and nightlife, and he was also an expert guitarist who loved to have a few drinks with his closest friends. They say the love of his life was a girl named Mariana , who lived very close to his property.
Despite the exorbitant amount of money that Don Ramón Ayala possessed, he lived a very routine life almost every day of the week. Some of his daily activities included getting up exactly at six in the morning to have breakfast, and for lunch he always ate roast meat with potatoes and fried eggs along with a good cup of hot chocolate.
Then he would enjoy some literature in the library, and if he felt very tired, he would take a short nap. Upon waking, he would take a bath and then spend the afternoon wandering through every street in the neighborhood, until he reached the shop where his beautiful Mariana , nicknamed La Chola, worked. After indulging in a few drinks, he would usually curse the rooster on the cathedral tower on his way home.
But one day when he was finishing his daily routine, on his way home he began to insult and challenge the rooster that was on top of the cathedral, presuming that he was the rooster in that place. But something unexpected happened, that rooster accepted the challenge and pounced on the man.
Don Ramón Ayala didn't know what was happening, so while the rooster pecked his head fiercely, he had no choice but to beg it to leave him alone, saying he would do anything. To which the animal replied:
"Don't drink alcohol again, because if you do it again, I will have no mercy on you and I will kill you"
After this experience, for obvious reasons, the man did not consume a single drop of alcohol for a long time and did not dare to insult or challenge the rooster of the cathedral again. Although in several versions in the Ecuadorian legends of this story, they say that this was just a joke by his friends so that he would leave that vice.
But this contradicts the end of the story, since one day one of his closest friends offered to share some liquor with him. At first he flatly refused, but he ended up being convinced, and from that day on nothing more was known about Mr. Don Ramón. His sudden disappearance was a complete mystery, since he left no trace whatsoever.
Legend of Mariangula
The story of Mariangula is still considered one of the most terrifying Ecuadorian legends due to its dark and complex history. It all begins with a 14-year-old girl and her mother, who ran a small but reasonably successful business selling grilled tripe.
One day the teenager's mother gave her daughter a task, which was to look for guts to be able to open the business because they had run out of those available to them. The young woman had a rebellious character so she was not in her plans to spend the afternoon looking for guts and she preferred to hang out with her friends.
As the hours passed, the girl finally reacted and did not stop thinking about the severe punishment that her mother would give her for not fulfilling her task, since she had also spent all the money on sweets with her friends, thanks to that now she did not have any. way to buy the casings and take them home just as he should have done from the beginning.
The young woman was already on her way home and she couldn't stop thinking about what to do to stop that incessant worry that accompanied her all the way. Her desperation grew with each step she took, to the point that her heart did not stop beating rapidly, in that she was passing through a cemetery and that was when she had a brilliant and disturbing idea.
It was the municipal cemetery of Quito, one of the largest and with the greatest number of people in the entire country, so without thinking twice he decided to enter, but his plan would be carried out in the middle of the night so that there would be no witnesses involved, or so it is said in the story of Mariangula from Ecuadorian legends.
Dusk came and he put into action his macabre and rugged idea, he looked for recently buried deceased, to remove the viscera from several of them and thus pass them off as the ones he should buy in the market. When he finished, he went home as quickly as possible and gave his mother his assignment.
These surprisingly sold much faster than common viscera on the market, so for the mother it was a great day but for the daughter, quite the opposite, since she could not be calm after what she had done and for her torture He couldn't get that moment out of his mind no matter how much he wanted to.
As night fell that same day, Mariangula tried to get some sleep in her room, although it was impossible. Suddenly, the girl heard someone banging loudly on the front door of her house, which she found strange and terrifying because it was already past midnight.
Apparently she was the only one who heard such an impact, since the others continued to sleep as if nothing had happened. However, a couple of minutes later a chilling voice made an appearance in the young woman's room, repeating the following phrase over and over again:
"Maria Angula, return the viscera that you took from me and stole from that tomb."
Each time the voice became stronger and more frequently, at the same time footsteps began to be heard heading towards the girl's room. In that moment of anguish and despair the young woman could not take it anymore and she decided to end it.
He immediately went to his drawer and took out a pair of scissors, the same ones he used to cut open his stomach and remove his own entrails in order to pay off his debt. The next day, all that could be found was Mariangula 's lifeless body on his bed.
