One of the most well-known Hispanic folktales, the story of Llorana is that of the weeping woman. The plot follows Maria, a beautiful young woman who lives in a small village. She becomes enraptured by a ranchero whom she vows to marry. The couple has two children, but the ranchero loses interest in Maria entirely. When Maria sees the ranchero with a new woman, she becomes distraught. In her distress, she throws her two children into a nearby river. After realizing what she has done, she begins to wail in agony. The next day, her body is discovered, having died the night before by the river. In the days that followed, the village inhabitants would hear crying and wailing each night, and thus Maria was now known as the weeping woman — La Llorona. Villagers would warn children to stay away, as if they encountered La Llorona, she would take them away, as if they were her own children. Today, there have been many adaptations of this story; read about a couple of them below.
Literature
La Llorona: The Weeping Woman
Despite being a seemingly adult story, this tale is often told to young children as a warning. La Llorona: The Weeping Woman by Joe Hayes, illustrated by Vicki Trego Hill and Mona Pennypacker, is a picture book that tells the story of La Llorona. The book is written in both English and Spanish, and it stays true to the original story of the Weeping Woman. The decision to publish the book in both English and Spanish was a good choice, as it expands the story’s reach to a wider audience while preserving its Hispanic roots. Overall, this version of the tale keeps the often-spoken word story alive in written form.
The Donkey Lady Fights La Llorona and Other Stories
The Donkey Lady Fights La Llorona and Other Stories by Xavier Garza contains a short story about Margarito and his cousins being told a tale about La Llorona and the Donkey Lady by their grandfather. After learning about these two characters, Margarito and his cousins head home. Each cousin arrives at their house, leaving Margarito alone to cross a bridge over a river. He recalls his grandfather’s tale: La Llorona haunted the riverbanks, and the Donkey Lady hid beneath the bridge. When Margarito begins to cross the bridge, he sees La Llorona, who approaches him, but before she can take him away, the Donkey Lady appears. The two spirits begin to fight over who can take him, at which time Margarito flees in their distraction. This short story is a fun piece in a kids’ book about scary stories. It stays true to the original La Llorona folktale, while keeping the story light and easy to read for kids.
Prietita and the Ghost Woman
In Prietita and the Ghost Woman, by Gloria Anzaldúa and Maya Gonzalez, the depiction of La Llorona is a positive one. This children’s picture book tells the story of Prietita and her search for a healing plant to give to her sick mother. Prietita travels to the woods of the King Ranch, a dangerous place that is said to be haunted by La Llorona, in search of the healing plant. Although she is scared, Prietita is determined to help her mother. Shortly after entering King Ranch, Prietita gets lost, and the night grows darker. After asking the animals of the forest for help finding the plant, she hears crying sounds coming deeper from the woods. Prietita approaches the sound and comes across the haunting figure of La Llorona. Instead of attacking her, La Llorona helps Prietita find the plant she needs for her mother. This interpretation of La Llorona is unique among the others on this list, as it shows that she may not be as intent on harming others as we may think. Rather than another horror story, Prietita and the Ghost Woman is a colorful and heart-warming retelling of the classic Hispanic folktale.
Film
The Curse of La Llorona
Another popular medium of retelling the story of La Llorona is film. The Curse of La Llorona, directed by Michael Chaves, was a box office hit in 2019. It starred Linda Cardellini as Anna Tate-Garcia, a social worker and mother of two, who comes across a case of a mother who has been seemingly abusing her children when, in fact, La Llorona has been haunting this family. When La Llorona had successfully taken the children from this family, she moved on to Anna’s family. What ensues is the horrifying story of La Llorona’s infiltration of Anna’s family and her attempts to remove La Llorona’s spirit from their lives. While the prologue of this film stays accurate primarily to the original story of La Llorona, the rest of the film takes on a more modern take of what La Llorona’s hauntings may have been like in the 1970s. It doesn’t have a significant representation of the original story’s psychological aspects or cultural depth; instead, the film is more of a jumpscare fest and an Americanized retelling.
La Llorona (2019)
La Llorona (2019) is a Guatemalan film directed by Jayro Bustamante that follows General Enrique Monteverde, a retired military leader, who is on trial for committing genocide against the Maya people during Guatemala’s civil war. The story mostly takes place inside the general’s mansion after his original conviction is overturned, as a mob protests outside his home. Over the next days and nights, the general and his family are subjected to mysterious happenings, including odd behaviors from an indigenous maid named Alma. Though not a traditional retelling of the story, it stays true to La Llorona’s message of grief. It’s an overall thought-provoking film with an open ending.
The Legend of Llorona
Another popular film about La Llorona is The Legend of Llorona, directed by Patricia Harris Seeley. This film follows Andrew and Carly Candlewood, grieving parents who take their young son, Danny, on a trip to Mexico. During the trip, the family is haunted by La Llorona, who takes Danny. His parents then team up with Jorge (played by Danny Trejo) in an attempt to find and save Danny. The film employs horror clichés and jump scares in an attempt to create a successful movie; however, it was criticized mainly for its cultural insensitivity. The Legend of Llorona is not a good representation of the original folktale of La Llorona. Its acting is subpar and undermines the cultural significance of La Llorona.
The Haunting of La Llorona
The Haunting of La Llorona, directed by Dennis Devine, is a mockbuster that tried to ride the coattails of The Curse of La Llorona. It follows Cassandra, a woman who meets a homeless woman named Tiffany, whom she invites to move in with her after she helps Cassandra in a time of need. After Tiffany moves in, Cassandra notices strange occurrences happening in her house, similar to those of a haunting. Cassandra then enlists the help of Father Gomez to fight off the spirit of La Llorona. At the end of the film, Cassandra’s child is born, who is seemingly possessed by the spirit of La Llorona. This film is an insensitive rendition that uses La Llorona as a glorified monster. The acting is odd and uninspired, and the film doesn’t even address the cultural significance of La Llorona.
There are many depictions of La Llorona in different forms of media today; however, some may be significantly more accurate than others. The books on this list are often more accurate than films and have positive or empathetic views of La Llorona. On the other hand, each film on this list, excluding La Llorona (2019), is a cash grab that uses a deeply cultural story as a free plotline, while La Llorona (2019) respectfully uses the tale to tell an important political story. Regardless, the story of La Llorona is one that will likely continue to be retold for many years to come.
If you’re interested in other horror books, movies, or games, be sure to check out our article, Bookstr Team Picks the Best Ways to Experience Horror.
Interested in more Hispanic-inspired reads? Check out our Bookshop bookshelf, Hispanic/Latinx Recommendations: Bedtime Stories, Poetry, and Novels.
