10 Examples of Argentine Legends

Argentine legends

The Argentine legends They are oral or written stories that tell invented stories, which may have some real component, and which are transmitted in Argentina. These narratives always include fantastic characters or events.

exist legends ancient Argentines, most of which are from native peoples. But there are also contemporary legends o urban, that is to say, that they originated recently and usually refer to beliefs that certain communities have in the present.

These legends are similar to traditional legends, because they are passed down from generation to generation, because they have more than one version, and because they are anonymous. But they differ from classic legends by the characters, the purpose, the relationship with time and space, among others.

Characteristics of Argentine legends

Examples of Argentine legends

1. Legend of Caá Porá

According to legend, the Caá Porá is a giant and hairy monster that lives in the mountains and that attacks hunters or that steals prey from these men to eat them. There are also other versions of this legend that say that the Caá Porá turns into a pig or dog and that it shoots fire through its mouth to scare other animals.

This legend is well known in the north of Argentina, especially in the province of Misiones and is known in other regions as the legend of the ghost of the mountain.

1. Legend of the Lobizón

This legend explains that the seventh male child of each family transforms into a werewolf on Tuesdays and Fridays of the full moon. The werewolf wanders the nights until dawn, when he transforms himself into a man again, and feeds on corpses that he finds in cemeteries.

This legend has many variations, for example, in some it is said that the Lobizón is always accompanied by dogs or that he can transform other people into werewolves.

1. Legend of the bad light

According to this legend, bad light is white or light green light that a spirit projects and appears in the field at night. But it is believed that the light that is seen is nothing more than the reflection of the moon on the bones of dead animals.

There are other versions of this legend, which explain that these spirits are there to take care of treasures or things of great value that have been buried. These legends are often told in the field.

1. The Pombero or Pomberito

This legend circulates mainly in the north of Argentina. The Pomberito is a goblin or a small being that takes care of the forests, jungles, mountains and the animals that live in those places. El Pomberito helps people who leave offerings, because he takes care of his house and his livestock, but he can annoy or make practical jokes to those people who speak ill of him.

There are many versions of this legend. For example, it is said that the Pombero can confuse or help hunters and fishermen, it depends on whether men are friends or enemies of this being.

1. Legend of el calafate

This legend belongs to the Tehuelches, an original people that live in the south of Argentina, and the calafate is a characteristic fruit of this place. According to legend, the Tehuelches emigrated to get food, but on one of those trips, Koonex, an old healer, could not keep walking and she decided to stop and sit there to die. Her travel companions prepared an awning and a fire for her and left her food.

After many days spring came and some birds settled on the awning and heard that the old woman reproached her because she had been left alone. One of the birds replied that they had left because when there are low temperatures they don't have enough to eat. The old woman replied that she would give them a food that grows in autumn and winter and, suddenly, a bush, the calafate plant, appeared instead of the old woman.

1. Legenddel Futre

This legend circulates and has its origin in Mendoza, a province that is located in western Argentina and dates back to the beginning of the last century. At that time, a train path was being built and there was a man who was in charge of pay the railroad workers and that, according to legend, he was murdered when they robbed him the money. It is said that the spirit of this man appears in the mountains of Mendoza and asks for the stolen money.

It is assumed that this man really existed and that he is currently buried in a cemetery in a Mendoza town.

1. Legend of the native Mariana

This legend supposedly takes place in San Juan, a province that remains in western Argentina. Legend has it that Mariana, a woman belonging to one of the original peoples of this region, used to she sold gold nuggets and that she was always under a tree smoking a cigar and that she was accompanied by her dog.

It is said that once some men wanted to steal his gold, but that her dog came out to defend her and from the tree a shocking laugh was heard, and the men ran away. Since this happened, no one has seen Mariana again.

In the legend it is also mentioned that Mariana extracted the gold from a well, which no one ever found, but it is because of this legend that there is a department in San Juan called Pocito.

1. The legend of the disappeared city of Esteco de Salta

Salta is an Argentine province where a city called Esteco existed. This city was founded in 1609, it was a very wealthy city and it is said that its inhabitants were very greedy.

According to legend, one day an old man started walking through the city and told the inhabitants that they had to change their behavior or that the city would disappear. Nobody listened to him and that is how the city disappeared. But it is also said that the city disappeared due to an earthquake or a fight with inhabitants of another city.

1. Legend of the baker

The hornero is a well-known bird in Argentina because it makes a clay nest that is similar to a cave. This legend describes the origin of this bird. The story takes place a long time ago and it is assumed that a man and a woman from an indigenous people were going to get married. They were potters and were very much in love, but the tribe sorcerer said that if they married, great misfortunes would befall them all. This was the reason why the chief decided to suspend the union of the two young men.

The potters couple fled into the forest, but were found and killed by other members of the tribe. But, according to legend, they did not die, but became a couple of bakers and it is assumed, that since they were a pair of potters, they knew how to build a perfect clay nest.

1. Legend of the Lady in White from Recoleta Cemetery

One of the characters in this story really existed, she was a young woman named Luz María, whose grave is in the Recoleta Cemetery. According to legend, a young man saw a woman in white near the cemetery and invited her to have a coffee. They were talking, then they kissed and she told the young man that her name was Luz María.

Suddenly she said that she had to go because it was late and when she got up from the table, she threw the coffee and stained the young man's jacket. He ran after her and saw how María Luz entered the cemetery through the bars of the door. He, desperate, began to ask to be allowed in, the caretaker of the cemetery opened the door, the The young man entered and saw that his sack was hanging on a grave that belonged to a woman named Luz Maria.

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