The Ciguanaba

Many moons ago, in an ancient Maya city called Cihuatán (in Nawat), there was an attractive woman called Cozumel. Everyone knew her in all cities and towns around Cihuatán.

All men were attracted to her because of her incredible smile, and black eyes that felt like you were diving into the deepest part of the ocean. Her hair was long and black, and when any man spoke to her, he melted because her voice was so sweet and soft no one could resist. Plus, she had a fantastic body that seemed surreal everyone loved her (figure 1). Some people add that she was a woman of very humble origins. Her father was a carpenter and her mother a midwife. They didn’t possess anything that anyone could envy.

Figure 1. Cozumel. ¹

One day, she traveled to one of the most prominent temples: Tazumal. At that place, she was received as always with absolute pleasure and enjoyment by the inhabitants. During an important ritual, she met a warrior from that sector. They started to talk and later to date in the coming months. They thought it was love at first sight.

After many months of their relationship, one night, the King of Palenque visited Cihuatán. He had heard that the most beautiful and humble woman of the Mayan Kingdom lived there. He wanted to espouse her; therefore, she could become his queen. When he arrived at her house, he presented himself as the King and requested to speak with Cozumel. She didn’t comprehend why the King was in their house, but she agreed to speak with him. The King proposed marriage and offered all that she wanted, but she rejected him since she was in love with the heroic warrior. He commanded to know who she was in love with. Then, the King decided to kidnap her and send her to a cave until she forgot that man and accepted his proposal.

The King gave her all that any woman could want; jewelry, jade, cocoa, dresses, exquisite food, everything! However, she always declined all since she was imprisoned in a cave and refused to forget her eternal love. One day, the King got annoyed by this and decided to get rid of the warrior. He confronted him, struck him, and threw him to the Acelhuate River, where he drowned and died.

Many months later, Cozumel discovered what happened to her beloved warrior and escaped the cave. She went to visit a Shaman who gave her a magical potion, which would transform her into an immortal being. However, she paid a high price. No one would be able to recognize her. She would transform into a new woman every night. The only thing that wouldn’t change is the white dress that she was dressing in that day. She accepted the proposal and transformed it into what is known as the Ciguanaba.

After she transformed into Ciguanaba, she took revenge on the King and made his life miserable until the day he died. He never recognized who the woman that tortured him was. However, she never forgot her warrior.

She tries to recover his corpse every night. Some men said Ciguanaba is seen in the river searching for him. She keeps the hope that one day she will find it and they will be reunited one more time.

Credits:
Location: Cihuatán, El Salvador

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