The Pilona

In the times when the Amerindians lived alone in the lands of Conchagua, an expected situation happened. One day, all the men gathered to give themselves the task of building a huge water container called: “The Pilona” (figure 1), at the top of a mountain called Chilagual. This was because the goddess of the waters in a dream showed their leader that in that place, he would sprout a spring that would give water to the thirsty people of the lands and their descendants forever.

Figure 1. The Pilona.

For the following months, the people from Conchagua worked for long periods of time without resting until they finished the Pilona. However, after they finished it, the water did not sprout as promised, not even a drop fell into the huge Pilona.

After many months of an intense drought, the citizens gathered and agreed to celebrate a consecration to the goddess of the waters. During the middle of their celebration in the volcano of Conchagua, a cloud appeared in the shape of a winged snake, it was absolutely massive that covered the whole sky.

All the people thought it was the end of time because a cloud covered the skies. It had the shape of a winged snake, and at that moment, it started to rain. It was a powerful flood that continued for many hours.

When the last drop fell, the sun came up with a special and unmistakable brightness. The citizens went up to see the Pilona and found it was full of crystalline water! The dream revealed to the chief had been fulfilled! Now everyone enjoyed the water for these dry months in abundance.

After that, the people created many legends about the Pilona and its mystical powers like, the people who drank water from it will rejuvenate! Plus, no one could dirty the bollard and its waters because in this just where the water gushed, there lived an enormous and winged snake! This powerful snake descended from the sky, just the day the Pilona was filled for the first time by the orders of the goddess of water to watch over and defend it.

However, many years passed, and the newest generations forgot everything. The new Indians didn’t appreciate the efforts of their ancestors and neglected the honors to the goddess of the waters. Hence, her protection disappeared, and a powerful and wicked witch came from Managua. She decided it was her destiny to bathe in those waters. She wanted to rejuvenate and transform herself into the most beautiful, smart, and powerful of all witches in Central America!

The Indians fought hard, but the witch was extremely powerful, and when she was almost reaching the Pilona, the goddess of the waters convoked her servant snake to stop her and expelled her from that place.

The goddess reminded the Indians that they should be humble and respect her, and she would intervene in the future if they respected this agreement.

From this day, the Indians respected the goddess of the waters and protected the Pilona from any witch or wicked people who tried to take control of it and its mystical powers. Although some traveler Indians said, they saw once more the wicked witch. She escaped from the winged snake and traveled to Nicaragua to locate the second Pilona in Managua.
Location: Conchagua, El Salvador

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