La Llorona: a legend, a song and Mexican popular culture

One of the benefits of the lockdown is the almost daily exchange of messages with friends in several countries. A friend here in the UK, who is a Mexicanophile like me, sent me a link to a wonderful video of a choir of young girls singing La Llorona (“the weeping woman”) in Náhuatl, the indigenous language of the Aztecs and other peoples of ancient Mexico, still spoken – and sung – today. See: https://youtu.be/34c_ZCsH-3Q

San Francisco Altepexi

A dancer at a festival wearing a skull mask

The story of La Llorona touches on many aspects of Mexican culture, some that have come down to us from centuries-old indigenous traditions. Ancient Mexicans had good reasons to be rather preoccupied with death. They lived in a rugged land of earthquakes and droughts. They believed that the world moved in 52-year cycles, which ended in destruction. They interpreted destruction and famine as the work of gods who were both protective and vengeful. One of the duties of their rulers was to protect their subjects from wrathful gods, by communing with them in drug-induced states in caves (the doors to the underworld), by sacrifice of their own blood, extracted with thorns from the tongue or the penis, or by the still bloodier sacrifice of captives, stupefied with drugs to facilitate the ritual removal of their hearts.

Church of St Francis of Assisi in Altepexi

Rural Mexicans still appease ancient gods, although in far less bloody fashion. Ceremonies to placate Tláloc, the rain god, persist, combined with, or lightly disguised by, Christian elements. The Day of the Dead is celebrated still by gatherings in the churchyard to share a meal with the ancestors. Even sophisticated city-dwellers, will enjoy the seasonal pan de muertos (bread of the dead) or buy a skull made from sugar or sweet potato from the local baker.

La Llorona is a tragic figure, who wanders the earth wracked with guilt for the death of her children.

A huipil from Acatlán, Guerrero

Abandoned and betrayed by her husband, she took her children to the river and threw them in the water. Then, full of remorse at what she had done, she returned to the river to search for them. She searches to this day. In the video, La Llorona is not a murderous, regretful mother. She is equated with the Virgin, who will protect us from the cold with her shawl. She is elegantly dressed in a traditional Mexican huipil. Nevertheless, the overall tone is of sadness and death: the flowers seem to weep in the graveyard.

 

A ceremonial gathering with flowers

The stream on Altepexi hill

In this video (https://youtu.be/34c_ZCsH-3Q) La Llorona is Chokani in Náhuatl. The choir of young girls 

is from San Francisco Altepexi, in the Tehuacán Valley, south of Mexico City. The town’s names is derived 

from the Náhuatl meaning “water on a steep hill”. The faces of the choristers will be familiar to anybody 

who has visited a small town in Mexico: dark complexion, high cheekbones, and, in front of a camera, a 

serious expression. The abundance of flowers is typical of any religious celebration. We see briefly the 

church of Saint Francis of Assisi, built in 1831. The ruins are of the former factory of San Juan 

Nepomuceno Xaltepec, built in the late 19th-century. 

 

The local flora

For those who cannot read the Spanish captions here is the test of La Llorona in Spanish and English. Please enjoy: https://youtu.be/34c_ZCsH-3Q

Salías del templo un día, Llorona,      You were coming out of the church one day, Llorona,
Cuando al pasar yo te vi,                    When I saw you as I walked by
Salías del templo un día, Llorona,      You were coming out of the church one day, Llorona,
Cuando al pasar yo te vi,                    When I saw you as I walked by
Hermoso huipil llevabas, Llorona,      You wore such a beautiful huipil [blouse], Llorona,
Que la Virgen te creí.                          That I thought you were the Virgin
Hermoso huipil llevabas, Llorona,      You wore such a beautiful huipil [blouse], Llorona,
Que la Virgen te creí.                          That I thought you were the Virgin

Ay de mi, Llorona, Llorona,               Poor me, Llorona, Llorona,   

Llorona, llévame al río                       Llorona, take me to the river

Ay de mi Llorona, Llorona,                Poor me, Llorona, Llorona,

Llorona llévame al río                        Llorona, take me to the river

Tápame con tu reboso, Llorona,         Cover me with your rebozo [shawl], Llorona,

Porque me muero de frío                    For I am dying of cold

Tápame con tu reboso, Llorona,         Cover me with your rebozo [shawl], Llorona,

Porque me muero de frío                    For I am dying of cold

No sé qué tienen las flores, Llorona,  I don’t know why the flowers, Llorona,

Las flores del camposanto                  The flowers in the graveyard

No sé qué tienen las flores, Llorona.   I don’t know why the flowers, Llorona,

Las flores del camposanto                  The flowers in the graveyard

Que cuando las mueve el viento,

Llorona,                                               When they move in the wind, Llorona,
parece que están llorando                    It seems that they are weeping

Que cuando las mueve el viento,

Llorona,                                               When they move in the wind, Llorona,
parece que están llorando                    It seems that they are weeping                       

Ay de mi, Llorona, Llorona,               Poor me, Llorona, Llorona,

Llorona llévame al río                        Llorona, take me to the river

Yo soy como el chile verde,               I am like the green chile, Llorona,

Llorona,

Picante pero sabroso                           Spicy but tasty

Yo soy como el chile verde

Llorona,                                               I am like the green chile, Llorona,

Picante pero sabroso                           Spicy but tasty