Federico Stories

Thousands of years ago, the creation was threatened. Humanity was in its infancy. The earth was in the form of a long gray cloud that was creeping through moist space, and it had recently condensed, giving rise to this immense ball in which everyone lived. The worst was that the sky was already crumbling, and it barely wavered under the weight of the stars, and all hope seemed to be lost. Such was the collapse, and the complaints of the earth were so numerous, that a God seriously thought of cutting off the evil and he created four giants. The four giants (figure 1) were assigned to each of the corners of the sky, and they should support it on their backs firmly. They would prevent the sky from falling while the stars strengthened their shreds of light. Figure 1. The Giants. ¹ The almighty giants are: Kan-Xibchac, the yellow is in the South. Chac-Xibchac, the red is in the East. Zac-Xibchac, the white is in the North. Ek-Xibchac, the black is in the West. They each led the mi...

When Pedro de Alvarado arrived at Atehuan (Ateos) he received a message from Atlacatl (figure 1) in which he accepted his surrender since they had taken control of a large part of the territory. Figure 1. Atlacatl. ¹ Pedro de Alvarado was extremely surprised by such a fast surrender since Atlacatl was one of the mightiest chiefs. However, he still agreed to visit Atehuan and take control of it. However, when he arrived, he found the entire town in revolt since all the Pipil people had fled to the mountains. Pedro de Alvarado was angry and sent a letter to Atlacatl asking him to surrender for good. However, Atlacatl replied: "If you want our weapons, come and bring them to the mountains." The conquistador was furious and on July 4, 1524, attacked all surrounding mountains. Many horses, Spaniards, and indigenous people died. However, Atlacatl survived and never bowed to any foreign authority, and from the mountains, he kept attacking the invaders. Pedro de Alvarado tried to cap...

In Chalchuapa, on some special nights, many mysterious people walk along the main street of the town. They walk while carrying candles, and flowers and some of them carry a curious black coffin (figure 1). Figure 1. The Funeral. ¹ The crew stops for a brief moment at the entrance of the town and if any curious person was looking at them, one of the people leaves the event briefly. The person offers them a lighted candle as a souvenir. However, the next morning, the candle had transformed into a human bone! The curious person who received it begins to go silent and gets feverish and dreams about what they had seen until they go crazy and in a couple of days he dies of fright. Be careful if you ever walk in Chalchuapa alone! Inspired by  Hilos Narrativos ’ version. Credits: ¹  Hilos Narrativos

In 1655, some mighty pirates living on Meanguera Island attacked a ship and stole a sealed wooden box whose contents. The pirates didn’t care about its destination since they were only looking for gold and silver. They forced the sailors to walk the plank and let them die around 50 miles from the shores of La Paz in El Salvador. However, God didn’t forget what had happened and sent a powerful wind that almost destroy the pirate ship. From one moment to another, the mysterious box fell into the sea and the pirates couldn’t recover it. In 1682, some merchants around the shores of La Paz discovered the mysterious box. They couldn’t open it and asked a man on the shores to lend them one of his donkeys. They walked next to the donkey for several days until they reached San Miguel on November 21 st . As soon as they had arrived in San Miguel, the donkey felt exhausted in the main square in front of the old parish church. Immediately, the box opened and after removing several wraps, they foun...

In 1995 on October 31 st , I was coming back from a long trip to Panama. My company had sent me to deliver several tons of coal and wood to the canal. It had been one of the most tiring trips in my life. I just wanted to reach my house and sleep in my bed. Around 1am, I reached Izalco and tried to go directly to my home, but suddenly, I saw some curious lights moving in the cemetery. I had never seen any lights in the cemetery at night. I decided to park next to the Ash River (Río Ceniza in Spanish) and entered the cemetery to check what was happening. I started to walk carelessly inside the cemetery when suddenly, a white dog approached me with a kind of stick, but as soon as he left it next to me. I noticed it was not a stick, but a massive bone. The dog fled as soon as it had released the bone next to me. I only crossed myself and kept walking inside the cemetery. I thought nothing important had happened. After a while, I started to hear some strange words from behind, "Kakasb...