This is one of the Ecuadorian legends that are mostly characterized by how morbid and shocking they are, although if you are interested in this type of story, you can take a little look at the Mayan Legends , as some of these are capable of making anyone's hair stand on end.
the husky box
First and foremost, it's worth noting that " La Caja Ronca" is one of the few Ecuadorian legends that ultimately leaves us with a valuable lesson. It takes place in the city of San Miguel de Ibarra, Ecuador , where Carlos and Manuel , two boys who shared a close and happy friendship, lived .
One day, early in the morning, the children decided to go play as they always did, but when they were about to leave, Carlos 's father appeared and told them both that before going to play they should go and water the plants planted right at the back of the garden, since the summer season had arrived and this caused them to wither if they were not watered every so often.
The little ones obeyed their father's order and went straight to the garden, but since it was still very early and they had the whole afternoon to accomplish this simple task, they decided to frolic in the field for a couple of hours, but the notion of time slipped away and the time came. night faster than they thought.
At that moment Carlos remembered his father's errand and immediately asked his friend Manuel if he could accompany him to water the plants since it was very late and he was afraid to do it alone in all that darkness, to which his friend replied that of course he would accompany him.
The field was immense, since it surrounded the entire house, but the plants that had to be watered were in the back of the garden, in addition to the fact that it was the place that had the least lighting, the boys had no choice but to go and do what they had pending, but by the time they were watering the plants the environment felt much darker and more terrifying than it already was.
But the worst part was when, out of nowhere, the children began to hear strange voices, which they couldn't understand at all. The children testified that these voices seemed to be praying in some kind of foreign language. Faced with this situation, Carlos and Manuel decided to hide in the first thing they saw, which in this case was behind a bush.
While both children were hiding, they noticed that a line of people had appeared floating in the air and they had their faces completely covered by a hood, while each of them was carrying a long candle, but none was lit.
At the end of the procession that those spirits were making, they gave way to the appearance of a strange chariot driven by a kind of demonic creature, since a pair of extremely sharp horns stood out on its head, in addition to its smile being full of thick teeth. and pointed, so much so that they had a great similarity to spears embedded in their mouths, their cold and devilish eyes also shone.
At that moment, Carlos remembered one of the old Ecuadorian legends that his grandfather used to tell him all the time, which was called the "rumbling box," and it was about some evil entities that escort a mythical box, so when they analyzed it carefully they realized that these entities were the same creatures that were in front of them.
This was too much for the little ones and they ended up losing consciousness, although a few moments after recovering it they could see that those terrifying creatures were no longer there, but instead they saw that one of those long white candles belonging to those beings from beyond.
When they decided to see it in more detail they realized that what they were holding was not an ordinary candle as seen with the naked eye, but in fact they were human bones, that was the straw that broke the camel's back, both completely traumatized children screamed and they immediately ran home.
From that precise moment, both children never again went out into the street at night, much less mocked the ancient Ecuadorian myths and legends that their ancestors told them. In turn, their behavior improved considerably, so they no longer left their homework in the background and even more so when it came to tasks outside the home.
The Student Cloak
Like all Ecuadorian fables and legends, it is a story that is considered both curious and mysterious, with a supernatural touch. This begins when a group of students decides to get together in order to prepare and study for the final exams of the year that were about to begin.
Within that group was a particular student named Juan, who did not take the same interest or effort towards the upcoming exams as his other classmates. At that moment, Juan was anxious, but not because of the tests, but because of his dress boots, which were old and worn out.
To help you understand why this happened, young Juan was a very vain boy who had a reputation to uphold. He always attended his exams in elegant, expensive clothes, but at that moment his shoes were not in the best condition and he didn't have enough money to replace them.
His companions, after knowing the reason for his partner's anguish, suggested the advice of selling his cape and in this way obtain the money he needed to buy new shoes. But the boy did not feel very comfortable with that idea, so after a long talk with his friends they reached an agreement, where they agreed to give him the money but first he had to do something.
The condition his friends proposed was that Juan would have to go to the "El Tejar" cemetery and search tomb by tomb until he found the grave of a young girl who had recently died by her own hand; that is, she had taken her own life. But that wasn't all, because after finding it, he would have to hammer a nail into the girl's tomb.
