In a small village along the banks of the Río Grande, people once whispered that the wind itself could weep. When the moon rose full and pale, a woman’s voice carried across the water — long, lonely wails that made even the coyotes fall silent.
Her name, they said, was La Llorona — The Weeping Woman.
Long ago, she was not a ghost but a beautiful woman named María, proud and radiant as the desert dawn. Men crossed rivers for a glimpse of her. Yet she loved only one — a nobleman who came riding in silver spurs and promises.
They married, and she bore him two sons. For a time, her home was filled with laughter and love. But soon the nobleman’s visits grew rare. Rumors said he had another woman, one of his own class, and María’s joy turned to jealousy.
One evening, she saw him ride by in a carriage with a lady in silk. He looked through her — as though she and the children were ghosts already.
That night, a storm rose. Thunder tore the sky as María walked her sons to the river. They cried for warmth, for comfort, for their mother. But María’s heart was filled with hurt so deep it blinded her. In a madness of despair, she held them tight and whispered, “We will never leave each other again.” Then she plunged into the water.
The river swallowed them whole.
When morning came, María woke on the shore, her arms empty. The sun burned through her tears. She searched the banks, screaming for her children — but the river gave no answer.
From that day on, her spirit wandered, forever weeping. Wherever there is running water, the people say she walks, dressed in white, her hair wild, her cries rising and falling like waves.
Fathers warn sons not to follow her voice; mothers hush children who stray near the river. And yet, every few years, someone swears they see her reflection in the water — a woman kneeling, weeping for what can never return.
“La Llorona cries,” the elders say, “not because she was evil, but because she learned too late that love twisted by pride becomes poison.”
Moral of the Story
Grief cannot be undone by vengeance. When pain blinds love, all are lost.
Knowledge Check
- Who was La Llorona before she became a ghost?
A woman named María, once beautiful and loved. - What drove her to tragedy?
Jealousy and heartbreak when her husband left her. - What did she do by the river?
In despair, she drowned her children and herself. - Why does she still wander?
Her spirit searches endlessly for her lost children. - What warning does the tale teach?
To control passion before it consumes compassion. - Where do people claim to hear her cries?
Along rivers and streams across Mexico and Latin America.
Origin: Mexican Folklore
