Izalco Volcano

Many moons, when I was just a child and a “good” kid and attended my school in El Salvador, I never stopped doing the mandatory inspection among my classmates.

As “good” kids, I had a daily hobby with my friends. We approached trembling with emotion to spy “the underground,” the devil’s treasure hidden location. Something that everybody wanted, but no one had got it! And now, it’s time to go deeper into this adventure. Let’s go!

In 1752 in Izalco (figure 1), there was a large excavation near the cabildo of a church. In its background, we could see from a distance, the entrance to two masonry tunnels. Some people said they discovered them while they were taking soil to make clay, this was a gigantic work. Another curious person explored the tunnels “without being able to find the end,” and they thought it was the entry to the hell itself!

Figure 1. Izalco Volcano.

Around the town, there was a lot of gossip about this. Some midwives intervened, and after discussions and suspicions, a new legend was born. Was it unsinful for Catholics to visit that diabolical work? A prudent mayor expressed the same opinion and ordered the excavation to be closed.

Many years later, I was talking to Julián Balam, an Indian who spoke Spanish very well. He was a great narrator of Izalquenan traditions. He confirmed the history of the underground as I knew it. Immediately he shared an interesting fact with me.

“Yes, sir. There, the devil preserved his treasure. He took it from another place, where he buried it before.” Said Julián.

“Where did he have it?” I queried him impatiently.

“Ah! Don’t you know, do you? The treasure was where you could find the Manufacture of Hill in the past.” Answered Julián.

“Tell me that story, Julián!” I requested Julián.

And the Indian told me what I am going to tell you.

This had been many years before I was born. There were two greedy people — the husband and his wife — whose names no one knows because no one mentioned them again after the catastrophe that ended their lives and lands.

They lived on an extensive farm that now occupies part of the volcano and the church. They used to rent their lands to the poor Indians, who were their perennial victims. Those lands seemed a blessing from God. The corn was three times bigger than any you would see today, and it is convenient to know, sir, that they did not mulch the cornfields at that time.

However, the landowner and his wife had very bad hearts and insatiable greed. When the payment day came, the landowners told the poor Indians they would take more than they had agreed or would stay with their entire harvest.

Nevertheless, as you know sir, the universe always takes revenge for miserable people like them. Sooner than expected, their misdeeds expired in an unexpected twist.

One night, under a storm of lightning, a muffled man came to the farm. He wore a black suit, black glasses, and patent leather overboots. Plus, he rode on a superb horse. That was all that some settlers could say about him.

As the muffler had the appearance of being rich, the patrons came out to receive him with extraordinary kindness. Nevertheless, they only did it because the boys who lived there told them that they had all felt an inexplicable fear when they encountered him. The animals also displayed signs of terror. The dogs howled with their tails between their legs, and the cattle that were in a rodeo arena began to run towards the mountain with unusual mooing.

What did the patrons and the guest talk about? Maybe something very interesting and funny because everyone was very glad and drank until late at night. At dawn, the mysterious friend left, promising to return.

He returned every night for several months to finalize their new business.

“What is Julián?” I asked him impatiently.

“The Manufacture of the Hill!” Answered Julián.

“Ah!” I answered with surprise.

Julian continued that the traveler told the greedy landowners about the fabulous treasure buried there. He revealed to them who he was. He was the devil himself! They didn’t care and celebrated a treaty to take out the treasure.

They had to make a well, whose excavation was in charge of the landowner and his wife, who should personally walk a certain indicated site in one of the masonry tunnels in the Izalco. The friend promised he would arrive every night to manage the construction, and he did it.

Three days later, the well had an enormous depth though the digger did nothing but throw the earth in the barrel that hung in the pulley. This was easy! Since it was clear that “someone unexpected” was supporting them!

Every night the director of the construction arrived and picked up his friend who would have been impossible to get out of the well without the help of the powerful partner.

Uncountable weeks passed, and the landowners were impatient, but the expected moment finally happened! The digger started to yell that he had found something. They couldn’t believe it! The treasure was real and was in front of them! The barrel came out filled with gold and gemstones. In the moonlight, one jewel of multiple colors was covering the barrel with fantastic flashes.

What would be the joy of avaricious people? Inside the pit, you could hear the screams of the digger “there’s more. There’s more!” And above, the woman was screaming like crazy: “Is there more? Is there actually more?”

“There is more!” Said the devil, who arrived at that moment, and releasing an atrocious laugh. He grabbed the woman’s hair and threw her into the well. Later, he did the same with her husband and no one saw them again.

Later, the same night, the devil took his treasure and deposited it in a place you know in the underground.

“And is that all, Julián?” I asked incredulously.

“Wait, here comes the important part, sir.” Answered Julián.

When the local priest discovered what had happened, he went to the farm accompanied by many people. He was going to conjure the accursed place, but the exorcism went wrong.

“No!” I screamed! But Julián continued.

When the holy water the priest had thrown touched the bottom of the well, a tremendous thing happened, terrifying screams began to come from it. They were the screams of the condemned.

“Please, God, save us!” Everyone who had followed the priest screamed and started to run.

For a moment, Julián stopped and crossed himself before continuing.

The screams were unstoppable, and while everyone was running, the infernal well began to smoke, and then a column of fire followed it. This is the origin of the Teshcal eruption that happened many years ago.

And this is the story of the Izalco. Those devil’s cronies and a couple of greedy robbers opened the door to hell on their own farm.

The door of hell, that’s how we as Indians define the Izalco Volcano. For us, this is more than a legend. It’s proof of what money can cause and a reminder to stay humble. However, do not think only these bad rich people made this concession, far from it, many more around El Salvador agreed on similar terms in the following centuries.

And this is how Julián concluded his story when he just vanished in front of my eyes!

Until today, I’m unsure if Julián was real or if he was a ghost of one of those Indians who died during the eruption. No one else recalls him beside me. Plus, I never saw him again. However, one thing is for sure. I never tried to go again to that place near the Izalco because who knows what will happen!

Inspired by Francisco Herrera Velado’s version from his book Agua de Coco.