In 1529, the warrior Shúri ruled Yusique (Chinameca). He belonged to the Lenca people and was a very thin cacique about thirty years old. He looked weak, but he had special physical abilities like a few people in  Cuzcatlan . He possessed the agility of the jaguar; the versatility of the deer and he was incredible flexibility as a bow. His personality was amazing because he used his brain more than pure brute force. His spirit inspired every Indian in his lands, he was considered the warlord of the warlords by his men (figure 1). Figure 1. Shúri.  ¹ At the beginning of that year, Shúri heard of some evil conquistadors taking full control of  Cuzcatlan (the western part of El Salvador) . He was concerned because of their military power and the 4-legged animals they were using to take control extremely fast. This seemed like an extremely challenging battle to win, but they had to stop them at any cost. In 1530, the situation in the central of the country got out of control ...

Hundreds of years ago, a colossal giant called Sisimico (figure 1) lived in a canyon in San Vicente. The giant scared everyone for generations, but one day, it vanished and left his bones only. His bones rested at the bottom, resting his arms on the edges of the sidewalls, contemplating from there with his cyclopean eye watching the beauties of the surroundings, especially, its amazing, beautiful pool of crystalline blue waters. Figure 1. Sisimiaco. ¹ In recent times, an archeologist discovered that the bones came from a mastodon and presented them to the Pope in the Vatican City. They decided that it was an excellent piece to exhibit in one of the Vatican Museums, where it lays until today. Also, the word Sisimiaco comes from the Nahuatl Sisimitil , which means goblin or witch. A word that was associated with this unique place that sadly vanished from our lands in 2009 after a landslide. Inspired by Rafael González Sol’s version. Credits: ¹  A Total War Saga: Troy Leyen...

Long ago, three fishermen woke up and decided to hunt some fish on the shores of El Espino Beach. Everyone was happy and seemed like it would be a good day. After a while, one of them started to yell, “Come here! I found a portrait.” The other two men came to see it and were shocked by the portrait. They were sure it was the Virgin Mary. All of them kneeled on the sand and thanked her for her visit. Especially because they were humble men. The men picked up the portrait carefully and brought it to the closes Catholic Church where the local priest deduced that it was the Virgin of Candelaria. The priest spoke with some local people, and everyone agreed to bring the portrait to a tiny old hermitage in the Old Town. Also, they agreed to create a statue that resembled her to her perfection (figure 1). From that day, the Virgin of Candelaria became their Patron and yearly Pilgrimage Festivities are organized on February 1 st and 2 nd as a memory of her visit. Figure 1. The Virgin of C...

Hundreds of years ago, in the Canyon of the Olotes (Barranca de Los Olotes in Spanish)  near Izalco, cruel combat happened between the Spaniards and the Indians. On a terrible afternoon, thousands of arrows darkened the sun, trying to stop the Spanish invaders who had come with Pedro de Alvarado, one of their best captains. However, the Spaniards were able to protect themselves with their shields and laugh about their useless weapons. After a while, the Spaniards started to move their forces, and little by little, using their sophisticated  weaponry , they defeated the Indians. After the fight was over, Pedro de Alvarado decided to take a rest because it was insanely hot. However, the heat was so extreme that the rock softened and imprinted his right foot as a sign of their evil precise. Nowadays, everyone living in the Canyon  of the Olotes can appreciate the engraved foot (figure 1) as a memory of the old times and the Spanish Conquest. Figure 1. The Rock of The Conques...

In Guaymango, there is a mysterious cave (figure 1), which the locals believe is the Devil’s House, an entry to hell. Figure 1. Devil’s Cave. ¹ Many people assure you that if you walk around the San Martín Canton, you will find a narrow path that is surrounded by deep vegetation and cornfields. After a while, you will find two huge stones that guard the entrance to the cave. If you reach this place on the wrong day, a massive golden snake is going to devour you. Only a few had escaped and said it came from the deepest part of the cave. Some drunk people walked around the cave at midnight, and they walked in circles for hours because they lost their way. This is dangerous and they assure that even during their hangover, they still couldn’t know their path for hours. They are sure anyone, even sober people, can lose their path. People who regularly walk around the cave start listening to some creepy laughs like coming from hell. On one occasion a man tried to see what was happening and t...