What his friends didn't know was that the young woman was Juan 's girlfriend , and she had made the heartbreaking decision to end her life when she discovered his infidelity. The last thing Juan wanted was to relive his past, and he absolutely refused to go to that place, but he needed the money, leaving him no choice but to attend that fateful meeting.
The boy jumped the fence that surrounded the cemetery and went straight to the girl's grave, since he wanted to finish this as soon as possible. When he arrived, he quickly produced from his pockets a small but strong hammer and a small nail that he would go on to drive into the girl's sarcophagus. He felt that with each hammering he gave it was like a kind of forgiveness for all the pain that he himself had caused her.
Once he had finished what he had to do, he decides to return immediately to where his friends were to show them that he had fulfilled the challenge as assigned, but something stopped him, he was completely paralyzed and could not move a single limb of his body.
The next morning, his companions, who had been patiently waiting for Juan, found it strange that he hadn't returned, so they decided to go to the grave where the girl was buried to see what had happened to her. But when they arrived, they were all terrified and confused by what they saw.
What they found was none other than the lifeless body of their companion Juan , lying right next to the young woman's grave. But what was most shocking was that the boy's cloak was completely intact, even though it was pinned to the coffin lid—that is, to the girl's tomb. This death was a complete mystery, and no logical explanation was ever found for what had happened that night.
The Huiña Güilli de Bolívar
This is one of Ecuador's most unique and characteristic legends. It tells the story of a man named José, a notorious gambler with great experience and cunning in card games. But that wasn't enough for him; he often cheated and played dirty against his opponents.
One night, after a final card game, José left the bar, or as it was better known, the tavern, completely covered in coins, which filled his pockets to overflowing. The villagers, after seeing this, grew tired of his various and consecutive frauds, so they decided to devise a plan just before he left the establishment.
The plan was to give him a glass bottle filled with fireflies, so that the other villagers would see him when he arrived and have time to lock themselves in their homes to avoid him. As José continued on his way as if nothing were amiss, he suddenly stopped upon hearing a baby crying not far from where he stood.
Joseph was not the type of man who worried about human pain and suffering, however at that moment after the baby's continuous crying and the pressure he felt in that situation he could not stand it anymore and went immediately to the place where that crying came from, he saw the little creature and immediately took him to then cover him with his cloak, surprisingly after that the child stopped crying.
It should be noted that while José was searching for the crying newborn, he dropped the glass jar full of fireflies, leaving him in complete darkness with the baby in his arms. The man still had to continue, as being stranded in the middle of nowhere with a child in his arms in total darkness was not part of his plan.
As the man progressed, he realized that the boy began to get hot for some reason, so much so that he had to get rid of him since he hardly felt his hands anymore and the pain was unbearable, as if they had been set on fire. In addition to the fact that he felt that a large nail had been driven into his stomach. As soon as he threw the boy he heard a strong voice coming from him, who exclaimed to him.
B: “I already have you… now you are mine and I will destroy you”.
J: "But why? I looked for you to save your life, I haven't done anything wrong."
B: «You are a greedy and selfish human being as well as a cheat, people like you do not deserve to continue living».
The man begged the little demon for his life, begging him to let him go, but from one second to another he completely lost consciousness and passed out. The next day the man wakes up since he had already woken up, he gets up slowly thinking about last night and then he hears the same cry of that baby again.
At that moment the expert and astute card player understood that what had happened to him was not a simple dream, much less a hallucination due to alcohol, it was real, so from that moment on he did not drink any type of drink again. alcoholic while in turn he would dedicate himself more to helping others and leave those frauds and bets in the past.
Short Ecuadorian Legends for Children
Ecuadorian legends for infants or also called Ecuadorian legends for children, are stories that are generally closely linked to their popular culture along with the events of the same story. Previously, these types of stories were described by the ancestors of each family and passed from generation to generation verbally.
Although now with the arrival of technology these stories have expanded in an incredible way, through videos, images and other tools, which could allow more people to become aware of them. Below you will learn about some of the most impressive and outstanding Ecuadorian legends for children.
