Federico Stories

A long time ago, the Spaniards started to conquer the lands of El Salvador. One of the last strongholds of the Lenca tribe was the Morazan, and they had to protect it at any cost. The Spaniards were tired of the Lenca tribe and decided to carry out a massacre. Eventually, all corpses were reclaimed by other Indians except one. Nobody ever claimed nor picked up. No one ever knew who he belonged. For this reason, the new locals called this place the Plain of the Dead Man  (El Llano del Muerto in Spanish) (figure 1). Figure 1. The Plain of the Dead Man.  ¹ Nowadays, the Plain of the Dead is a place with abundant natural wealth, full of forests, rivers, and mountains that offer tourists a good space for camping, hiking, and swimming in pools of crystal-clear water. Credits: ¹  Natalia Galarza

Emeterio Ruano was a very ambitious man (figure 1) who owned the Zapotitan Estate in the 1860s. His businesses were going all right, but he wanted more, and one day, he called the devil to make a deal. Figure 1.  Emeterio Ruano. Emeterio approached a mysterious rock inside a tiny lagoon and invoked the devil. The devil came around midnight and granted his wish, that Emeterio would become extremely wealthy. The rock would be the place where every couple of weeks, Emeterio would receive a new gift until the day the deal had to be paid. The rock was extremely unique and frightened anyone who came closer. It was extremely massive,  10 meters wide by 13 long. Also,  the figure of a snake and a shoe that belonged to  Emeterio  was engraved on the rock.  However, the most curious part was its top. It had several holes, two of them with a perfect circumference, where the gold and silver came out from hell. Over the years, the locals renamed the canton Silver Hil...

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 Cortege. 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 ...

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...

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...

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...

A long time ago, a statue of San Sebastián was brought from Morroñoso Hill in Morazán. It was a nice statue, and the citizens decided to make a tiny chapel for him. The next morning, the citizens visited the tiny chapel, but they were shocked because the statue was not there. The statue had moved by itself to another place where there were some rocks. No one understood how this had happened, but they brought back the statue to the tiny chapel. However, again, the next morning, the statue had moved back to the rocks. And the same phenomenon repeated for several weeks. No one had any idea what was happening or who was moving the statue. Some people believe a joker was playing with the statue. After several weeks, some priests agreed that this was a clear sign that Saint Sebastian wanted to stay in that rocky place. There was no joker behind. Therefore, they decided to build a new temple there. The people were glad, and the statue never moved again. Nowadays, the statue and the church ar...

Long ago, a siren from some faraway lands mysteriously reached the Olomega Lagoon. In those days, the lagoon was inhabited mainly by hard-working fishermen from the Lenca tribe. The siren started to swim in the lagoon until it reached the largest island called Olomegón. She decided that this would become her new kingdom (figure 1). A place that she would rule with her melodic voice. Figure 1. The Siren. Over the years, the inhabitants started to listen to a lovely voice singing inside the lake. One that captivated everyone and could be heard at night mainly. One night, a very brave fisherman decided to chase that song. He could not believe what he was listening to. He fell in love. He started to paddle his canoe, trying to find that melodic voice. Several minutes later, he discovered the voice was coming from Olomegón Island. He started to walk around it, and on its summit, he discovered who was singing. He saw the most alluring woman he had ever seen. Her beauty and voice were extrem...

Long ago, a red-headed coral snake (figure 1) appeared in a pond in the canton of El Cajón de Huizúcar in La Libertad. No Indian had ever seen a snake like this one in their lives. The snake was very skilled. It lived between rocks and a small waterfall not so far from the pond. Its eyes could paralyze anyone who saw it directly. It constantly chased anyone who dared to bathe in its pond, paralyzing it. Then, the snake left the person paralyzed among some rocks as if nothing had happened. Perhaps someone could save this human by luck, or other animals would enjoy it. No one should date to enter its domains. Figure 1. The coral snake. Nowadays, strong storms have transformed the snake’s pond into a creek. This created new abundant small caves in the surroundings where the snake hides, waiting for its next prey. Be careful if you ever visit its pond.

Many years ago, when La Nahuaterique (a small village in Honduras) was part of El Salvador, there used to live an old and peculiar sorcerer. This village was well known for its Lenca population. The sorcerer was grumpy and unfriendly; barely anyone had ever spoken with him over his long time living there. His face was a complete mystery because he always wore a mask in the shape of an owl (figure 1). He used to live in a tiny cave where barely any light entered. From time to time, the people could see a campfire, but no one was sure if it was real. Figure 1. The Sorcerer.   ¹ Some people believe he was a shapeshifter who transformed himself into other animals, mainly owls. Others had the impression he was one of the few sorcerers who were not fully cursed by the shaman centuries ago. One of those who could revert to his human form at his own will, but to retain his secret identity, he always wore that mask. While a few people believed he had an odd business of selling ointmen...

In the 1900s, in the San Pablo canton in Cuscatlan, many women made amazing hand-made comals (kinds of large pans made from clay). They were the best in entire El Salvador, and everyone wanted to know their secrets. These women used to sell their comals in some unique baskets every Sunday at noon around the municipality. Many people, especially the pupusa makers (las pupuseras in Spanish) , jumped to them when they heard those women saying: "Comals! Comals! 2 for 0.15 cents! Comals of all sizes! Do you want a comal?" Everyone ran and approached them because they wanted one.  Over the years, in the 1920s, a man decided that he deserved to know these women’s secrets. He went to spy on them. He found that the women were making the comals in an odd cave next to a forest (figure 1) every Saturday. He had never seen that cave in his life. He descended around 120 stairs until he reached the secret place where the women made their mystical comals. Figure 1. Dwarf’s Cave....

Long ago, a young man called Serapio used to live next to a borehole in Santa Elena, Honduras. He was the richest man there and possessed uncountable goods that graved everyone’s attention. Everyone said that one day he appeared with a table, the next one with a bed, later with a new mattress, and many more things every day. Who knew what the next thing on his list would be! Serapio was a very peculiar person. Every night he came to the town with his black mule (figure 1), and they did some unusual business with chosen people. Only a few people were aware of what these businesses were, but as soon as they concluded, they vanished, and, suddenly, they were in El Salvador. No one could understand how it was possible to move from Honduras to El Salvador in less than 5 minutes! Figure 1. The young and the black mule.   ¹ Over the years, everyone was more and more concerned; his wealth and goods were unmeasurable! Hence, a couple of them investigated his trick and they d...

Many years ago, in Culuco, Nahualism was widespread. This was an ancient art that allowed people to shapeshift into animals. Its local sorcerers were experts on it. However, one day, they committed a serious offense against the Catholic Church. One that really enraged it. In those days, the inhabitants of Culuco were terrified by almost every animal. No one was sure if an animal was an animal, or it was one of the sorcerers! Some assured, they could transform into any animal you could imagine, dogs, cats, cows, etc. Their powers were unmeasurable. At any moment, any animal could revert back to its human form and frighten them to death. Many people often fainted and lost their belongings after these experiences. However, one Thursday during the winter solstice of 1855, an important priest decided to go there and organize a special mass. He organized it in a beautiful church inside the cave (figure 1). He started his mass, but strangely no parishioners arrived. He was shocked bec...