Federico Stories

Have you ever wondered how to share the magic of Salvadoran Fairytales and Legends with your children, but you don't know how? What if you could do it all at once in English and Spanish? 🤔 Today, I'm bringing you a Virtual Book that you can share with your beloved ones and show them the magic of El Salvador 🪄. You can explore a piece of the Salvadoran traditions, landscapes, locations, and four beautiful stories: Tangaloa, "The Guardian of the Sea," Cipitio, Tenancin, and the Dwarf. Feel free to share them with your beloved ones. And if you read more and enjoy quality time with your children, feel free to read the extended editions: Timeless Stories of El Salvador

Her legend started during the time of the civil war of El Salvador in the 1980s. Many guerrilla fighters passed through the banks of the Toad River at night, specifically, in the area where the passage of the river splits La Guacamaya and El Zapotal in Morazán. In this area, they inevitably encountered a mysterious woman (figure 1). Figure 1. The mysterious woman of the Toad River.  ¹ Many people claimed to have perceived this woman. They described her as medium height with enormous breasts, broad hips, long hair, an odd look whose laughs turned out to be deafeningly loud; therefore, they heard her from afar. However, everyone agreed her appearances were quick, lasting only a few minutes or seconds, they could barely perceive her. Those who saw her also said she dressed only in underwear and bathed in the pools of the river at night. Plus, she had the habit of running to hide in the undergrowth. As the days passed, the few fighters who ventured to spend the nigh...

Many moons ago, the Cipitio ultimately encountered a girl who wasn’t frightened of him. Her name is Tenancín. This little girl became his girlfriend because she perceived something in the Cipitio that no one had ever seen. She discovered he wasn’t a bad guy. He was just mischievous and liked to crack jokes.  Plus, giving flowers to all the pretty girls in El Salvador, just to make them smile. People in the villages from San Vicente describe Tenancin as a very small and pretty girl with brown eyes and long hair, who is constantly smiling (figure 1). Figure 1. Tenancín.  ¹ One day, Tenáncin was cutting flowers for her grandmother’s birthday. She explored the forest, La Joya. However, she forgot how to come back and started to scream and run lousily, through the forest, when she reached the corolla where the Cipitio was sleeping. She noted it and was confused in the beginning because she always thought the Cipitio was only a legend. Legends used to discourage the gi...

Many moons ago in the Americas, there were several gods, but one of the most important was Tlaloc. He was the god of rain, earthly fertility, and water. All Aztecs and the Salvadoran Pipil people worshiped him from the Teotihuacan’s times. Tlaloc operated in all four heaven areas called Tlalocan, located in the east of the universe, from each area shed a different type of rainfall. Plus, from this paradise, he sent the beneficial and necessary water for all Indians on Earth, so their crops could grow greatly! In  Tlalocan,  Tlaloc lived with his two wives: Xochiquetzal,  the goddess of love, flowers, arts, pleasure, and nature. Chalchiuhtlicue , the goddess of water, rivers, seas, streams, storms, and baptism. And his five children, four boys called  Tlaloques,  and his daughter  Huixtocihuatl . Also, some people shared Tlalocan with Tlaloc, the unlucky, but good ones who perished accidentally by drowning or by dropsy. Here, some permanent crops of all kin...

Many moons ago, the Siguanaba ’s son was taken to the hereafter because his mother was cursed and forced to live in the Salvadoran rivers until the end of time. After the Siguanaba was cursed and vanished, Tlaloc called his son and told him: “Son. I have cursed your wife forever. She is going to live in the rivers washing her clothes and scaring bad men because of her greed and irresponsibility.” Tlaloc’s son couldn’t believe what he was listening to and replied: “Father, why are you taking all that I have? Haven’t I had work enough to have at least my child?” Tlaloc answered: “Son, I understand, but you have more responsibilities in this town. You will see your son again one day.” The man was furious and disappointed because his father took everything he had: his wife, his child, his dignity, all. They discussed for hours until he accepted his destiny and left his child with him. Meanwhile, he would try to recover the love of his life. He started a quest in every Salvadoran river,...

Once upon a time in a place known as El Salvador , there was a town inhabited by a working and respectful tribe who was very kind to all their neighbors. In this town, it lived a breathtaking girl who was admired by all the young men of this place. This girl was named Cihuehuet (figure 1). Her beauty was immeasurable, and all nearby hamlets knew her. Many young warriors and hunters propose to her all the time. Figure 1. Cihuehuet dancing on the rivers. ¹ However, the girl knew herself very well, and she had become very conceited and vain. Every time she went to wash her clothes in the river, instead of hurrying and doing her work, she stayed for a very long time watching her face reflected in the clean and shiny waters from Lempa. When the wedding time came, she married the bravest and strongest warrior of the region, who was Tlaloc’s son. Some months later, the Shaman told her: “You are going to have a boy.” She realized, when her son was born, she would not be able to d...