La Tacona (Also known as La Tacona de Esmeraldas)
La Tacona is one of the many Ecuadorian legends from that region. It tells of a beautiful young woman who lived in a town called La Tacona in Esmeraldas, known for her long, beautiful blonde hair. One night, she decided to take a walk to clear her mind.
While the girl continued her walk normally, she ran into a man who came straight towards her, at first she didn't care but when she felt that something was wrong it was too late, the man grabbed her tightly and forced her to a corner to steal a kiss. Hours later, the young woman arrives scared and agitated at her house with her torn suit and teary eyes that did not stop shedding tears after what happened.
She immediately went to the bathroom to wash herself while at the same time saying that from this moment on no other man would ever abuse her again. She went to her closet, where she pulled out a dazzling red suit, which went very well with her sneakers. She came out of it again but this time to have a few drinks since she wanted to forget what that man had done to her.
During the journey, she constantly attracted the attention of many men who couldn't help but admire her beauty, so in a very short time she earned the name "La Tacona ," due to her high heels combined with the dress that made her look like a goddess.
Of all those men, only one has the courage to approach her and dares to ask her to dance, to which she accepts, at the end of the dance and the man invites her to accompany him to the seashore to talk alone. , she accepts his proposal to go to the beach but at that moment he hugs her and tries to steal a kiss from her by force, just as the first man did.
Just before his lips reached hers, he noted that the girl from one second to another had turned into some kind of cold and terrifying corpse. Of all the Ecuadorian legends, this one tells that the girl had made a pact with death, in order to take revenge on all those men who wanted to harm her in one way or another.
The children of Father Chimborazo
Everyone knows that most Ecuadorian legends originate in Quito, the capital city, but this is one of the few that comes from the Central Highlands of Ecuador; even so, it is very well known among its inhabitants. It begins with Mother Tungurahua, who blamed her husband for not fathering white children who were his equals.
One day the woman was walking along the mountain edges because she was looking for one of her sheep. She thought it had gotten lost, but the truth was that Father Chimborazo had let it escape on purpose.
In that she went right to her field of plants, where she found a beautiful and delicate white bean. She proceeds to gently grasp it and rub it against her belly, thus, in the most extraordinary way she conceived the wonder of her father and immediately a baby was implanted in the woman's womb.
From that day on, the girl's belly grew larger and larger until it could no longer be hidden. Exactly nine months later, she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy who bore the features of Father Chimborazo. His skin was white and smooth, with fine blond hair that looked like golden threads, as if he were a small Apu of the Snow.
What does Apu mean in Ecuadorian legends?
For those who do not know the meaning of Apu, with this they refer to all the deities that inhabit the mountains and hills. They are characterized by having the capacity for leadership and sufficient power to influence the energy of things and people. This term is commonly used in Ecuadorian myths and legends. The spirit does not have a defined sex as such, so it can be both male and female, this will also depend on who it appears to.
The inhabitants who tell this type of Ecuadorian legend, commonly to girls, faithfully believe in the stories of those shores of the mountains possess a supernatural power capable of procreating young ladies, so grandparents generally warn their granddaughters with this history that they do not walk through those places and much less if they are alone.
The mystery of the mouth of the Misahuallí River
This is one of the few Ecuadorian legends born at the beginning of the colonization of the eastern part of the country, as its name indicates, it took place at the mouth of the Misahuallí River, where a white-skinned man sent his men to set up a small camp, since they had the task of exploiting all the rubber trees that were in the basins of the Aguarico River.
Everything went normally for a few days, but this would end with the arrival of a new immigrant, who did not come alone, but was accompanied by his young and spectacular daughter whom they did not take their eyes off of, especially the man rubber tapper who was in charge of the operation, since seeing her impressive beauty managed to conquer her heart.
Taking advantage of the good place where the camp was located, which was a land with a great fauna and precious flora, the man managed in a short time and with a lot of effort to conquer the heart of his beloved.
Unfortunately, and for obvious reasons, they did not have any authority at that moment that could legalize their union as an official couple, but even so, this did not stop them from embracing each other, and the only witnesses who appreciated it were the abundant and flowering guaba trees.
But they both knew perfectly well that love alone would not be enough to survive, so the rubber tapper had to travel several times to Aguarico to collect that delicious fruit that sprouted from the rubber plants, better known as balata, which was one of the most profitable fruits in that place and therefore, it was becoming increasingly difficult to find it in quantity.