Once upon a time, there was a woman who wanted to have a godmother. However, she did not want every godmother, she wanted Mrs. Death (figure 1). This woman wanted to know her destiny and was sure Mrs. Death could help her. Figure 1. Mrs. Death. One day the woman went to visit Mrs. Death’s cabin. She was not there that day, but the woman still entered her cabin. She would wait inside. Several minutes later, she started roaming around and noticed thousands of black candles. Each of them had an imprinted theme. A tiny one had her name imprinted, María Flores. After she read her name, she had a premonition: "She would die of a rare disease soon." She was shocked because she did not have any notable disease. She was a healthy woman! Suddenly, Mrs. Death appeared silently from behind and gave her an ointment. She also gave her precise orders on how to use it, "Use this ointment on your feet but be careful you should not smear on it your head. This can cure you of that rare di...

On January 13, 2001, an earthquake hit Santa Tecla badly. The following days were full of terror. The strong aftershocks that followed the first earthquake led thousands of families to sleep with clothes, and shoes very close to the exit of their homes. No one knew what could happen next. The fear was so massive since hundreds of people had died because of a landslide in the Las Colinas neighborhood. This situation brought new rumors to the Salvadoran minds. They discovered that just hours after the first earthquake, a horrendous boy was born in Zacatecoluca. Plus, he had predicted a new tragedy was coming on February 13. The newborn had scared the entire medical staff because of his ugliness. Some believed it was the same Antichrist because he had horns and a tail. One of the nurses was so shocked that she exclaimed, "What an ugly child!" Figure 1. The ugly baby. Immediately after the nurse’s words, a frightening voice coming from the newborn answered: "The ugliest even...

Around 20 years ago at the beginning of the 2000s, some fishermen started to hear some uncommon voices from the sea, to be precise Los Cóbanos Beach. The fishermen were frightened by its voices. One of them recalled that his grandfather had told him that a ship had sunk on their coasts in 1890. The ship was called S.S. Douglas. This was a beautiful and imponent English ship. His grandfather had also told him that the S.S. Douglas had sunk while carrying a shipment of 10,000 bags of golden coffee to Hamburg, Germany. That day was quite windy, and the storms were stronger than forcing the S.S. Douglas to collide off with Punta Remedios twelve miles from the Port of Acajutla. A place that since pre-Hispanic times has been important for trade and fishing. After the tragedy, the crew members were directly taken to a Los Cóbanos clinic in an emergency, and due to the collision with the stones located on the beach, the ship stayed at that point and dived 24 feet deep. The people around the to...

Long ago, a dwarf called Dieguito arrived at Hawk Hill from some faraway lands. He decided to build his small cabin (figure 1) on its summit and planted some of the most beautiful flowers and lilies any person had ever seen. Figure 1. Dieguito, the dwarf.  ¹ Every person who walked around Dieguito’s lands was always impressed by the beauty of his flowers. They looked like something really exotic. They often asked him for their price and if he could sell them some. However, he always refused and never revealed where he had brought them from. On some occasions when Dieguito climbs down the hill with some flowers. If he met on that day an honest, young, and well well-behaved girl, he would give them a bunch of flowers and wild lilies, placing them at his feet. He immediately left after this without saying a word. Some girls felt flattered, but others were really annoyed and confused him with the mischievous Irish dwarf living in Cabañas. Credits: ¹  Heroes of Might & Magic II...

Long ago, a shaman cursed a man for no clear reason. The shaman was just in a bad mood and decided to make his eyes extremely strong (figure 1). They even reached a terrible point that if any weak child exchanged glances with him, the child would get sick immediately. The child would suffer for weeks from uncommon diseases that are hard to treat. Some of those unlucky children died if they were not treated fast enough. Figure 1. The strong eye. Unfortunately, almost every surviving child inherited the strong eye cursed also and shared it with the newest generations, creating a vicious cycle forever! That’s why over the years more and more children across El Salvador started to suffer from unexpected illnesses that no doctor could treat and just hope for the best. Be careful if you ever meet one of these cursed men! Inspired by Dinora Flores’ version collected by Ennis Arely Arevalo Girón, Lissette Amelia Gutierrez Paz, and Karen Liseth Mancia Bonilla in their  thesis ...