The young lover could only remember the beautiful and sweet smile of her lover while she took long and peaceful walks on the beach in the compass of the day's sun, since it was one of the daily activities she did with him. Time passed and the young woman was still waiting for her romeo but there came a point where he never returned and she was totally devastated.
The beautiful woman did not stop crying and the only thing she wanted at that moment was for the earth itself to swallow her, and that was what happened, since one day that woman simply disappeared and nothing more was heard of her. Her family and friends searched for her in every corner and every crack, but they never found any trace of her on her, nor did they know what could have happened to her, she is one of the most mysterious Ecuadorian legends in the country.
Despite the years, the story was still rambling among the residents and became a trend after an unexpected event occurred. It all started on a cloudy and somewhat cold morning, when a small group of indigenous people decided to fish in the area, it was then that out of nowhere they saw a woman who was perched on a considerable size stone next to the river.
The innocent and friendly indigenous people approached her, and asked her where she came from, to which she only pointed to the water and immediately jumped on it, but what most shocked the Indians was not her answer, but the moment she got into the water, since when it was thrown not a single drop of water splashed, much less generated any waves on it.
A short time later, the long-lived residents already had information about what happened and affirmed that it was the spirit of that devastated woman who disappeared without leaving any trace. There are several Ecuadorian legends about this girl today, but the most common says that she is still sometimes seen by several fishermen who visit that place, but otherwise if you go there just to meet her you will never get to see her.
Legend of the Ilocullin Natural Viewpoint
Of all Ecuadorian legends, the Ilocullin natural viewpoint is the setting for one of the most incredible. It all begins when God created the flood to wipe out all species, both human and animal, and thus begin the cycle of life anew. Because of this, many people went to the various mountains in those areas and prayed, reciting prayers such as the Hail Mary or the Lord's Prayer , begging for their lives.
One of the mountains people went to was called Shikita Hurcu, but a group decided to go to Ilocullin , a small peak that somehow helped those who went there. Those who reached Shikita Hurcu mocked those who went to the Ilocullin viewpoint, but the happiness and laughter of those who apparently lacked empathy would be short-lived.
The water in that area suddenly began to rise rapidly, so much so that it reached the mountain's peak, resulting in the deaths of many people. Because of this, Mount Shikita Hurco disappeared beneath the rising waters, along with all the indigenous people who lived on its summit.
As for Ilocullin , this didn't happen; quite the opposite, in a very strange way, the summit of that place also grew rapidly along with the waters, remaining higher to the point that it surpassed the water level, as it transformed into a gigantic mountain in an instant. Once the deluge subsided and the waters returned to their natural state, Ilocullin also began to shrink until it reached its normal size. The people who managed to reach the natural viewpoint were saved, as that place is a very special area.
Many indigenous people believe that deities dwell there, attributing to this viewpoint a power capable of saving those who reach the summit. Therefore, whenever a storm occurs, these native people go to the mountains to venerate them as if they were gods and offer their thanks. Today, the summit of Ilocullin remains one of Ecuador's most prominent and widely recognized legends.
The Goddess Umina
The story of the goddess Umiña is one of the oldest Ecuadorian legends. It tells of one of the chiefs of the Manta tribes , named Shygui , who was married to a very beautiful, intelligent, and humble woman. From this union was born a little girl with beautiful green eyes named Umiña. Her mother was a healer, and to her surprise, her only daughter would also practice this same profession successfully, which made her very proud. When Umiña was 21, her mother died, leaving her alone with her father, the chief.
As time passed, the Chief 's friends advised him to find another wife, and he agreed, marrying a sorceress from the tribe. However, due to her treatment of the inhabitants, the sorceress was not well received by the population. Because of this, all attention was focused on Umiña, since she dedicated herself to helping anyone in need through medical and religious services, continuing the charitable work entrusted to her by her mother.
Because of this, the sorceress who was her stepmother was very jealous of her, and proceeded to bewitch the Cacique, that is, her father, so that he would establish a decree that dictated that his daughter should be tied to a raft and left without food until she died, but due to her kindness to the inhabitants and the help she gave them, in addition to the miracles she performed, when she arrived at another neighboring tribe they returned her home safe and sound.