When passing by the path that goes around the hill in Guatajiagua, a ghost ( El Espanto in Spanish ) appears from nowhere (figure 1). Figure 1. The Guatajiagua ghost. Everyone is afraid to pass near the hill because the ghost loves to scare all men. The ghost searches for new ways to be always in front of all men and throws their hats. Most men try finding another way to avoid the ghost. However, the ghost will keep chasing until around 11 or 12 PM. At this time, the men will be able to reach their homes. Generally, their women will be waiting for them angrily, demanding to know why they are so late at home. Suddenly, the ghost appears in the courtyard, and the women ask, “who is that bundle that is passing by?” Then the men always answer: "He is the one who would not let me pass, I was afraid of that one, and so I came late." Inspired by Hipólito Cruz’s version collected by Ennis Arely Arevalo Girón, Lissette Amelia Gutierrez Paz, and Karen Liseth Mancia Bonilla in their...

In the 1990s, an elegant and imponent hotel was constructed on one of the best beaches of El Salvador, Costa del Sol. A place recognized for its golden sand. The hotel was called Puerto Ventura and the locals called its location Las Isletas. The hotel was relatively hidden and mainly visited by wealthy visitors. Its hidden nature allowed them to escape from their daily routines and enjoy a peaceful stay outside the public eye. The magnificent beaches, proximity to the Lempa River, some small forests, and the powerful Pacific Ocean were the ideal combination for a short or long-deserved vacation. Everyone who visited this hotel enjoyed their experience and shared it with their close ones. However, everything changed drastically in 1998 when the tail of Hurricane Mitch hit El Salvador. Its fierce winds and storms were an extremely destructive force that caused billions of dollars of destruction all over Central America and the Caribbean, just in El Salvador perished 240 people and the d...

Long ago, a countryman called Juan was married to a woman called Paciencia (patience in English). However, his wife was the lesser patient woman ever, and with every day that passed, she was less and less patient. Her husband could be described as a real-life sloth. He was the laziest man you would ever meet. He only loved to stay in his hammock listening to the radio all day long (figure 1). Figure 1. Juan sleeping. Paciencia woke up very early every day to do all the housework, and because her husband was a sloth, she was in a terrible mood all the time. She complained about it constantly. However, as is well-known, it’s easy to see the mote in your brother’s eye and not the rafter in your own. Paciencia was not the perfect wife at all. She had several small defects. She was over-jealous. She could not see her husband speaking with any women, not even his mom. She would start screaming hysterically in front of everyone. Every time her husband left her hammock to do anything outs...

At the end of the last century, the corncob of corn (figure 1) was not burned in El Salvador. Salvadorans believed that the corncob of corn was the skeleton of corn and the elders said that the devil stored corn and sorghum so that our Lord’s children would die. Figure 1. The Corncob. Our Lord was disappointed by the devil’s actions and tried to think of a strategy on how to fight him, but he couldn’t find a good one. After a couple of days, he spoke with a yellow ant and a mouse. He asked them if they had any idea how to handle it. They told him this was easy, they would make a tunnel under the earth and in this way, the yellow ant took out the sorghum and the mouse the corn. After this event, sorghum became the favorite grain of yellow for ants and corn for the mice. In this way, the Salvadoran ancestors discovered corn and sorghum. Inspired by Salvador Hernández’s version collected by Ennis Arely Arevalo Girón, Lissette Amelia Gutierrez Paz, and Karen Liseth Manc...

It was a normal day on 7 June 1917. Everything seemed fine in the surroundings of the San Salvador volcano. A regular day with people walking or riding their horses to jobs. In those days, cars did not exist in El Salvador, and people needed to wake up really early if they wanted to reach any particular destination. However, at 6:55 PM a powerful earthquake took El Salvador by surprise. It was so powerful that it was felt in several cities including Armenia, Ateos, Sacacoyo, and San Julián all of them in the south of the volcano. People started to panic and run for their lives. Half an hour later, at 7:30 PM, a new earthquake in a new section shook El Salvador again. This one affected Apopa, Nejapa, Quezaltepeque, San Juan Opico, Santa Tecla, and San Salvador. No one knew what was happening, some people believed it was the end of time. The Second Coming of Jesus Christ or maybe a punishment from the Almighty! People all around these cities were trying to save their lives. The...