Feeling mocked, the sorceress caused Umiña 's father , under the spell, to issue another decree ordering his daughter's death. However, the chieftain had already been cured of this malevolent enchantment by then. He promptly banished the sorceress from the tribe forever, but she did not take this well and told him that he would die after three moons. And indeed, after the appointed time, Chieftain Shygui died, murdered by the sorceress.
Umiña who did not know that her father had been murdered, since she slept guarded by many guards who protected her, upon waking up is when she finds out about the murder of her father and immediately orders that evil sorceress be captured, the soldiers chase her but she manages to escape by turning into a big bad wolf and hastily leaving the tribe.
Umiña, very sad about her father's death, decided not to eat and over time grew weak until she died at his grave. It should be said that if you find yourself in a similar situation where you feel you can't go on anymore, you can turn to the Open Roads Candle , which makes energies flow in those situations where you don't know what else to do.
As a final order, she told them not to move her body from that place. With this last request, the villagers responsibly obeyed, but as time passed, they noticed that Umiña 's heart had not decomposed.
In some inexplicable but magical way, her heart was transformed into a red stone the size of a fist and in addition, two green dots appeared on said stone that expanded until they completely covered her and became a sparkling and beautiful emerald.
The new chieftain ordered the construction of a temple and the carving of a bust of Umiña to hold the emerald, so that she would be worshipped as a goddess. From the very beginning, anyone who came from other villages and touched the emerald was miraculously and quickly healed.
For this reason, this story became very popular among Ecuadorian legends, so much so that at the time many people, when they learned of the existence of this deity, went to the temple to be healed and blessed by the goddess Umiña , and today this deity continues to be one of the most visited in the country of Ecuador.
The tunda turns into a chicken
To conclude our series on Ecuadorian legends for children, we will explain the story of "the Tunda turns into a chicken ." It's all in the "juyungo" (Ecuadorian book), which tells a legend about a boy who lived in the city of Esmeraldas. He was sent on an errand in the afternoon, around five o'clock, a time usually dedicated to prayer.
Said favor consisted of looking for some chickens that were lost all over the place, when he gathered them all, he realized that one of the chickens that had a curious white fur, was the most rowdy of all and caught the boy's attention.
"Cho cho, swear, swear"
The young boy shouted while he was looking for that white hen, but it was very intelligent and he was moving him away from the population until he reached a wooded and lost area of the emerald city, when he wanted to return he realized that it was already late and that he was very lost. As time passed, he realized that he was facing the dreaded tunda (a vampire-like monster woman), who had turned into a chicken.
The parents of the child, realizing that the little one did not arrive, decided to go look for him in the forest, but not without first bringing dogs since the tunda is afraid of dogs, and with just one bark they can make it disappear. Unfortunately, on the third day of the search they found the lifeless body of the young man with an expression of terror on his face. This story is often told to children in Ecuador so that they do not distance themselves from their parents.
Legends of Riobambeñas
The legends of Riobamba, Ecuador, are all those stories that, as their name suggests, originate from Riobamba, a city with a rich and diverse culture, art, history, and, of course, folklore. Therefore, we will share some of these Ecuadorian legends from these small rural towns.
The headless Riobamba
The headless Riobamba is one of the Ecuadorian legends of the XNUMXth century, which begins with the appearance of a banshee that terrified all the inhabitants who walked freely through the streets of this city, it is said that those who managed to see the headless they were paralyzed and terrified for long nights by this spirit of darkness.
Said evil deity dressed in black and his horse was the color of the night, so when the gallop was heard, the inhabitants quickly hid in their houses and closed everything so as not to see him. In this way, different stories began to be created or to imagine the true origin of the headless man, one of those imaginations is that he had been a soldier of the war, although others thought that he was someone who was looking for a bloody revenge.
On the other hand, there are those who thought he was one of the priests, since they were the only ones who had benefited from the arrival of the headless man in town, due to the offerings that people made at mass. But in the same way, the fear of the spirit remained since when arriving at the town of Riobamba many fear hearing the gallop of a horse aimlessly with a headless horseman on top of it.
For this reason, the inhabitants always made sure to arrive at their respective homes well before sunset and thus not be tormented by this evil being who sought to frighten the people who lived in Riobamba, closing the windows and doors with keys to avoid seeing that black and devilish headless figure. Needless to say, it is also one of the most terrifying Ecuadorian legends of all time.
The Goblin of Saint Gerard
Legend has it that in a small town called San Gerardo , located near Riobamba, lived a young man named Juan who worked in a very remote part of the area, deep in a mountain far removed from any trace of civilization. To get to his job, the young man had to cross this very dangerous and lonely mountain every day, so he always got up very early and left before eight in the morning, taking advantage of the sunlight.
One day, after finishing his workday at 8 pm, he decided to go home as usual. But that night was very dark and the atmosphere felt very tense on the way back, and at that precise moment the young man felt that he was being followed, but he did not give it importance, since he assumed that it could be the wind that was moving the trees around him.
After a long time of walking along that dark and gloomy forest path, in which you could only hear different sounds of nature that made anyone terrified, among all those sounds the young man heard a clear and strong voice that told him:
"For no reason do you look back, all I want is for you to give me the cigarette you carry in your hand."
Upon hearing this, Juan felt a chill and a fear that made his breath catch in his throat. He obeyed the voice and handed over the cigarette without turning around, throwing it away and walking quickly to get home as soon as possible. The next day, Juan was preparing to leave his house, but not before taking a pack of cigarettes, both as a precaution and because of his habit.
Again, as he was preparing to return home, walking through the forest in perpetual darkness and with the feeling that something was following him, the mysterious and terrifying voice again told him to give it a cigarette. Juan decided to act as if he hadn't heard anything and continued on his way, but before he did, he quickly turned around and realized that the mysterious voice belonged to a very small man.
That man had a whip and a very large hat. Luckily, Juan managed to get home that night, frightened, and told his mother what had happened. She advised him to take a protective amulet next time. Juan listened to his mother, so the next day when he went out, he took his pack of cigarettes and a crucifix for protection.
That same day he walked back home through the same forest on a night just as frightening as the others. Out of nowhere, the same little man appeared, but this time the man didn't come to ask him for a cigarette but to give him strong and painful lashes on the back. Juan , hurt by these strong blows that the little man gave him and feeling unimaginable pain, but being very bold, quickly took out the crucifix that his mother told him to carry.
She held it tightly in her hands and showed it to the small, evil man, causing him to run swiftly into the darkness of the forest, never to be seen again. Although for these kinds of situations, it is also recommended to say a prayer to Saint Hedwig , who is commonly known as the patron saint.
the graveyard chair
Cemeteries are places where people rest after living their life in this earthly field and pass to another astral plane, where there are no worries, no pain, no anguish, it is where there is a place of peace, it is also said that if the tombstones Of the tombs could speak these would tell many stories, from captivating to melancholy.
This is how the legend of the cemetery chair is told, a tale based on real events, making it the ideal story to conclude this article on Ecuadorian legends. It all begins with a marriage between Elizabeth and Jozef, two people who arrived in the city at the end of the 19th century and settled in Riobamba. They were a simple couple who loved each other very much, regardless of the passage of time.
They were well-known in the town, always offering help to the residents without expecting anything in return, but despite everything being wonderful, a dark time came for them. Elizabeth was diagnosed with a serious, unknown illness, and although her husband tried everything possible to save her, she ultimately passed away.
Her husband was heartbroken and devastated by the situation, as it was overwhelming to see his greatest love leave him, leaving him in unbearable pain. As time passed, Jozef never found relief from that intense sorrow, as he couldn't get her out of his mind.
The poor man spent all his time embracing his beloved wife's gravestone, day and night. It's important to note that the couple had only traveled to the city to visit it, not to live there permanently. Therefore, when the day came to return to their homeland, Jozef refused to leave his dear wife's grave, explaining that he had no family there.
The authorities took pity on the poor man and left him alone so he could visit the cemetery. Everyone who went to the cemetery saw Jozef sitting in an old chair beside his wife's grave. He would talk to her, recite poetry, sing to her, and read her favorite texts. This is how Jozef spent his life , until he finally passed away.
He was buried by the same people who worked in said cemetery next to his wife and they placed the chair in the tomb, as a reminder that the true love that is felt towards a person is a pure feeling of affection and loyalty, which shows everyone that does exist in this life and the next.